Antarctic Region > Antarctica * > Geography
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| ANTARCTICA GEOGRAPHY STATS: |
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Area > Comparative slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US |
Area > Comparative to US places slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US |
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Area > Land
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14,000,000 sq km |
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[2nd of 238]
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Area > Total
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14,000,000 sq km |
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[7th of 250]
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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 |
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Coastline
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17,968 km |
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[16th of 271]
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Elevation extremes > Highest point
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Vinson Massif 4,897 m |
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Elevation extremes > Lowest point Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m |
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Geographic coordinates
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90 00 S, 0 00 E |
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Geography > Note the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable |
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Land use > Arable land
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0% |
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[221st of 258]
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Land use > Other
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100% |
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[8th of 258]
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Land use > Permanent crops
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0% |
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[207th of 258]
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Location continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle |
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Map references
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Antarctic Region |
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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; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf |
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 by commercial fisheries |
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Population density
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0 people per sqkm |
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[238th of 256]
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tallest mountains > Mountain
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Vinson Massif |
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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 nearly 5,000 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 |