Physical Features of Antarctica
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world (with Europe and Australia after) by area. The geography of Antarctica is dominated by ice. It is the world's largest sheet of ice and has the world's largest reservior of fresh water. This continent consists of several large and small islands. Some of these islands are linked together perminately by ice, others are seasonally in step with the pattern of the sea ice expansion retreat. It is surrounded by the southern waters of all the earth's oceans. Antarctica is dived into Western and Eastern Antartica. There are currently no permanent residents because the land is not at all suitable for farming or raising animals. The climate is also too cold and the precipitation is not sufficient. Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest elevation average of all the continents. It is considered a desert, with an annual precipitation of only eight inches, along the coast and far less inland.