Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, encompassing the geographic South Pole. It is the fifth-largest continent, significantly larger than Europe. Almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, with the highest average elevation. The continent is a polar desert, receiving very little precipitation annually. Approximately 98% of Antarctica is covered by a thick ice sheet, holding about 70% of the world's freshwater reserves. If this ice melted, global sea levels would rise by approximately 60 meters.
Known for its extreme conditions, Antarctica has recorded the lowest natural air temperature on Earth, −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). Native animal species include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals, and tardigrades. While there are no indigenous people, many countries operate scientific research stations, with the population fluctuating between approximately 1,000 in winter and up to 10,000 in the summer. Around 40,000 tourists visit Antarctica each year. Recent studies indicate "abrupt changes" are occurring in Antarctica due to climate change, including declining sea ice coverage and weakening ice shelf stability. The Antarctic sea ice minimum has declined 1.9 times faster in 10 years than the Arctic's summer sea-ice decline in 46 years.