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, …

Sep 25, 2025 · Though Antarctica is really, really chilly, it is considered a desert because it receives very little rain or snowfall. The small amount of snow that does fall does not melt but …

Jan 5, 2026 · Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

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 …

Dec 27, 2025 · The continent’s ice is melting and raising sea levels worldwide. Our journalists will be sending regular dispatches as they head there with scientists trying to gauge the dangers.

Explore Antarctica’s land area, zero population status, and importance as a scientific research hub. Includes facts and wildlife details.

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 the Earth 's southernmost and the continent with the least people. It is on the South Pole. It is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle. Around Antarctica is the Southern …