GEOGRAPHY

Antarctica is 13,829,430 km squared and 5,339,543 miles squared wide. 0.32% of Antarctica is ice free (44,890 square km).

The mean thickness of Antarctica is about 1,829 meters. The very thickest part is 4,776 meters thick.

The biggest ice shelfs are the Ross Ice Shelf, which is about the size of France, and the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf, which is about the size of Spain.

70% of the world's fresh water is frozen in Antarctica. The oceans would rise 60 to 65 meters if Antarctica melted.

It took until 1840 before they discovered that Antarctica was a continent, not just some islands.

The Transantarctic Mountain Chain is 3,300 miles long. The three biggest mountains are Mt. Vinson, Mt. Tyree, and Mt. Shinn.