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Antarctica Webcams

Antarctica (/ænˈtɑːrktɪkə/) is Earth's southernmost and least populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean (also known as the Southern Ocean), and contains the geographic South Pole. It is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).

Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of all continents, and has the highest average elevation. It's mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (8 in) along the coast, with far less inland. It holds the record for the lowest ever measured temperature on Earth, −89.2°C (−128.6°F). The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10°C (50°F) in the summer. Antarctica is colder than the Arctic region, as much of Antarctica is over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level, where air temperatures are colder. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.

Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Thousands of expeditions have taken place across the continent, for adventure as well as science. However, due to the challenging terrain and extreme temperatures, many areas of Antarctica have not yet been fully explored, including most of East Antarctica.

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We presently have 4 webcams from Antarctica: