Antarctica
Antarctica Earth's most southerly continent, is situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Most of the continent is covered with a layer of ice at least 1.6 kilometres thick. It is the coldest, driest and windiest continent and has no permanent human residents. Animals adapted to survive in this environment include penguins and seals. The continent is designated as a ‘natural reserve devoted to peace and science’.
Researchers including biologists, geologists, oceanographers, physicists, astronomers, glaciologists, and meteorologists spend time at research station in Antarctica, conducting experiments which would be impossible to carry out anywhere else in the world.