Geography/Antarctica
Antarctica
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Antarctica, the southernmost continent, covers the South Pole and, on most maps, appears to extend outward to Chile and, when viewed on a map that has the South Pole at its center, appears to be roughly circular.
However, as the map shows, a sufficient portion of "west" Antarctica is actually under sea level that it is really a group of islands. This map achieves this view of the continent by ignoring the ice cap that covers Antarctica, and therefore views Antarctica as though the land underneath the ice is exposed. Such a map gives a completely different impression of the shape of the continent.
Antarctica has various points of interest for the geographer, but since nearly all of them are extremely remote, they have not received the tourist interest that such places might have in other parts of the world. Among the notable points of interest are these:
- Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest point at over 16,000 feet (4,900 m).
- The Geographical South Pole.
- Lake Vostok, which is permanently covered by ice.
- The McMurdo Dry Valleys, one of the few regions of Antarctica not normally covered by ice.
- Mount Erebus, a large mountain near the McMurdo Base.
Quiz
[edit | edit source]Complete the Antarctica quiz.