South Polar Region- Antarctica

Antarctica is the world's most southerly, and coldest, continent.It is also the highest, mainly due to the great ice sheet- up to 2 km thick in parts- which coversthe land. Antarctica has no permanent human population and very few animals can survive on the frozen land, although the surrounding seas teem with fish and animals.Winter temperatures are as low as -80 degrees celsius, and even in summer the temperatures rarely rise above frezing point. The mountains of Antarctica are rich in gold, iron, and coal and the surrounding seas have natural gas. Scientists from various countries including India are studying Antarctica's geology, extreme climatic conditions, wildlife and monitoring the ice for changes in the Earth's temperature.