Antarctica is the fifth largest of the Earth's continents
and the most southern, the coldest, windiest, highest and most remote of the
continents. The name Antarctica means ' opposite to the Arctic' and is almost
completely covered in ice. There is no permanent inhabitation in the continent,
however since the 1940's scientists have established stations on the continent
to study the wildlife and the ice.
Since 1961 Antarctica has been administered by an
international agreement called the Antarctic Treaty, which is to preserve the
continent for study. Argentina, Australia, Britain, Chile, France, New Zealand,
and Norway all claim territory in Antarctica, however other nations, including
the United States and Russia, do not acknowledge these claims but reserve
rights to claim territory in the future.
The tallest mountain in Antarctica is Vinson Massif which is
4897m (16066ft) high.