How Big Is Antarctica? Compare Its Size in Miles, Acres, Kilometers, and More!

Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth. Additionally, it is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is the fifth-largest continent, behind Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. It is larger than Europe and Oceania. This article explores Antarctica’s size in acres, square miles, and square kilometers. It also compares its size to some of the largest countries in the world.

Antarctica is the only continent with no countries. However, several countries have made claims to parts of it. These countries are the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1959, these countries signed a treaty governing how they interact with Antarctica. The treaty dictates that the continent must be used only for peaceful purposes and that research findings must be shared freely among all of the countries. These seven countries have produced a lot of important research about the continent. Additionally, thousands of scientists from all over the world visit the continent every year for research. There are no permanent human residents of Antarctica, but the seasonal population of researchers varies between about 1,000-5,000 people.

While very few humans are found in Antarctica, the continent is home to an abundance of animals and fungi. Around 40 species of birds nest in Antarctica. Perhaps the most famous of these is the emperor penguin, which is endemic to Antarctica, meaning that is the only place they live naturally in the wild. Some other bird species that live there are petrels, cormorants, and gulls. Additionally, many sea animals live in the ocean and some occasionally come onto the ice. The marine animals of Antarctica include fur seals, orcas, blue whales, and colossal squids. The continent is also home to over 1,150 species of fungi! Let’s explore the size of this interesting continent.

How Big is Antarctica?

The following table compares the size of Antarctica in three common land measurements: acres, square miles, and square kilometers.

How Many Acres is Antarctica?

Antarctica is over three and a half billion acres. The total area in acres is 3,520,000,000. For context, an acre is a little smaller than an American football field. An American football field is 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide. In feet, that’s 360 feet long and 159.9 feet wide. Put another way, an American football field is 91.44 meters long and 48.8 meters wide.

How Many Square Miles?

Antarctica is five and a half million square miles. The total area in square miles is 5,500,000. For context, a square mile is about 484 American football fields. An American football field is about 0.07 miles long.

How Many Square Kilometers?

Antarctica is over 14 million square kilometers. The total area in square kilometers is 14,200,000. For context, a square kilometer is about 187 American football fields. An American football field is about 0.11 kilometers long.

How Big is Antarctica Compared to the United States?

The United States is 2,429,914,880 acres, which is the same as 3,796,742 square miles or 9,833,520 square kilometers. Antarctica is 5,500,000 square miles, meaning it is 1,703,258 square miles larger than the U.S. To put it another way, it is 4,366,480 square kilometers larger than the states. The United States is one of the main countries that does research in Antarctica, under the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).

Compared to Canada?

Canada is 2,467,264,000 acres, which is the same as 3,855,100 square miles or 9,984,670 square kilometers. Antarctica is 5,500,000 square miles, meaning it is 1,644,900 square miles larger than Canada. To put it another way, it is 4,215,330 square kilometers larger than Canada.

Compared to Russia?

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. It is almost twice as large as the United States or Canada. Russia is 4,225,068,800 acres, which is the same as 6,601,670 square miles or 17,098,246 square kilometers. Antarctica is 5,500,000 square miles, meaning Russia is 1,101,670 square miles larger than it. To put it another way, Russia is 2,898,246 square kilometers larger than Antarctica.

Conclusion

Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent in the world. It contains no countries, but seven countries have claims on parts of it. Antartica is 3,520,000,000 acres, 5,500,000 square miles, or 14,200,000 square kilometers.