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
Area > Land	14,000,000 sq km		[2nd of 238]
Area > Total	14,000,000 sq km		[7th of 250]
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
Coastline	17,968 km		[16th of 271]
Elevation extremes > Highest point	Vinson Massif 4,897 m
Elevation extremes > Lowest point Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
Geographic coordinates	90 00 S, 0 00 E
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
Land use > Arable land	0%		[221st of 258]
Land use > Other	100%		[8th of 258]
Land use > Permanent crops	0%		[207th of 258]
Location continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle
Map references	Antarctic Region
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
Population density	0 people per sqkm		[238th of 256]
tallest mountains > Mountain	Vinson Massif
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

Interesting facts on Antarctica Geography

• If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again - its land area is only ninety-eight percent ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as \"barren rock\".

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More facts and figures on Antarctica