Continents
Antarctica
an-TARK-tih-kuh
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
The southernmost continent, centered on the geographic South Pole and almost entirely covered by an ice sheet averaging over a mile thick, which holds most of the world's fresh water. It has no permanent population; a rotating community of a few thousand scientists and support staff, drawn from many nations under the Antarctic Treaty System, occupies research stations that swell in the austral summer and empty in winter.
Facts
Area (sq km)National Geographic Atlas of the World figure, including the permanent ice shelves. PopulationNo permanent population; transient research-station population runs about 5,000 in the austral summer to about 1,000 in winter. Highest Point Highest Elevation (m) Lowest PointDenman Glacier (subglacial trench) 2 Country CountAntarctica has no sovereign states of its own; this counts nations that are parties to the Antarctic Treaty System, a different kind of count from a continent's own resident countries. Tectonic Plate Context Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Australia, Continents Australia and Antarctica were joined within the supercontinent Gondwana. Rifting between them began around 85 million years ago and progressed from west to east; the two continents finally separated south of Tasmania by about 45 million years ago, opening the Tasman Seaway between them.
This source names Antarctica directly: "faces the Drake Passage toward Antarctica."
South America, Continents Why this is disputed. Antarctica and South America were joined within Gondwana and separated as the Drake Passage opened between them, allowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to begin flowing. Published estimates for when the passage fully opened range from about 49 to 17 million years ago; most reconstructions place the main separation between 34 and 23 million years ago, but the exact timing remains an active question in the tectonic literature.
Home To
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationGeography section, highest peakQuote, Geography section, highest peak
Vinson Massif, in the Ellsworth Mountains, is the highest peak in Antarctica at 4,892 m (16,050 ft).
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationopening paragraphs, treaty governanceQuote, opening paragraphs, treaty governance
Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System.
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Antarctica
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction, continent overviewQuote, Introduction, continent overview
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent.
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first sentenceQuote, Lead section, first sentence
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent.
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, AreaQuote, Infobox, Area
14,200,000 km2 (5,500,000 sq mi)
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationPolitics and governance section, seasonal populationQuote, Politics and governance section, seasonal population
During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter.
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Southern Ocean, Geography section, openingQuote, Associated With: The Southern Ocean, Geography section, opening
Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole.
1. Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Ross Sea, Geography section, Transantarctic MountainsQuote, Associated With: Ross Sea, Geography section, Transantarctic Mountains
Antarctica is divided into West Antarctica and East Antarctica by the Transantarctic Mountains, which stretch from Victoria Land to the Ross Sea.
2. Extreme Points of Antarctica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLowest point entryQuote, Lowest point entry
The lowest point in Antarctica is within the Denman Glacier, which reaches 3.5 kilometers (11,500 feet) below sea level.
3. List of Tectonic Plates (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAntarctic Plate entryQuote, Antarctic Plate entry
Major tectonic plate containing Antarctica and the surrounding ocean floor – 60,900,000 km2
Encyclopaedia Britannica
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019World continents area table
The World Factbook
United States Geological Survey
United States Geological SurveyHome To: The Antarctic Ice SheetView the Source United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
United States Geological SurveyAssociated With: South AmericaView the Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationHome To: The Southern OceanView the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Does Antarctica have a permanent population?
No. Antarctica has no permanent residents, only a rotating scientific population.
Antarctica has no permanent population. It is governed by about 30 countries that are parties to the Antarctic Treaty System, and a rotating community of a few thousand scientists and support staff, drawn from many nations, occupies research stations there, with numbers larger in the austral summer than in the winter.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.