ut no
other country recognizes these claims. In order to form a legal
framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an
Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives
recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it
entered into force in 1961.

Antarctica Geography

Location: continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

Geographic coordinates: 90 00 S, 0 00 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area: total: 14 million sq km

land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km
ice-covered) (est.)

note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North
America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the
subcontinent of Europe

Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Land boundaries: 0 km

note: see entry on International disputes

Coastline: 17,968 km

Maritime claims: none; twenty of 27 Antarctic consultative nations
have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the
US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize the claims
of the other nations; also see the Disputes - international entry

Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and
distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West
Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has
the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January
along the coast and average slightly below freezing

Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock,
with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain
ranges up to 5,140 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of
southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area,
and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves
along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves
constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m

highest point: Vinson Massif 5,140 m

note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the
Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet
discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under sea water

Natural resources: iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel,
platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been
found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited;
krill, finfish, and crab have been taken