Almost blank map of East Antarctica
, also called
Greater Antarctica, is one of the two major regions of the
Antarctic continent, lying on the
Indian Ocean side of the
Transantarctic Mountains and comprising
Coats Land,
Queen Maud Land,
Enderby Land,
Mac Robertson Land,
Wilkes Land and
Victoria Land. All but a small portion of this region lies within the
Eastern Hemisphere, a fact that has suggested the name. The name has been in existence more than 90 years (Balch, 1902; Nordenskiöld, 1905), but its greatest use followed the
International Geophysical Year (1957-58) and explorations disclosing that the Transantarctic Mountains provide a useful regional separation of East Antarctica and
West Antarctica. The name was approved (in the
US) by the
Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1962. East Antarctica is generally higher than West Antarctica, and is considered the coldest place on
Earth.
The three largest mountain ranges in Antarctica are the
West Antarctica Ranges, the
Transantarctic Mountains, and the
East Antarctica Ranges. The subglacial
Gamburtsev Mountain Range, about the size of the European Alps, in the center of East Antarctica are believed to have been the nucleation site for the
East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The parts of East Antarctica not covered with
ice constitute a
tundra-type biodiversity region known as
Maudlandia Antarctic
desert, after
Queen Maud Land.
See also
