AREA: 5,400,000 square miles (14,000,000 km2)
PERCENTAGE OF SURFACE AREA COVERED BY WATER: 99.6% (frozen water)
POPULATION: No indigenous inhabitants. Permanent and summer-only research
stations staffed by 29 nations engaged in non-military scientific research.
GEOGRAPHY: The continent is centered asymmetrically around the South Pole.
A thick continental ice sheet covers 99.6% of Antarctica. The rest is barren rock. Average
elevations range between 6,500 and 13,000 feet (2,000 to 4,000 meters). The Transantarctic
Mountain Range rises to roughly 16,000 feet (5,000 meters). Ice-free coastal areas include
parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula and parts of Ross
Island on McMurdo Sound. Glaciers form floating ice shelves along approximately half the
coastline and constitute 11% of the area of the continent.
CLIMATE: Severe low temperatures throughout the continent vary slightly
with latitude, elevation and distance from the ocean. Temperatures range from -112°F (-80°C)
to -130°F (-90°C) in the interior during winter, and between 41°F (5°C) and 59°F (15°C) near
the coasts in summer. East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher
elevation. The Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures,
averaging slightly below freezing, occur in January along the coast. In the summer
Antarctica experiences 24 hours of daylight, and in winter the Sun never rises. Antarctica
receives so little precipitation that it is considered the world’s largest desert.
ECONOMY: Limited activity includes fishing and tourism.