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Subject: India & World Geography
Topic: Antarctica
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Area : 1,40,00,000 sq. km
Population : Uninhabited
Size : Fifth largest continent.
Situation : Antarctica, centered on the South Pole, is situated 960 km from South America, 2,700 km from Australia and 4,000 km from South Africa. It is surrounded by Southern or Antarctic Ocean, formed the southern waters of Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Ocean.
Shape : Except for the deep indentations of the Ross and Weddell Seas and the projecting peninsula, the continent is roughly circular in shape.
Climate : World’s coldest continent and remains covered with very thick layer of ice, therefore, known as ‘white continent’. Precipitation, in the form of snow (equal to 5 cm of rain) making Antarctica, one of the earth’s great desert.
The Land : Antarctica Continent is the highest of all the continents, averaging 6000 feet in elevation. Ice sheet covers 95% of Antarctica, and exposed areas are rugged and mountainous. The principal mountain chain is Trans Antarctic which divides the continent in almost two equal parts. Ellsworth Mountain, fringing the coast, contains Antarctica’s highest peak, the Vinson Massif (5,140m). Mt. Erebus, the only active volcano, is located on the Ross Island.