Land Area of Antarctica: 5,405,000 (mi²) / 12,949,940 (km²)
Population of Antarctica: 4,912 (2015)
Largest City in Antarctica: McMurdo Station (1,258 (2013))
Population of Antarctica: 4,912 (2015)
Largest City in Antarctica: McMurdo Station (1,258 (2013))
The continent of Antarctica is positioned as the southernmost land mass on Earth. The South Pole can be found here among its large permanent glaciers and frigid weather. Even though Antarctica has one of the harshest climates and most unwelcoming terrains on planet Earth, there are still nearly five thousand people that temporarily call this continent home every year. This makes Antarctica the least populated continent on Earth. Antarctica is known as the coldest landmass and has few native plants or animals because most of the continent is covered in sheets of ice that can be more than a mile thick which forms permanent glaciers. You can find penguins, seals, plants, and fungi in Antarctica. Interestingly, this continent is the only one which has no reptiles on its land mass.
Antarctica is the 5th in terms of size compared to the other 7 continents. Both Australia and Europe could fit in the same area that Antarctica covers. The continent is known for being extremely dry which qualifies it as the largest desert region in the world. Antarctica has one of the windiest and coldest climates of the world’s continents. Temperatures can reach −90°C (−130 °F) in some regions of the continent.
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