Antarctica, fifth largest of the earth’s seven continents. The southernmost,
coldest, windiest, highest, most remote, and most recently discovered continent,
it surrounds the South Pole, the point at the southern end of the earth’s
axis. Almost completely covered by ice, Antarctica has no permanent human population.
The continent is ringed by the Southern, or Antarctic, Ocean, a body of water
made up of the southern portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans but
sometimes considered a separate ocean due to its lower temperature and salt concentration.
The entire area south of the Antarctic Convergence, the zone where the Southern
Ocean meets the other oceans, is referred to as the Antarctic region. Antarctica
means "opposite to the Arctic," the earth’s northernmost region.
The continent is shaped somewhat like a comma, with a round body surrounding
the pole and a tail curving toward South America. The round portion, lying mainly
in the eastern hemisphere, makes up East Antarctica. The tail and its thickened
base, located entirely in the western hemisphere, form West Antarctica. Antarctica
lies about 1000 km (about 600 mi) from South America, its nearest neighbor;
about 4000 km (about 2500 mi) from Africa; and about 2500 km (about 1600 mi)
from Australia. Antarctica’s latitude (location in relation to the equator)
and high elevations make it the coldest continent. Air temperatures of the high
inland regions fall below -;80° C (-110° F) in winter and rise
only to about -;30° C (about -;20° F) in summer. The warmest
coastal regions reach the freezing point in summer but drop well below in winter. q8f20fg
The last continent to be discovered, Antarctica remained hidden behind barriers
of fog, storm, and sea ice until it was first sighted in the early 19th century.
Because of the extreme cold and the lack of native peoples, forests, land animals,
and obvious natural resources, the continent remained largely neglected for
decades after discovery. Scientific expeditions and seal hunters had explored
only fragments of its coasts by the end of the 19th century, while the interior
remained unknown. Explorers first reached the South Pole in 1911, and the first
permanent settlements—scientific stations—were established in the
early 1940s. From that time the pace of exploration accelerated rapidly. Scientists
continue to conduct research in Antarctica, and in recent years increasing numbers
of tourists have visited Antarctica to appreciate the region’s majestic
scenery and wildlife.
Seven nations—Argentina, Australia, Britain, Chile, France, New Zealand,
and Norway—claim territory in Antarctica. Other nations, including the
United States and Russia, do not acknowledge these claims and make no claims
of their own, but reserve rights to claim territory in the future. Since 1961
the continent has been administered under the Antarctic Treaty, an international
agreement to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific study.
Mineral Resources Although only about 1 percent of the continent’s ice-free
areas have been surveyed for minerals, evidence indicates that Antarctica contains
rich mineral deposits. The Transantarctic Mountains contain huge deposits of
coal as well as copper, lead, zinc, silver, tin, and gold. The Prince Charles
Mountains of East Antarctica are rich in iron ore; the Antarctic Peninsula contains
copper and molybdenum ores; and the Dufek Massif includes ores of chromium,
platinum, copper, and nickel. It is also believed that deposits of petroleum
and natural gas exist in the continental shelf regions, such as the area under
the Ross Sea. Although Antarctica has prospects for mineral development, there
are concerns about the potential environmental and political impacts of this
development. In 1991 the signatory nations of the Antarctic Treaty agreed to
a 50-year moratorium on commercial mining activity. The only mineral resources
currently used are sand, gravel, and crushed rocks for constructing airstrips
and building foundations at the scientific stations.