Antarctica, fifth
largest of the earth's seven continents. The southernmost, coldest, windiest,
highest, most remote, and most recently discovered continent, it surrounds the
South Pole, the point at the southern end of the earth's axis. Almost
completely covered by ice, Antarctica has no
permanent human population. The continent is ringed by the Southern, or
Antarctic, Ocean, a body of water made up of the southern portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans but sometimes
considered a separate ocean due to its lower temperature and salt
concentration. The entire area south of the Antarctic Convergence, the zone
where the Southern Ocean meets the other oceans, is referred to as the
Antarctic region. Antarctica means 'opposite to the Arctic,' the earth's northernmost region.
The continent is shaped somewhat like a comma, with a round body
surrounding the pole and a tail curving toward South
America. The round portion, lying mainly in the eastern
hemisphere, makes up East Antarctica. The tail
and its thickened base, located entirely in the western hemisphere, form West Antarctica. Antarctica lies about 1000 km (about 600
mi) from South America, its nearest neighbor; about 4000 km (about 2500 mi)
from Africa; and about 2500 km (about 1600 mi) from Australia. Antarctica's latitude (location in relation to the
equator) and high elevations make it the coldest continent. Air temperatures of
the high inland regions fall below -80° C (-110° F) in winter and rise only to
about -30° C (about -20° F) in summer. The warmest coastal regions reach the
freezing point in summer but drop well below in winter.
The last continent to be discovered, Antarctica remained hidden behind barriers of fog, storm,
and sea ice until it was first sighted in the early 19th century. Because of
the extreme cold and the lack of native peoples, forests, land animals, and
obvious natural resources, the continent remained largely neglected for decades
after discovery. Scientific expeditions and seal hunters had explored only
fragments of its coasts by the end of the 19th century, while the interior
remained unknown. Explorers first reached the South Pole in 1911, and the first
permanent settlements-scientific stations-were established in the early 1940s.
From that time the pace of exploration accelerated rapidly. Scientists continue
to conduct research in Antarctica, and in recent years increasing numbers of
tourists have visited Antarctica to appreciate
the region's majestic scenery and wildlife.
Seven nations-Argentina,
Australia, Britain, Chile,
France, New Zealand, and Norway-claim
territory in Antarctica. Other nations,
including the United States
and Russia,
do not acknowledge these claims and make no claims of their own, but reserve
rights to claim territory in the future. Since 1961 the continent has been
administered under the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement to preserve
the continent for peaceful scientific study.
Mineral Resources Although
only about 1 percent of the continent's ice-free areas have been surveyed for
minerals, evidence indicates that Antarctica
contains rich mineral deposits. The Transantarctic
Mountains contain huge
deposits of coal as well as copper, lead, zinc, silver, tin, and gold. The Prince Charles
Mountains of East Antarctica are rich
in iron ore; the Antarctic Peninsula contains
copper and molybdenum ores; and the Dufek Massif includes ores of chromium,
platinum, copper, and nickel. It is also believed that deposits of petroleum
and natural gas exist in the continental shelf regions, such as the area under
the Ross Sea. Although Antarctica
has prospects for mineral development, there are concerns about the potential
environmental and political impacts of this development. In 1991 the signatory
nations of the Antarctic Treaty agreed to a 50-year moratorium on commercial
mining activity. The only mineral resources currently used are sand, gravel,
and crushed rocks for constructing airstrips and building foundations at the
scientific stations.
