Antarctica

Geography

Geography of Antarctica

Antarctica is located at the South Pole and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Over 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice. It is the driest and coldest continent on earth. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent based on size, but it is the smallest in population with an official population of 0 (although some people do visit for scientific research).

Some animals do manage to survive in the cold and dry climate of Antarctica. These animals include penguins, seals, and the snow petrel (a bird).

Antarctica has no countries and no portions of the continent are owned by any country.

Population: Visiters vary between 1000 and 4000 researchers

Area: 5,400,000 square miles

Ranking: It is the fifth largest and the least populous of the continents

Major Biomes: icy desert

Major cities: No major cities, just a few scientific outposts.

Click here to see large map of Antarctica

Fun Facts about Antarctica:

Antarctica is the windiest place on earth.

There is as much ice on Antarctica as there is water in the Atlantic Ocean.

The lowest recorded temperature in history was -128 degrees F in Antarctica.

Antarctica has the highest average elevation of any continent. This is due to all the ice on it!

Because it never rains in Antarctica, it is considered the world's biggest desert.

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