Antarctica is the Earth's coldest and driest continent, sitting at the South Pole and almost totally covered by a thick sheet of ice. It is bigger than Europe, but no one lives there year-round—only scientists stay at research stations to study the weather, ice, and stars. Temperatures can drop below –60 °C, and strong winds sweep across the icy plains. Even in such harsh conditions, wildlife survives along the coast, including penguins, seals, and seabirds that feed in the cold Southern Ocean. Many nations have signed a treaty to keep Antarctica for peaceful science and to protect its unique environment.
A few tiny islands in the Southern Ocean are often grouped with Antarctica because they share its icy waters and wildlife. These are South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (United Kingdom), Bouvet Island (Norway), the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, and Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands. No one lives on these islands year-round; only scientists and weather teams visit to study glaciers, volcanoes, penguins, and seals. Like Antarctica itself, they are protected as nature reserves meant for peaceful research.