Antarctica: Is It Really An Independent Continent?

Antarctica is the planet’s biggest and most southern continent. A massive ice sheet covers practically all of its land area. Antarctica is also the coldest, driest, and most inhospitable place on Earth. The continent also holds the record for being the world’s tallest, driest, windiest, coolest, and iciest. It is around 14.2 million square km, and its land mass is covered by thick ice.

Firstly – What is an Independent Continent?

An independent continent is a large landmass that is not physically connected to any other continent and is politically and economically independent. It is a sovereign entity with its government and international relations.

An independent continent typically has a distinct culture, history, and geography and is home to a diverse Antarctica population of people who share a common language, customs, and traditions. It is a self-governing entity that makes its laws and policies and is responsible for its citizen’s welfare and well-being.

Independent continents typically have economies ranging from highly developed and industrialised to less developed and more reliant on agriculture or natural resources. They also have a system of government, which can vary from democratic to authoritarian.

Independent continents are often considered the world’s primary geopolitical and economic units and play a significant role in international relations. They may have diplomatic ties with other independent continents and participate in international organisations, such as the United Nations, to address global issues and promote cooperation and stability.

Antarctica: An Overview

Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth and is often considered the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. It is surrounded by the southern ocean Antarctica and is situated over the South Pole. Antarctica is a landmass almost entirely covered by ice, with an average elevation of around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet). The continent is home to wildlife, including seals, whales, birds, and many invertebrates.

While there is no permanent population of Antarctica, the continent does receive visits from scientists and support workers from all over the globe. On the mainland, researchers from various nations work at many research sites.

Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, a set of international agreements establishing the continent as a scientific preserve and prohibiting military activity or mining. The treaty also encourages scientific cooperation and the exchange of scientific data. Rest we will learn in detail about everything in this article.

History of Antarctica

The history of Antarctica is long and varied, with the continent being explored and studied by humans for hundreds of years. Here is a brief overview of some of the critical events in the history of Antarctica:

• The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to speculate about the existence of a southern landmass, and they referred to it as Terra Australis Incognita, or “the unknown southern land.”
• The first recorded sighting of Antarctica was made by the Dutch navigator Antonie de Gerlache in 1820 during his expedition to the southern ocean Antarctica.
• In 1895, the Norwegian explorer Carsten Borchgrevink led the first expedition to land on the continent, and he established the first base on Antarctica, Cape Adare.
• In 1911, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole, beating the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott to the milestone.

• During the early 20th century, several expeditions were launched to Antarctica, and several countries established bases on the continent.
• In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 countries, including the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. The treaty established Antarctica as a scientific preserve and prohibited any military activity or mining on the continent.
• In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, scientific research on Antarctica continued to expand. Many countries established research stations on the continent and conducted research in various fields, including earth science, biology, and meteorology.
• Antarctica is considered a unique and fragile ecosystem, and efforts are being made to protect the continent and its wildlife.

Geography of Antarctica

The geography of Antarctica is as described involves the southern ocean that surrounds this continent. A body of water encircles the continent and borders the southern edges of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Located at an average height of around 2,000 meters, Antarctica is covered by ice. The continent is roughly oval and has a total area of about 14 million square kilometres (5.4 million square miles).

Antarctica is divided into two central regions: the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a large ice sheet covering the western portion of the continent and is characterised by mountain ranges and deep valleys. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is a much larger ice sheet that covers the eastern part of the continent and is relatively flat and featureless.

A closer look at the geography of Antarctica shows that is also home to several islands, including South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the South Orkney Islands. These islands are located in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica and are home to various wildlife, including seals, whales, and birds.

Despite its harsh and unforgiving climate, Antarctica is home to a variety of wildlife, including seals, whales, birds, and a small number of invertebrates. The continent is also home to several research stations staffed by personnel from different countries who conduct research in various fields, including earth science, biology, and meteorology.

Climate of Antarctica

The climate of Antarctica is extremely cold and dry, with temperatures ranging from -80°C (-112°F) in the winter to about -20°C (-4°F) in the summer. The continent is also subject to strong winds and blizzards.

Antarctica is a polar desert, meaning that it receives very little precipitation. The continent is located in a high-pressure zone, which prevents the formation of clouds and rain. As a result, the climate of Antarctica is extremely dry, with annual precipitation levels averaging around 200 millimetres (8 inches) per year.

The climate of Antarctica is influenced by several factors, including its location over the South Pole and its distance from the equator. The continent is also affected by the ocean currents and the jet stream, a narrow band of fast-moving winds that circulate the globe at high latitudes.

Despite its cold and dry climate, Antarctica is home to various wildlife, including seals, whales, birds, and many invertebrates. These animals have adapted to the continent’s extreme conditions and can survive in harsh environments.

Seasons in Antarctica are backward from those up north because of the continent’s location in the Southern Hemisphere. Occurring between October and February, summer is followed by the colder months of winter. Antarctica’s average temperature (not directly related but low SD) in summer hovers around freezing on average, with East Antarctica being more frigid than West Antarctica due to its higher elevation and more rugged elevation terrain. The Russian research station Vostok Station in inland Antarctica reported the world’s coldest temperature of 89.6 °C (129.3 °F).

Population of Antarctica

Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Despite its harsh and unforgiving climate, Antarctica is home to a variety of wildlife, including seals, whales, birds, and a small number of invertebrates.

However, the population of Antarctica has no permanent human population. The continent is visited by scientists and support staff from around the world who conduct research in various fields, including earth science, biology, and meteorology. Several research stations are located on the continent, and these stations are staffed by personnel from different countries.

The number of people present on the continent at any given time varies depending on the season and the research projects being conducted. During the summer months, when the weather is more favourable, the population of Antarctica can increase significantly, with as many as 4,000 people living and working on the continent. During the winter months, when the weather is much colder and more hostile, the population of the Antarctica decreases significantly, with as few as 1,000 people remaining on the continent.

In total, it is estimated that around 50,000 people visit Antarctica each year, including scientists, support staff, tourists, and military personnel. This can often be counted to be the population of Antarctica.

The United States, China, Russia, Japan, France, and Germany are just some of the more than 20 nations that oversee scientific research stations where humans now reside. Scientists are not deterred by the southern continent’s severe climate or isolation.

Even though there aren’t many people who live in the Antarctic year-round, the continent is a bustling hub for scientists doing a wide range of necessary research. There are researchers from dozens of nations working in government-funded research stations. Between around 1,000 in the winter and about 5,000 in the summer, scientists perform their studies at different times of the year.

Antarctic Convergence

The Antarctic convergence is a line of latitude located around the Southern Ocean that marks the boundary between the colder, polar water masses of the southern ocean Antarctica and the warmer, sub-tropical water masses to the north. It is also known as the Antarctic polar front.

It is a region of high biological productivity, where cold, nutrient-rich water from the Antarctic mixes with warmer, nutrient-poor water from the north. This mixing creates ideal conditions for the growth of phytoplankton, which are tiny, photosynthesising organisms that form the base of the marine food chain.

Antarctic convergence is also essential for marine life, including seals, whales, and birds. These animals rely on the rich food sources found in the convergence zone to survive.

However, it is not a fixed line and can shift depending on various factors, including the seasons and the strength of the currents. It is typically located at a latitude of around 48°S, but it can shift as far north as 45°S or as far south as 51°S.

Also, it is an essential natural boundary that helps define the southern ocean of Antarctica’s physical and biological characteristics. It is also an important area for scientific research, as it offers insights into the complex interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere and their role in shaping the planet’s climate and ecosystems.

Home to the Largest Icebergs in the World: Antarctica

Antarctica is home to some of the largest icebergs in the world. These icebergs form when large chunks of ice break off from the continent’s ice shelves or glaciers and float away into the Southern Ocean.

The size of an iceberg can vary significantly, with some being only a few meters in length, while others can be hundreds of kilometres long and several kilometres wide. It is home to many large ice shelves, thick, floating sheets of ice attached to the continent’s coastline. These ice shelves are fed by glaciers and ice streams, which flow from the continent’s interior and push outward into the ocean.

As the glaciers and ice streams flow, they push the ice shelves outward, and over time, the ice shelves can become so large that they begin to break into the ocean. This process is called calving, the primary way that largest icebergs in the world form in Antarctica.

The size of an iceberg can vary significantly, with some being only a few meters in length, while others can be hundreds of kilometres long and several kilometres wide. The largest iceberg ever recorded was B-15, which broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 2000 and measured around 290 kilometres (180 miles) long and 37 kilometres (23 miles) wide.

Caption: Iceberg B-15 in Antarctica.

Other largest icebergs that have been recorded include:

• C-19: This iceberg broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf in 2002 and measured around 200 kilometres (124 miles) long and 30 kilometres (19 miles) wide.
• A-38: This iceberg broke off from the Ronne Ice Shelf in 1998 and measured around 180 kilometres (112 miles) long and 30 kilometres (19 miles) wide.
• A-23A: This iceberg broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf in 1987 and measured around 170 kilometres (106 miles) long and 40 kilometres (25 miles) wide.
• B-9B: This iceberg broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf in 1987 and measured around 160 kilometres (99 miles) long and 30 kilometres (19 miles) wide.

These largest icebergs in the world in the Southern Ocean, can have several impacts, including disrupting shipping routes, altering ocean currents and temperatures, and affecting the local marine ecosystems.

Facts about Antarctica

Here are 14 facts about Antarctica that you must know:

1.   The Vostok station in Antarctica measured a temperature of -128.56 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.2 degrees Celsius) on July 21, 1983, making it the coldest place on Earth at the time.

2.   Because of the low humidity and the lack of snow and ice, Antarctica’s Dry Valleys are the driest area on Earth.

3.   Antarctica has the highest average wind speeds of any continent. The winds of the continent of Antarctica may exceed 320 kilometres per hour (200 miles per hour).

4.   There is no larger ice concentration than the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

5.   Seventy per cent of the world’s fresh water and ninety per cent of the world’s freshwater ice are found in Antarctica.

6.   According to some calculations, if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet completely melted, global average sea levels would rise by 16 feet (5 meters).

7.   Around 14 million square kilometres (5.4 million square miles), or about 1.5 times the size of the US, make up Antarctica, including all its islands and the floating ice plains to which they are tied.

8.   The Ross Ice Shelf, covering around 197,000 square miles (510,680 square kilometres) or 3.7% of Antarctica’s total surface, is the biggest of Antarctica’s ice shelves.

9.   The Gamburtsev Mountains are one chain of high mountains in Antarctica that span around 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) and are covered by ice as high as 15,750 feet (4,800 m) above sea level.

10.   Lake Vostok, a pure freshwater lake, lies dormant under 2.5 miles (3.7 kilometres) of Antarctic ice. More than 200 liquid lakes are dispersed over the continent beneath the ice, but this one is the biggest by far, taking up an area almost the same as Lake Ontario.

11. A mission to Antarctica in 2009–2010 uncovered a gap under the ice that might be as large as the Grand Canyon. It has a diameter of around 10 miles (16 kilometres) and a length of at least 62 miles (100 kilometres), and perhaps a lot more if it goes out to sea. At its deepest, it goes down a good mile and a half (2.5 km).

12. The Transantarctic Mountains create the eastern and western half of the continent of Antarctica. The Transantarctic Mountains are 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles), making them one of the world’s most extended mountain ranges.

13. Mount Erebus, located in Antarctica, is the world’s southernmost active volcano and has the only long-lasting lava lakes on the globe.

14. Before the first sighting of Antarctica in 1820, no one had any idea such a continent existed, which is also one of many facts about Antarctica.

Conclusion – Is it an Independent Continent?

Antarctica is considered an independent continent because it is a sovereign entity with its government and international relations. It is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, a set of international agreements establishing the continent of Antarctica as a scientific preserve and prohibiting military activity or mining. The treaty also encourages scientific cooperation and the exchange of scientific data.

However, Antarctica is not a traditional nation-state like other independent continents. Antarctica population is not at all and is not home to indigenous people. Instead, it is visited by scientists and support staff from around the world who conduct research in various fields, including earth science, biology, and meteorology.

Even though it is the only continent that exists entirely on its own, Antarctica is a vital component of the world community and a prominent actor in international relations. Because of its relevance in science and the environment, it plays an essential role in the ecology of the whole planet. Consequently, efforts are being undertaken to preserve the continent and its native fauna for future generations.