Antarctic countries

Antarctica is the polar region surrounding Earth’s South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. Antarctica includes the Antarctic continent, the Kerguelen Plateau, and other island territories located on the Antarctic Plate or south of the Antarctic Convergence. The Antarctic region comprises ice shelves, waters, and all island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence—a zone roughly 32 to 48 km (20 to 30 mi) wide, shifting in latitude with the seasons. The region covers about 20 % of the Southern Hemisphere’s area, of which 5.5 % (14 million km²) is the landmass of the Antarctic continent itself. All land and ice shelves south of 60° S latitude are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System.