The Antarctic is the south polar continent. It has a total area of about 14,000,000 km2. The climate is severe low temperatures which vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East
Antarctica is colder than the Antarctic Peninsula in the west; warmest temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing. The terrain is about 98% thick continental ice sheet, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 5,000 meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, and the scientific research areas of Graham Land and Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of coastline. Natural resources are coal and iron ore; chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and hydrocarbons have been found in small quantities along the coast; offshore deposits of oil and gas. Research Antarctica
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Gazetteer
Research Antarctica