Among the seven continents on planet Earth, Antarctica lies at the southernmost tip of the world. It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. Ice covers 98% of the land, and its 5,100,000 sq mi (13,209,000 sq km) occupy nearly one-tenth of Earth's land surface, or the same area as Europe and the United States combined. Despite its barren appearance, Antarctica and its surrounding waters and islands teem with life all their own, and the continent plays a significant role in the climate and health of the entire planet.

Location

Continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle.

Size

13,209,000 sq km (5,100,021 sq miles)

Geography

Most of Antarctica is located south of the Antarctic Circle, surrounded by the Southern Ocean. It is the southernmost land mass and comprises more than 14 million km², making it the fifth-largest continent.

Economy

Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for the limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 112,934 metric tons. Unregulated fishing, particularly of tooth fish, is a serious problem. Allegedly illegal fishing in antarctic waters in 1998 resulted in the seizure (by France and Australia) of at least eight fishing ships.

The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 12,248 tourists visited in the 2000-01 Antarctic summer, down from the 14,762 who visited the previous year. Nearly all of them were passengers on 21 commercial (non governmental) ships and several yachts that made trips during the summer. Most tourist trips lasted approximately two weeks.

Climate

Climate Antarctica is the coldest and windiest spot on the planet. In fact, the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was recorded in Antarctica (-129.3ºF) and the mean winter temperatures range from -40º to -94ºF. Winds are commonly measured at up to 200 miles per hour.

Population

Although Antarctica has no permanent residents, a number of governments maintain permanent research stations throughout the continent. The population of persons doing and supporting science on the continent and its nearby islands varies from approximately 4000 in summer to 1000 in winter.

Antarctic and sub-antarctic islands

This is a list of Antarctic and sub-antarctic islands. Sub-Antarctic islands are islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica north of the Antarctic Circle (66° 33' 38"). Antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean or in the seas around Antarctica south of the Antarctic Circle. According to the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, all islands south of 60°S don't belong to any country. This includes all of the antarctic islands and some of the sub-antarctic islands.

Adams Island, Antarctica	Adelaide Island or Isla Adelaida or Isla Belgrano -	Bear Island	Berkner Island or Berkner Ice Rise or Hubley Island
Biscoe Islands	Booth Island	Bounty Islands	Bowman Island
Brabant Island	Breaker Island	Burke Island	Burkett Islands
Charcot Island or Charcot Land	Christine Island	Cormorant Island	Cuverville Island
Danco Island or Isla Dedo	Debenham Islands	Barry Island	Deception Island
DeLaca Island	Direction Island or Bearing Island	Doumer Island
Dream Island	Drygalski Island	Dundee Island	Eichorst Island
Elephant Rocks	Enterprise Island	Fletcher Islands	Fletcher Island
Halfway Island	Henderson Island	Hermit Island	Humble Island
James Ross Island - east side of the Antarctic Peninsula	Janus Island	Jenny Island	Joinville Island group
Joinville Island	D'Urville Island	Laggard Island	Latady Island
Liège Island	Limitrophe Island	Lipps Island	Litchfield Island
Livingston Island	Masson Island or Mission Island	Mill Island	Millerand Island
Nansen Island or Isla Nansen Sur	Nelson Rock	North Nansen Island	Neny Island or Neny Islands
Ohlin Island or Bailys Island	Outcast Islands	Paulet Island	Peter I Island
Petermann Island	Pobeda Ice Island	Possession Islands	Possession Island
Robertson Island	Rongé Island	Roosevelt Island	Ross Island
Rouse Islands	Shepard Island	Shortcut Island	Siple Island
Robertson Islands or Robertsons Islands	Signy Island	South Shetland Islands	Bridgeman Island (minor)
Clarence Island	Cornwallis Island	Deception Island	Elephant Island
Gibbs Island	Greenwich Island	Half Moon Island	King George Island
Livingston Island	Spume Island	Stepping Stones	Stonington Island

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