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Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km 2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
Seven sovereign states – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom – have made eight territorial claims in Antarctica.These countries have tended to place their Antarctic scientific observation and study facilities within their respective claimed territories; however, a number of such facilities are located outside of the area claimed by their ...
The Australian Antarctic Territory is the largest of any claims to the continent, and covers nearly 5.9 million square kilometres. [3] This makes up about 42% of Antarctica, and would cover about 80% of Mainland Australia. [4] It also corresponds to roughly twice the size of Queen Maud Land, India, Argentina or Kazakhstan. [5] [6] [7]
A map of the Antarctic region, including the Antarctic Convergence and the 60th parallel south The Antarctic Plate. The Antarctic (/ æ n ˈ t ɑːr t ɪ k,-k t ɪ k /, US also / æ n t ˈ ɑːr t ɪ k,-k t ɪ k /; commonly / æ ˈ n ɑːr t ɪ k /) [Note 1] is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole.
Dymaxion map of the world with the 30 largest countries and territories by area. This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water. This list includes entries that are not limited to those in the ISO 3166-1 standard, which covers sovereign states and dependent territories.
Antarctica contains research stations and field camps that are staffed seasonally or year-round, and former whaling settlements. [1] Approximately 12 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty , send personnel to perform seasonal (summer) or year-round research on the continent and in its surrounding oceans.
Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of 1,610,000 km 2 (620,000 sq mi), it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth. It was named after the wife of American naval officer Richard E. Byrd, who explored the region in the early 20th century. [1]
Antarctica's two flowering plant species, the Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis) are found on the northern and western parts of the Antarctic Peninsula, including offshore islands, where the climate is relatively mild. Lagotellerie Island in Marguerite Bay is an example of this habitat.