Overview of Antarctic Continent
Antarctica is the southernmost continent centered on the South Pole and surrounding seas, designated as the world's largest natural reserve with restrictions on military activities and resource exploitation under international treaty.
Profile
The Antarctic continent covers approximately 14 million km², with an average ice thickness of about 1,900m, featuring the coldest and driest environment on Earth. Average elevation is 2,300m—highest of all continents—with annual mean temperatures around −50℃ inland and below −10℃ on coasts. No permanent residents exist; about 30 nations operate scientific research stations with personnel concentrations in summer, drastically reduced during winter. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty established the freezing of territorial claims, prohibition of military use, and pillars of scientific cooperation and environmental protection, subsequently strengthened by the Madrid Protocol and other measures. While serving as the frontier for research in glaciology, climate change, biology, astronomy and more, concerns have recently emerged regarding environmental impacts from increasing cruise tourism.
- Official name
- Antarctica
- Common name
- Antarctic Continent
- Numeric code
- 010
- Alpha-3 code
- ATA
- Alpha-2 code
- AQ
- Population
- No permanent population (approximately 4,000 in summer, 1,000 in winter research personnel only)
- Population density
- 0
- Primary languages
- No unified official language due to multinational presence (English widely used as lingua franca)
- Major religions
- Internet TLD
- .aq
History
Human reach began in early 19th century; Amundsen's expedition first reached the South Pole in 1911. Subsequently various nations advanced exploration, and the 1957-58 International Geophysical Year catalyzed establishment of permanent observation systems.
Antarctica had long been hypothesized as the 'Unknown Southern Land,' but landmass confirmation came in the 1820s. Early 20th century saw British and Norwegian expeditions racing to the South Pole, with Roald Amundsen achieving first arrival on December 14, 1911, followed by Robert Scott's team reaching it the next year but perishing on return—a known tragedy. Post-World War II territorial claims intensified, but momentum grew to prioritize scientific cooperation even during the Cold War, leading to adoption of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 and entry into force in 1961. Under this treaty regime, International Geophysical Year achievements were shared, and from the 1970s onward, successive landmark discoveries emerged—ozone hole detection, meteorite concentration zones, ice core paleoclimate analysis—making Antarctica a symbol of global environmental research and international cooperation. The 1991 Madrid Protocol banned mineral resource development until at least 2048.
Geography & climate
98% of the continent covered by ice sheet, with vast inland plateau, coastal ice shelves and outlet glaciers, peninsula mountain ranges and fjords. Special ice-free zones like dry valleys and nunataks are scattered.
Ice cap climate (Köppen EF), partial coastal tundra climate
- Area
- Antarctica / 14000000 km²
- Coastal status
- Yes
- Major lakes
- Lake Vostok (subglacial freshwater lake)
Politics
Government: Not a sovereign state; international jointly managed area under Antarctic Treaty System
Economy
Currency: ()
GDP (nominal):
GDP (PPP):
Language & timezone
Primary languages: No unified official language due to multinational presence (English widely used as lingua franca)
Time zone: Each research station sets time based on supporting nation's standard or longitude
Culture & customs
Ethnic groups
No permanent population (researchers from various nations rotate)
National sports
Ice running, Inter-station ice hockey, Cross-country skiing, Ice flux outdoor competitions
Flag
Emblem
