Antarctica is a continent located at the very bottom of the Earth, surrounding the South Pole. It is the fifth-largest continent, bigger than Europe and Australia. Almost the entire surface is covered in thick ice, which holds about 70% of the world’s fresh water. It is the coldest place on Earth, with very strong winds and very little rainfall. No people live in Antarctica permanently, but scientists from around the world stay there in research stations to study the environment, animals, and cl