Quiz: Can You Name the Countries Closest to Antarctica? Most People Fail Miserably

Antarctica is the world’s fifth-largest continent, and it is almost entirely sheathed in ice. This remote region is also completely surrounded by hundreds of miles of frigid ocean on all sides. Yet there are some countries that are, technically, the closest neighbors to this windy no-man’s-land. Can you name the 20 countries that are geographically closest to Antarctica? Test yourself below!

How many did you get right? Is it time to re-examine a globe or learn a bit more about the history of colonialism? If so, we don’t blame you! Read on to learn a bit more about the geography of Antarctica and the nations around it.

A land of extremes

Located on and around the South Pole, Antarctica spans 5.5 million square miles, and its surface is composed of 98% ice. The average thickness of that ice is 5,900 feet. 

The nearest country to Antarctica is Chile. Its southernmost islands are about 500 miles from Antarctic. Getting from one to the other involves crossing a rough stretch of sea called the Drake Passage, which is named after the English privateer Sir Francis Drake, who never actually traversed it but whose ship was blown far south of Chile in the 16th century, indicating the existence of a passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

The next-closest land mass is South Georgia. This barren island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean and is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, though Argentina also claims ownership of it. This island is also around 500 miles from Antarctica. Argentina is the next-closest country, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Ultimately, though, it’s safe to say that no nation is really close to Antarctica.

Life on an icy desert

Antarctica is considered the world’s iciest, driest, windiest, and of course, coldest continent. Technically, it is a desert due to the lack of precipitation it receives. However, it is not lifeless. Antarctica is inhabited by over a thousand known species, though most are microorganisms. It is also occupied by penguins, blue whales, Antarctic orcas, fur seals, and many more creatures, most of which migrate to and from its waters. 

Antarctica has no Indigenous population, however. It is believed to have separated from other land masses millions of years ago, well before modern humans evolved. 

In the 19th century, it was subject to a frenzy of expeditions. In 1820, a Russian expedition was the first to spot Antarctica, a continent that until then had been completely shrouded in mystery. In 1821, the explorer John Davis became the first person to set foot on its icy expanse. Today, there are no permanent settlements in Antarctica, but there are dozens of research stations where people live year-round, though most don’t choose to live there for more than a year at a time for understandable reasons. 

In many ways, with its harsh climate and hostility to life, Antarctica resembles other planets more than our own lush green jewel. Still, it’s ultimately an example of just how extraordinarily diverse and amazing our planet really is.