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Antarctica, characterized by its low temperatures, is a continent asymmetrically surrounding the South Pole and located almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle. Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and the American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands - a fact that was not established until 1840. Geographically, Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, smaller than Asia, Africa, and North and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe.
The severe low temperatures in Antarctica vary with the latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean. East Antarctica has a higher elevation than West Antarctica and is therefore colder. Similarly, the Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing. Overall, Antarctica has very low temperatures. The low temperature in the continent explains why there are no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed scientific research stations.
Antarctica has not developed a legal system of its own. Its administration is carried out through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws. US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially; some directly apply to Antarctica.
Antarctica has no developed ports and harbors. Also, there are no developed public access airports or landing facilities in the continent. Off-coast fishing and tourism, both based abroad, account for the limited economic activity in the Antarctic region.
Antarctica is the most non-developed and coldest place on earth. That makes it no fit place for human population or socio-economic development.