Antarctica - January 2012
Introduction
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South
Pole. Situated in the southern hemisphere and largely south of
the Antarctic Circle, Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern
Ocean. At 14.4 million km², it is the fifth-largest
continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South
America; in turn, Europe and Australia are smaller. Some 98% of
Antarctica is covered by ice, which averages at least 1.6 kilometers
(1.0 mi) in thickness.
On average, Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent,
and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Since
there is little precipitation, except at the coasts, the interior
of the continent is technically the largest desert in the world.
There are no permanent human residents and there is no evidence
of any existing or pre-historic indigenous population. Only cold-adapted
plants and animals survive there, including penguins, fur seals,
mosses, lichen, and many types of algae.
The name Antarctica comes from the Greek antarktikos (ανταρκτικ?ς),
meaning "opposite to the Arctic." Although myths and
speculation about a Terra Australis ("Southern Land")
date back to antiquity, the first confirmed sighting of the continent
is commonly accepted to have occurred in 1820 by the Russian expedition
of Mikhail Lazarev and Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. However,
the continent remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th
century because of its hostile environment, lack of resources,
and isolation.
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by twelve countries; to
date, forty-five countries have signed the treaty. The treaty
prohibits military activities and mineral mining, supports scientific
research, and protects the continent's ecozone. Ongoing experiments
are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists of many nationalities
and with different research interests.
