Antaria

Antaria is Terrania's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antaric Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antaria is the third-largest continent. Most of Antaria is covered by ice, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
Antaria is on average the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antaria, which if melted would raise global sea levels by almost 60 metres (200 ft). Antaria holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Terrania, −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10 °C (50 °F) in summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals, and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.
The ice shelves of Antaria were probably first seen in the third century C.E., however countries did not claim the area until the late 1690s, when Leaflese colonial ships discovered the area. This land has since declared independence as Acrotonia, the only independent country on the continent. In 1820, several countries began to claim sections of the continent. Ten countries - Auritadia, Blostia, Canadia, Cascadia, Eruowood, Jonathia, Kemet, Kittenolivia, Poland, and Serapuria - currently claim sections of the continent.
Antaria is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties of the 1959 Antaric Treaty System. According to the terms of the treaty, military activity, mining, nuclear explosions, and nuclear waste disposal are all prohibited in all parts of the continent. Tourism, fishing and research are the main human activities in and around Antaria. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Despite its remoteness, human activity has a significant impact on the continent via pollution, ozone depletion and climate change.
== See also ==
Category:Locations
Category:Continents
Category:Terrania
Category:Antaria