The least populous and also most southerly continent on Earth is Antarctica. It includes the geographical South Post as well as is nearly fully southern of the Antarctic Circle, surrounded by the Southern Sea. With an area of 14,200,000 km2, Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being virtually two times the size of Australia and also larger than Europe (5,500,000 sq mi). Ice coverings most of Antarctica, with a typical density of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
The continent with the greatest ordinary elevation is Antarctica, which likewise tends to be the coldest, driest, and also windiest general. With about 200 mm (8 in) of yearly precipitation at the shore as well as a lot less inland, it is mainly a polar desert. In Antarctica, around 70% of the globe's freshwater books are frozen, and if they defrosted, the water level would climb by virtually 60 metres (200 feet).
89.2 ° C (128.6 ° F) in Antarctica is the lowest temperature level ever recorded on Earth. In the summer, seaside districts can experience temperatures of more than 10 ° C (50 ° F). Mites, nematodes, penguins, seals, tardigrades, and also nematodes are examples of indigenous animal species. Where plants is present, it generally takes the kind of moss or lichen. The very first time the Antarctic ice racks were most likely observed remained in 1820, during a Russian expedition commanded by Mikhail Lazarev as well as Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. In the decades that complied with, French, American, and also British expeditions executed much more exploration. A Norwegian team made the initial authorities touchdown in 1895. There were a couple of voyages right into the interior of the continent around the start of the 20th century. British explorers were the very first to reach the magnetic South Post in 1909, while Norwegian explorers were the initial to get to the geographical South Pole in 1911.
Concerning 30 nations, every one of which are signatories to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System, are in charge of Antarctica. The treaty's provisions prohibited mining, nuclear surges, as well as the storage space or disposal of hazardous waste in Antarctica. Around Antarctica, the main human tasks are tourism, angling, and also study. Around 5,000 individuals stay in research terminals during the summer, but only roughly 1,000 do so during the wintertime.
Regardless of its seclusion, the continent is substantially influenced by human task as a result of pollution, ozone deficiency, and climate change.