Antarctica is the world's 5th largest continent with an area of 14.0 million km2, and is considered the coldest and driest of the seven continents. Located at the Earth's southernmost point, 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, and the temperature can reach nearly -89 degrees celcius. As a result, the continent has a fluctuating population that ranges between 1,000 to 5,000 people, most of whom are researchers.