Antarctica
Antarctica is a continent surrounding the Earth's South Pole. It is the coldest place on earth and is almost entirely covered by ice. It is not to be confused with the arctic, which is located near the Earth's North Pole. Antarctica has no permanent residents, but a number of governments maintain permanent research stations on the continent. Many of the stations are staffed around the year. These include:
- Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, South Pole (U.S. Antarctic Program)
- Casey, Vincennes Bay (Australian Antarctic Division)
- Davis Princess Elizabeth Land (Australian Antarctic Division)
- Halley Research Station (75°35' S, 26°34' W) British Antarctic Survey
- Rothera Research Station (67°34' S, 68°08' W) British Antarctic Survey
- McMurdo Station, Ross Island (U.S.)
- Macquarie Island (Australian Antarctic Division)
- Mawson, Mac Robertson Land (Australian Antarctic Division)
- Scott Base, Ross Island (New Zealand)
- Rothera (67S, 68W) British Antarctic Survey
- SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expeditions), on the Fimbul Coastal Ice Shelf in Queen Maud Land
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2 Territorial claims 3 Additional topics 4 External links |
Typical for Antarctica are gigantic table-top icebergs. The continent is surrounded by a large pack ice zone, in which one of the most remarkable ecosystems of the planet developed, based on the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. It is the food of whales, penguins, fish, seals and many birds.
Map
Territorial claims
Old claims:
The Antarctic Treaty defers these claims and most other nations do not recognize them. No other nations have made claims themselves, although the United States and Russia assert the right to do so. No formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west.
(photo Uwe Kils) from [1])
| Satellite image - Large version |
Additional topics
Antartica is also one of the eight ecozones put forward by Miklos Udvardy.
External links
