Arranged alphabetically and extensively cross-referenced, this fact-packed, definitive guide to Antarctica includes over 1,000 entries and 250 photographs covering climate, geology, natural history, exploration, science, tourism and conservation.

An indispensable reference for the curious, the armchair traveler, the budding scientist and the environmentalist, Antarctica will fascinate and inform about the world's last true wilderness with answers to questions such as:

• How was Antarctica formed?
• The effects of Antarctica's weather on the world's climate
• The life of an iceberg
• Life on land beneath the ice
• The importance of the scientific work in Antarctica.

To some people, Antarctica is an uninhabited and uninhabitable vastness of ice and snow. Cold though it may be, the continent is a hotbed of scientific research and a growing tourist destination. For all its remoteness, Antarctica is more accessible than ever before. More than 250 flights land at the South Pole each summer and cruise ships bring 12,000 tourists.

Designated since 1959 as a natural reserve devoted to peace and research, Antarctica is host to scientists working on everything from the origin of black holes to climate change to understanding the movements of icebergs the size of Delaware.

Antarctica: An Encyclopedia from Abbot Ice Shelf to Zooplankton covers the natural wonders, wildlife, explorers, adventurers and discoveries that have been made at the bottom of the world.