Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent and contains the geographic South Pole. With an area of approximately 5,500,00 square miles (about 14,200,000 square kilometers), it's the fifth-largest continent. Although Antarctica is about 40% larger than Europe, it's the least-populated. It is on average, the tallest continent with an average elevation of approximately 6,500 feet (about 2,000 meters). Not surprisingly, the vast majority (about 99%!) of Antarctica is covered by ice.