Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth, located almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle. It is the fifth-largest continent, covering an area of approximately 14 million square kilometers. Despite its large size, Antarctica has no permanent human inhabitants and is mostly uninhabitable due to its harsh and extreme climate.
Antarctica is a unique continent in that it has no countries or government entities. However, it is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which is a set of international agreements that regulate scientific research and environmental protection in the region. Currently, there are 54 parties to the Antarctic Treaty, including:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- South Korea
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zambia
Antarctica is a unique continent with no permanent human inhabitants or countries. Instead, it is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which regulates scientific research and environmental protection in the region. By understanding the geography and politics of Antarctica, we can appreciate its importance and the need for international cooperation in protecting this valuable resource.