🇦🇶 Antarctica

National Flag

Geography & Borders

This country has no land borders.

Introduction & Background

Antarctica (/ænˈtɑːrktɪkə/ⓘ)note 1 is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000km2 (5,500,000sqmi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9km (1.2mi).

Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200mm (8in) along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost 60 metres (200ft). Antarctica holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Earth, −89.2°C (−128.6°F). The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10°C (50°F) in summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.