Extreme points of the Antarctic
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the extreme points of the Antarctic
, the points of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic lands that are farther to the south
than any other location classified by continent and country. Geographical position
and distance to the South Pole
.
, Antarctica is defined as all land and ice shelves south of the 60th parallel south
.
See Extreme points of Antarctica
for details of the continent itself.
Southern Ocean
The Southern Oceans comprise the southernmost waters of the World Oceans, north from 60° S latitude. The northern boundary, defined by the northern limit of iceberg
s is not precise, but lies between 40° and 50° S latitude.
South America
Argentina
Chile
United Kingdom
Africa
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
, the points of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic lands that are farther to the south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
than any other location classified by continent and country. Geographical position
Geographic coordinate system
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
and distance to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
.
Antarctica
According to the Antarctic TreatyAntarctic Treaty System
The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all of the land...
, Antarctica is defined as all land and ice shelves south of the 60th parallel south
60th parallel south
The 60th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. No land lies on the parallel—it crosses nothing but ocean...
.
- Mainland: The South PoleSouth PoleThe South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
at 90°S 0°E/90°S 0°W. The southernmost point on the surface of the EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
.
See Extreme points of Antarctica
Extreme points of Antarctica
* The tallest mountain in Antarctica is Mount Vinson rising 4,892 metres above sea level.* The lowest point in Antarctica is within the Bentley Subglacial Trench, which reaches 2,555 metres below sea level...
for details of the continent itself.
Southern OceanSouthern OceanThe Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
s
The Southern Oceans comprise the southernmost waters of the World Oceans, north from 60° S latitude. The northern boundary, defined by the northern limit of icebergIceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
s is not precise, but lies between 40° and 50° S latitude.
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
:- Bishop and Clerk IsletsBishop and Clerk IsletsThe Bishop and Clerk Islets lie approximately to the south of Macquarie Island. They are in area. The Bishop and Clerk Islets mark the southernmost point of Australia . These islets are mostly barren rock less than high and are geologically similar to Macquarie Island.Macquarie Shags have...
, Macquarie IslandMacquarie IslandMacquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54°30S, 158°57E. Politically, it has formed part of the Australian state of Tasmania since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978. In 1997 it became a world heritage...
, South Pacific Ocean at 55°03′S 158°46′E, 3900 km. The southernmost point on land on the Eastern hemisphereEastern HemisphereThe Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
outside Antarctica, including the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Also the southernmost possession of Australia. - Heard Island, Heard Island and McDonald IslandsHeard Island and McDonald IslandsThe Heard Island and McDonald Islands are an Australian external territory and volcanic group of barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size is in area and it has of coastline...
, South Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
at 53°06′0"S 73°31′0"E, 4116 km. The southernmost point on land in the Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
- Bishop and Clerk Islets
- FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Islet south of Kerguelen IslandsKerguelen IslandsThe Kerguelen Islands , also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean constituting the emerged part of the otherwise submerged Kerguelen Plateau. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands are part of...
, South Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
at 50°1′0"S 68°52′0"E, 4459 km. The southernmost possession of France. - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
: Islet 50 meters south of Jacquemart IslandJacquemart IslandJacquemart Island, one of the islets surrounding Campbell Island in New Zealand, lies south of Campbell Island and is the southernmost island of New Zealand....
, Campbell Islands, South Pacific Ocean at 52°37′0"S 169°7′30"E, 4170 km. The southernmost possession of New Zealand. - NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
: Bouvet IslandBouvet IslandBouvet Island is an uninhabited Antarctic volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,525 km south-southwest of South Africa. It is a dependent territory of Norway and, lying north of 60°S latitude, is not subject to the Antarctic Treaty. The centre of the island is an ice-filled crater of an...
, South Atlantic Ocean at 54°26′S 3°24′E, 3968 km. The southernmost possession of Norway, except for Peter I IslandPeter I IslandPeter I Island is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, from Antarctica. It is claimed as a dependency of Norway, and along with Queen Maud Land and Bouvet Island comprises one of the three Norwegian dependent territories in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Peter I Island is ...
that lies within the area defined by the Antarctic Treaty. - South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
: Marion Island, Prince Edward IslandsPrince Edward IslandsThe Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of South Africa. The islands, named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, are located at ....
, Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
at 46°54′45"S 37°44′37"E, 4804 km. The southernmost possession of an African country. - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Thule IslandThule IslandThule Island, also called Morrell Island, is one of the southernmost of the South Sandwich Islands, part of the grouping known as Southern Thule. It is named, on account of its remote location, after the mythical land of Thule, said by ancient geographers to lie at the extreme end of the earth...
, South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
, South Atlantic Ocean at 59°31′50.52"S 27°23′50.69"W, 3400 km. The southernmost point on land outside Antarctica, including the Atlantic Ocean. Also the southernmost possession of United Kingdom.
South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- All lands: Cabo San PíoCabo San PíoCabo San Pío at , the southernmost tip of mainland Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego as well as of Argentina, except for the small islet Islote Blanco that lies about 1.5 km off the coast in SW direction .The cape marks the eastern entrance to the Beagle Channel and has a 8 m high light Faro...
, Isla Grande de Tierra del FuegoIsla Grande de Tierra del FuegoIsla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan...
, Tierra del Fuego ProvinceTierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)Tierra del Fuego is an Argentine province entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan. It includes:* The eastern part of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the Staten Island.* Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and to...
at 55°3′S 66°31′W, 3904 km. - Mainland: Punta DúngenessPunta DúngenessPunta Dúngeness is a headland at the eastern entrance of the Strait of Magellan on its north shore, opposite Cabo del Espiritu Santo in Tierra del Fuego. West of the Punta Dungeness lies the Bahia Possession...
, Santa Cruz ProvinceSanta Cruz Province (Argentina)Santa Cruz is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country, in Patagonia. It borders Chubut province to the north, and Chile to the west and south. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean...
at 52°23′54"S 68°26′6"W, 4194 km.
Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- All lands: Águila IsletÁguila IsletÁguila Islet is the southernmost point of the South American continent . It is part of the larger southern group of the Diego Ramírez Islands, about southwest of Cape Horn in the Drake Passage, which is the southernmost possession of Chile.The distance to the closest Antarctic lands is...
, Diego Ramírez IslandsDiego Ramírez IslandsThe Diego Ramírez Islands are a small group of lesser islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile about south-west of Cape Horn and south-south-east of Ildefonso Islands, stretching north-south . Their land area is little more than...
, Antártica Chilena ProvinceAntártica Chilena ProvinceAntártica Chilena Province is the southernmost and one of four provinces in Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region . The capital is Puerto Williams...
at 56°32′9"S 68°42′48"W. The southernmost point of continental South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, 3734 km. - South America proper: Cape HornCape HornCape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, Isla Hornos, Hermite IslandsHermite IslandsThe Hermite Islands are a group of Chilean islands in the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. They form part of the Commune of Cabo de Hornos in Antártica Chilena Province of Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region, at the southernmost end of South America...
, Antártica Chilena ProvinceAntártica Chilena ProvinceAntártica Chilena Province is the southernmost and one of four provinces in Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region . The capital is Puerto Williams...
at 55°59′00"S 067°16′00"W, 3795 km. Generally considered the southernmost point of South America. - Mainland: Cape FrowardCape FrowardCape Froward is the southernmost point on the mainland of South America. It is located in the North shores of Magellan Strait, being the southern tip of the Brunswick Peninsula; in Chilean territory....
, Brunswick PeninsulaBrunswick PeninsulaBrunswick Peninsula is a large peninsula in Magallanes y la Antártica Region, Patagonia, Chile, at . It is wide at its base in the north, and almost in the south. It measures in length from the base to Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the American mainland. This yields an area of more...
, Magallanes ProvinceMagallanes ProvinceMagallanes Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena . The provincial capital is the city of Punta Arenas.-Geography and demography:...
at 53°53′46.70"S 71°17′39.53"W, 4028 km. The southernmost point on any mainland continent outside Antarctica.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- All lands: Beauchene IslandBeauchene IslandBeauchene Island is the southernmost of the Falkland Islands, lying about 34 mi south of Porpoise Point in Lafonia. It was discovered in 1701 by Jacques Gouin de Beauchêne in whose honour it was named.-Geography:...
, Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
at 52°53′11"S 59°12′13"W, 4140 km.
AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
: Cape AgulhasCape AgulhasCape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Western Cape Province at 34°50′00"S 20°00′09.15"E, 6146 km. The southernmost point of continental AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but actually closer to the EquatorEquatorAn equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
(3856 km).
OceaniaOceaniaOceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Australia proper: Needle RocksNeedle RocksThe Needle Rocks, also known as the Needles, are a group of five main rocks with a combined area of about 10.5 ha, in south-eastern Australia. They are part of the Maatsuyker Island Group, lying close to the southern end of the south-western coast of Tasmania. They are part of the Southwest...
, Maatsuyker IslandsMaatsuyker IslandsThe Maatsuyker Islands Group is a group of islands and rocks located 5.5 kilometres off the south coast of Tasmania. Maatsuyker Island is the southernmost island of the group and of the Australian continental shelf. There are exposed rocks further south of Maatsuyker but they do not meet the...
, TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
at 43°39′45"S 146°15′19"E, 5165 km. - Mainland: South PointSouth Point (Wilsons Promontory)South Point is the southernmost point of the Australian mainland located on the northern side of Bass Strait. It is also the southernmost point of the mainland of the Wilsons Promontory-Peninsula. South Point is located at . South Point is also part of the Wilsons Promontory National Park in...
, Wilsons PromontoryWilsons PromontoryWilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at . South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia...
, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
at 39°08′20"S 146°22′26"E, 5668 km. The southernmost point on a mainland continent on the Eastern hemisphere, outside Antarctica, but actually closer to the Equator (4334 km).
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- New Zealand proper: Murphy IslandSouth West Cape, New ZealandSouth West Cape, located at , is a cape on the south coast of Stewart Island, New Zealand. It is the southernmost point on the island, and as such is almost the southernmost point on the main chain of islands that make up New Zealand, beaten to that honour by the tiny Murphy Island, which lies...
, Stewart Island, South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
47°17′25"S 167°32′15"E, 4762 km. - Mainland: Slope PointSlope PointSlope Point is the southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand.Slope Point lies just south of the small settlements of Waikawa and Haldane, near the southwestern edge of the Catlins and Toetoes Bay and 70 km east of Invercargill....
, South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
at 46°40′40"S 169°0′11"E, 4831 km.