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Antarctica is a continent surrounding the earth's South Pole almost entirely covered by ice. 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 (75S, 26W) 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
Edward Bransfield discovered Antarctica on January 30, 1820.
Territorial claims
- Argentine: 25°W to 74°W; Overlaps Chilean and British Claims; Claimed in 1943.
- Australian: 160°E to 142°E and 136°E to 45°E; Claimed in 1933.
- Brazilian: 28°W to 53°W; Overlaps Argetine, British and Chilean Claims; Zone of Interest Designated: 1986
- Chilean: 53°W to 90°W; Overlaps Argentine and British Claims; Claimed in 1940
- French: 142°E to 136°E; Claimed: 1924.
- New Zealand: 150°W to 160°E; Claimed: 1923.
- Norwegian: 45°E to 20°E (Queen Maud Land) and Peter I Island; Claimed: 1938.
- British: 20°W to 80°W; Overlaps Argentine and Chilean Claims; Claimed: 1908.
Old claims:
- German: 20°E to 10°W; Ovelapped Norwegian claim; Claimed: 1939-1945.
- South African: xxx°y to xxx°y; Claimed: 1963-1994.
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.
Typical for Antarctica are gigantic table icebergs. The continent is surrounded by a large pack ice zone, in which one of the most remarcable ecosystems of the planet developed, based on the Antarctic krill ''Euphausi superba''. It is the food of whales, penguins, fish, seals and many birds.
Additional topics
- Climate of Antarctica
- History of Antarctica
- Geography of Antarctica
- Demographics of Antarctica
- Government of Antarctica
- Economy of Antarctica
- Communications in Antarctica
- Transportation in Antarctica
- Military of Antarctica
Antartica is also one of the eight ecozones put forward by Miklos Udvardy.