Antarctica: The Frozen Continent with No Countries

What is Antarctica?

Antarctica is the only continent with no countries, no government and no permanent population. At 14 million km2, it is the fifth largest continent — larger than Europe or Oceania. Covered 98% by an ice sheet that can reach 4,776 m thick, it contains 70% of the world's fresh water and 90% of the planet's ice.

It is the continent of extremes: the coldest (-89.2C recorded), the windiest (gusts over 300 km/h), the driest (it is technically the world's largest desert) and the highest on average (~2,300 m elevation). Despite these hostile conditions, Antarctica fascinates scientists worldwide: its ice cores allow reconstruction of climate over 800,000 years, and its marine wildlife is among the richest on the planet.

The Antarctic Treaty

The Antarctic Treaty, signed on December 1, 1959 in Washington and entering into force on June 23, 1961, is one of the most remarkable international agreements in history. It was signed during the Cold War by 12 nations — including the United States and the USSR — and establishes the fundamental principles governing the continent:

• Exclusively peaceful use: all military activity is prohibited
• Freedom of scientific research and international cooperation
• Freeze on territorial claims: the 7 existing claims are neither recognized nor contested
• Ban on nuclear tests and radioactive waste storage

Today, 58 states are parties to the Treaty, including 29 consultative parties (with voting rights). The Madrid Protocol (1991) added environmental protection as a fundamental principle and banned all mineral exploitation. A review of the Protocol can be requested from 2048.

Territorial claims

Before the Treaty, 7 countries had claimed portions of Antarctica. These claims are still maintained but "frozen" — they can neither be extended nor recognized while the Treaty is in force.

The claims of Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom overlap in the Antarctic Peninsula, the most accessible and most disputed region. Australia holds the largest claim (42% of the continent). A sector between 150°W and 103°24'W ("Marie Byrd Land") is unclaimed by any country.

Major research stations

Over 80 research stations are operated by around thirty countries in Antarctica. Some operate year-round, others only during the austral summer.

McMurdo is the largest facility in Antarctica, capable of hosting up to 1,000 people in summer. Amundsen-Scott Station, located exactly at the South Pole, is one of the most isolated places in the world. Concordia, jointly operated by France and Italy, serves as a laboratory for simulating conditions similar to a Mars mission.

Antarctica's geographic records

Antarctica is the continent of superlatives:

• Coldest continent: -89.2C recorded at Vostok Station on July 21, 1983
• World's largest desert: 14 million km2 of polar desert (less than 50 mm of precipitation per year inland)
• Largest freshwater reserve: the Antarctic ice sheet contains 70% of the world's fresh water and 90% of the planet's ice
• Highest average elevation: ~2,300 m, making Antarctica the highest continent on average
• Maximum ice thickness: ~4,776 m (at Adelie Land), taller than Mont Blanc
• Windiest continent: katabatic winds exceeding 300 km/h in Adelie Land
• Largest iceberg ever observed: iceberg B-15 (2000), with an area of 11,000 km2 — larger than Jamaica

Antarctic wildlife

Despite extreme conditions, Antarctica is home to exceptionally rich marine wildlife, fed by the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Southern Ocean:

• Penguins: the emperor penguin (the tallest, up to 1.2 m), the Adelie, the gentoo and the chinstrap penguin. The emperor is the only animal that breeds during the Antarctic winter, with temperatures reaching -60C.
• Seals: the Weddell seal, the leopard seal (a formidable penguin predator), the crabeater seal (the most abundant wild mammal in the world after humans) and the elephant seal.
• Whales: humpback, blue whale (the largest animal that has ever lived), orca and minke whale frequent Antarctic waters.
• Antarctic krill: these 6 cm crustaceans form the base of the entire food chain. Their total biomass is estimated at 500 million tonnes.

However, Antarctica has no land mammals, no trees and no reptiles. The largest permanent land creature is a 6 mm wingless midge (Belgica antarctica).

Antarctica and MapGuesser

Antarctica is one of the continents you can explore on MapGuesser! Test your geographic knowledge:

• Listing Mode: can you locate continents and polar regions on a map?
• Flag Quiz Mode: can you recognize the flags of countries that claim Antarctic territories?
• MapGuessing Mode: place locations on the map as precisely as possible. Every kilometer counts!