Antarctica

Antarctica (also called Antarctics) is a continent located at the southern tip of Earth. It is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Nearly all of its land is covered by permanent ice with a thickness exceeding hundreds of meters in many places. It is the coldest, driest, and most sparsely populated continent—despite the large reserves of freshwater contained in its ice.

It has no permanent human population. The people present are scientists and staff working at research stations maintained by various countries, with numbers varying seasonally: summer brings greater populations than winter.

Geography and climate

The continent is divided into East Antarctica and West Antarctica, separated by the Transantarctic Mountains. East Antarctica sits on ancient high ground, while West Antarctica consists of islands and depressed land bound together by ice. The Antarctic Peninsula extends toward South America and is the warmest region. Ice flows gradually toward the coasts, in places forming ice shelves that extend over the sea.

The climate is extremely cold. Interior temperatures in summer fall well below freezing, while coastal areas are somewhat warmer. Daylight lasts for many continuous hours in summer, and complete darkness prevails in winter—a consequence of Earth's axial tilt.

Life

The land is inhabited by small organisms such as lichens, mosses, and bacteria. Larger life depends on the sea: penguins, seabirds, seals, and whales. The food chain rests on krill, small crustaceans abundant in the southern ocean.

Governance and treaty

Antarctica has no government. It falls under the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and entering force in 1961. The treaty designates the continent for peaceful use and scientific research, and prohibits military activity and nuclear weapons testing. Territorial claims made by certain countries beforehand are neither recognized nor abandoned—they remain suspended while the treaty is in effect. A supplementary agreement (the Environmental Protection Protocol) restricts mining.

Climate change

Parts of the ice, particularly in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, have been documented as melting at accelerating rates. The melting ice affects global sea levels. Scientists gather data from ice cores showing climate patterns over hundreds of thousands of years.