Antarctica is one of the territories of the Antarctic that appears on world lists without being a UN member state. Unlike most entries, its formal name adds nothing to the short one. It has no capital city listed, which is normal for an entry of this kind.
Its recorded population is just 1,000, among the smallest anywhere. Among the 5 entries in the Antarctic it ranks 1st by area and 1st by population.
It covers 14,000,000 km², which ranks it 2nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Russia and just ahead of Canada. Put next to a territory most people can picture, it is around a fifth smaller than Russia.
Geography and neighbours of Antarctica
Plotted on a globe it falls at 90.0° south, 0.0° east, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 10,019 km from the equator, in what geographers would call polar latitudes.
The prime meridian also passes close to it, so it straddles the line that divides east from west.
It shares no land border with anyone. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, a group made up mostly of islands and island groups.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded Antarctica is, and what is spoken there
Spread across 14,000,000 km², that works out at about 0.000 people per square kilometre, which makes it one of the emptiest inhabited places on the list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
The dataset records no official language for it.
Someone from Antarctica is an Antarctican.
Against the Antarctic as a whole it is the 1st most populous of 5 entries, and it accounts for 75% of everyone living in the Antarctic.
Useful reference details
No currency is recorded for it in this dataset.
Its internet country code is .aq. Standard country codes: aq and ATA.
Antarctica is not a UN member state. The dataset does not record which state administers it, so this page does not guess. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.
Fun facts about Antarctica
- It has no land border with any other country — one of 85 such entries in this dataset.
- Ranked by land area, Antarctica is 2nd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- People from Antarctica are known as Antarcticans.
- It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
- Within the Antarctic it is the 1st largest of 5.
- It lies about 10,019 km from the equator, in polar latitudes.
Antarctica — frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Antarctica?
- Antarctica has a population of about 1,000, which makes it the 242nd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Niue sits just above it and Vatican City just below.
- Does Antarctica border any other country?
- No. Antarctica has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
- Where is Antarctica located?
- Antarctica is in the Antarctic, part of the Antarctic. Its reference coordinates are 90.0° south and 0.0° east, roughly 10,019 km from the equator in polar latitudes.
- How big is Antarctica?
- Antarctica covers 14,000,000 km², ranking 2nd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a fifth smaller than Russia.
- Is Antarctica a country?
- Not in the political sense. Antarctica is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.
