Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s. Not until 1838 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica.

Total Area of Antarctica is 14 million sq km. 280,000 sq km of which are ice-free, 13.72 million sq km are ice-covered. East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; The Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing.

As the fifth-largest continent, about 98% of Antarctica is thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters. Mountain ranges up to 5,140 meters, ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent.

Natural resources: iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries.

Geographically Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent. During summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period making Antarctica mostly uninhabitable. There are no Indigenous inhabitants.

The population of persons doing and supporting science on the continent and its nearby islands varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter. In addition, approximately 1,000 personnel including ship's crew and scientists doing on board research are present in the waters of the treaty region.