Antarctica: What makes up this vast continent?

(By Elizabeth Tuico) In late 2024, I traveled to the Antarctic Peninsula. After discussing my trip with friends and family, I realized that “Antarctica” conjures up different perceptions. What constitutes Antarctica? Below is an article highlighting the land masses that make up our seventh continent.

Overall geography

Antarctica is positioned in 90º 00' S latitude and 0º 00' E longitude, respectively. Scientists divided this vast continent into three sections: East Antarctica, the larger portion of the continent; the Transantarctic Mountains provide a natural divide to the smaller West Antarctica; and finally, the Antarctic Peninsula which jets out like a hook at the top. The Southern Ocean surrounds the land mass.

Thick sheets of ice cover ninety-eight percent of the land. Antarctica was declared a continent in 1840 after explorers determined the area was more than a collection of islands.

James Cook was one of the first explorers to cross the Antarctic Circle in the late 1700s. In 1820, Russians Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev found islands in the Antarctic Ocean. Captain James Ross discovered the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf in 1841. From this time forward, the region became a hotbed of exploration for nations, scientists, and vacationers.

Antarctic Peninsula

Glaciers in the Antarctic peninsula

Located 620 miles from the most southern tip of South America, the Antarctic Peninsula consists of a string of bedrock islands measuring 810 miles between Cape Adams in the Weddell Sea to a point in West Antarctica south of the Ekland Islands. Tourists exploring Antarctica only see the Antarctic Peninsula.

The peninsula is very mountainous. Geologists believe this chain is a continuation of the Andes Mountains of South America, connected by a submarine spine. Scientists also monitor active volcanoes in the region. A ring of islands to the north of the peninsula is the popular destination of tourist ships that meander around the Lemaire Channel and Gerlache Strait providing stunning vistas and access to unique wildlife.

This region is striking, and tourists enjoy a full Antarctic experience sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula. There are no official Antarctic citizens, only governmental research stations populated with small groups of scientists.

Note: No tourist accommodation exists on the Antarctic Peninsula. You must live on a ship during your journey.

South Shetland Islands

Elephant Island, part of the South Shetland Island chain

The average Antarctic tourist sails around the South Shetland Islands, located seventy-five miles off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. This archipelago of eleven major islands offers incredible wildlife sightings and impressive glaciers. After crossing the Drake Passage, the South Shetland Islands are the first land masses. Deception Island, Livingston Island, and King George Island remain the most popular destinations for cruise ships. Interested in flying to Antarctica instead of spending four days sailing across the Drake Passage? There is an airfield on King George Island serving tourists.

South Pole

Scientists consider the South Pole to be the southernmost point on Earth, and one of the coldest places on the planet, covered by 9,000 feet of ice. Because Earth rotates on a tilted axis as it revolves around the sun, sunlight is only experienced in extremes. So extreme that the South Pole records one sunrise (at the September equinox) and one sunset (at the March equinox) every year.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole, on December 14, 1911, with his polar party. Five weeks later, Robert Falcon Scott and his team arrived at the South Pole. Both groups crossed the Ross Ice Shelf and climbed the Transantarctic Mountains to reach the South Pole. The Norwegian team returned to their base camp unharmed. However, Scott’s party encountered a blizzard, starvation, and frostbite on their return, and no one survived.

In 1926, American Richard E. Byrd was the first to fly over the South Pole. Established in 1956, Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station continuously operates throughout the year with five support staff and 50-100 scientists rotating in and out. Since snow is always present at the station and it never melts, the building elevates to accommodate the ever-growing snowpack.

Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island are not part of Antarctica.

Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island are common stops within an Antarctic itinerary, but they are not part of Antarctica. Both are British Overseas Territories with the Falkland Islands located north of the Antarctic Convergence and South Georgia Island in the sub-Antarctic region.

If you do not want to travel through the Drake Passage, these two destinations provide an exceptional penguin experience. On the Falklands, visitors can see five distinct species of penguins (King, Gentoo, Macaroni, Magellanic and Rockhopper) roaming the coastline. The Falkland Islands are different for one reason: a small population of 2,500 British citizens live year-round on this archipelago. Although costly, one can vacation on the Falkland Islands without a tour company and stay in local hotels.

South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands are only accessible by sea. There is no visitor accommodation ashore, and the destination is closed to tourists during the winter (May through September). Robust colonies of King penguins thrive on South Georgia Island, also known as the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean. South Georgia boasts the world’s largest population of Macaroni penguins, as well as strong colonies of Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins.

Traveling in and around the Antarctic region can be challenging, but well worth the effort. Do your research and determine what you really want to do and see. There are exciting itineraries for every interest.

Click here to view one of the best overall maps of Antarctica.

Elizabeth Tuico explores near and far from her home in Washington, DC. In 2024, she traveled to the Antarctic Peninsula, achieving her bucket list goal of setting foot on all seven continents. Read more travel stories on her blog, On the Road with Rebel Road.