Map of Antarctica

Antarctica is a vast and largely unexplored continent located at the southernmost tip of the earth. With an area of almost 14 million square kilometers, it is the fifth largest continent. Although it is largely covered in ice, Antarctica has a diverse geography, with mountains, valleys, plains and plateaus. The interior of the continent is largely barren, but the coast is teeming with wildlife, including penguins, seals and whales. Despite its seemingly inhospitable environment, Antarctica is home to a number of research stations and has a long history of human habitation. The first humans to reach Antarctica are thought to have been the intrepid Polynesian sailors who crossed the vast Pacific Ocean in canoes. Today, Antarctica remains one of the most isolated and untouched places on earth.