Antarctica

Antarctica is a large continent located at the extreme south of the Earth. It is the location of the South Pole. While it is almost completely covered with ice, scientists know that there is also land under the ice and you can even see it in a few places. The deepest ice is 15,700 feet (about 3 miles). By contrast, there is no land under the North Pole so it is not a continent. Because of the very dry climate it is considered a dessert even though there is no sand.

Not much lives in Antarctica. There are no human cultures, but scientists are working there year-round. There are almost no plants or insects. There are some mosses growing on the few bare rocks, and there are also only two flowering plants. Most animals live near the cost or in the Antarctic Ocean.

Even though nobody lives on Antarctica, it is still threatened by humans. Over fishing has depleted some types of fish and hunting has hurt whale and seal populations. Because of humans there are now very few whales around Antarctica. 100 years ago there were probably about 250,000 blue whales in Antarctica and now only about 1,000.

Click below to learn about endangered animals in and around Antarctica.

Animals

Source: 2001 World Book Encyclopedia; World Wildlife Fund - UK; and World Wildlife Fund