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 …

Jan 5, 2026 · Antarctica, the world’s southernmost continent, is almost wholly covered by an ice sheet and is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size.

Without any ice, Antarctica would emerge as a giant peninsula and archipelago of mountainous islands, known as Lesser Antarctica, and a single large landmass about the size of Australia, …

17 hours ago · Scientists have inaugurated the first global repository of mountain ice cores in an Antarctic vault.

Apr 17, 2025 · Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth. The Antarctic ice sheet contains about 7.2 million cubic miles (30 million cubic kilometers) in an area just under …

Aug 9, 2023 · Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent on Earth. It is almost completely covered in ice. Antarctica covers the Earth’s South Pole. What Is Antarctica Like? Antarctica is the …

Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, covering an area of 13.72 million square kilometers, making it the fifth-largest continent by land area. Despite its massive size, Antarctica has no …

Antarctic factsheet Antarctica is a continent capped by an inland ice sheet up to 4.8km thick, containing approximately 90% of the world’s total surface fresh water (and 60% of the world’s …

Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm (8 in) …

Antarctica is the frozen world and is entirely covered with thick ice that accounts for 70% of Earth’s fresh water. Only scientists and researchers stay here for a short time in dedicated …