Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest, iciest, driest, and least populated continent on Earth. With a total surface area of 5.5 million square miles in summer, it is as large as the United States and Mexico combined. In winter, the sea ice around Antarctica grows so rapidly—around 40,000 square miles a day—that it doubles the size of the continent. Click on the tabs to learn more about the Antarctic landscape and wildlife that live in this remote environment.