Introduction

Antarctica, fifth largest of the Earth's seven continents. The southernmost, coldest, windiest, highest, most
remote, and most recently discovered continent, it surrounds the South Pole, the point at the southern end of
the Earth's axis. Almost completely covered by ice, Antarctica has no permanent human population. The
continent is ringed by the Southern Ocean. The entire area south of the Antarctic Convergence, which serves as
the northern boundary of the Southern Ocean, is referred to as the Antarctic region. Antarctica means "opposite
to the Arctic," the Earth's northernmost region.

Location
The continent of Antarctica is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5°S), surrounded by the
Southern Ocean. Both the geographic and magnetic South Poles are located on the continent. With a total area
of about 14,000,000 square kilometers (5,405,430 square miles), Antarctica ranks fifth in size among the
world's continents, larger than Australia or Europe.

Land
The geological study of Antarctica has been greatly hindered by the fact that nearly all of the continent is permanently
covered with a thick layer of ice.[citation needed] However, new techniques such as remote sensing, ground-penetrating
radar and satellite imagery have begun to reveal the structures beneath the ice.

The Antarctic Peninsula was formed by uplift and metamorphism of sea bed sediments during the late
Paleozoic and the early Mesozoic eras. This sediment uplift was accompanied by igneous intrusions and
volcanism. The most common rocks in West Antarctica are andesite and rhyolite volcanics formed during the
Jurassic period. There is also evidence of volcanic activity, even after the ice sheet had formed, in Marie Byrd
Land and Alexander Island. The only anomalous area of West Antarctica is the Ellsworth Mountains region,
where the stratigraphy is more similar to the eastern part of the continent.

Climate

The average annual temperature in the interior is a frigid -57°C (-71°F),

Mean summer temperature of -40°C (-40°F) and

Average winter temperature of -68°C (-90°F).

In the coastal areas, the mean summer temperature is 0°C (32°F).

The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was at Vostok, East Antarctica, where the mercury dipped to -
89°C (-129°F) in 1983. Since the 1950s, scientists have recorded an overall increase in temperature on
Antarctica of about 2°C (4°F), which is much more than the increase in overall temperature elsewhere in the
world. Five of the largest ice shelves have shrunk in size during this time period. Some scientists speculate that
this is an early sign of global warming caused by human activity, but this theory has not been proven.

Natural Vegetation

The majority of the Antarctic continent is covered by permanent ice and snow leaving less than 1% available
for colonization by plants. There are no trees or shrubs, and only two species of flowering plants, Antarctic
hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort are found. The vegetation is predominantly made up of lower plant groups
(mosses, liverworts, lichens and fungi) which are specially adapted to surviving in extreme environments, in
particular, tolerating low temperatures and dehydration. There are, in total, around 100 species of mosses, 25
species of liverworts, 300 to 400 species of lichens and 20-odd species of macro-fungi. The greatest diversity
of species is found along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula where the climate is generally warmer and
wetter than elsewhere in the Antarctic continent.

Natural resources
The main natural resources present in Antarctica are coal, particularly across the Trans-Atlantic Mountains,
and iron ore. The Ross Sea also has oil and gas present. However, none of these are permitted to be mined until
at least 2048. The Antarctic Treaty (1959) preserves the resources and ecosystem for strictly scientific
purposes.

Available resources include:

 Water, platinum, iron ore, copper, lead, cobalt, chromium, nickel, manganese, uranium

Indian Research Stations in Antarctica

The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of
the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of
India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.[1] The program gained
global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the
Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983,[1] superseded by the Maitri base from 1990. Under
the program, atmospheric, biological, earth, chemical, and medical sciences are studied by India,
which has carried out 30 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic as of 14 October 2010 and is currently
planning to build an additional research station in the region named Bharathi and thus India is all set
to join the elite group of nine countries which have multiple bases in Antarctica.[

Scope for further development

Conclusion

Bibliography
http://education.nationalgeographic.com

http://mapmaker.education.nationalgeographic.com

http://www.ecology.com/world-population-continent/

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/environment/plants-and-animals

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica_animal.htm
 Europe Africa Asia

N America S America Aus

Antartica
Antarctic pearlwort, Colobanthus quitensis , with very long flower stalks
 Penguins Seals Other Animals

Whale species - species and lifestyle

Emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri

Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddelli Krill - Euphausia superba

Southern Fur seal Arctocephalus gazella

King Penguins Aptenodytes patagonica

Wandering albatross Diomedea axulans

Southern Elephant seal Mirounga leonina

Adelie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae Snow petrel Pagrodama nivea

Crabeater seal Lobodon carcinophagus

 Leopard Seal Hydruga leptonyx
Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica
Antarctic skua Catharacta maccormicki

Blue eyed shag Phalacrocopax atriceps

Giant petrel Macronectes giganteus

Cape pigeon Sheathbill

Antarctic tern Sterna vittata

Invertebrates
Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua