sq km (est.)
land area: 14 million sq km (est.)
comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
note: second-smallest continent (after Australia)

Land boundaries: none, but see entry on International disputes

Coastline: 17,968 km

Maritime claims: none, but see entry on International Disputes

International disputes: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic
Treaty Summary below); sections (some overlapping) claimed by
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross
Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and UK; the US and most other
nations do not recognize the territorial claims of other nations and
have made no claims themselves (the US reserves the right to do so);
no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west
and 150 degrees west

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 4,897 meters high; 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

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

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment:
current issues: in October 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield,
which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation,
had dwindled to the lowest level recorded over Antarctica since 1975
when measurements were first taken
natural hazards: katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from
the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the
plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along
the coast;