Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent located in the Antarctic region, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice averaging at least 1.6 kilometers thick, making it the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. While there are no permanent human residents, around 1,000-5,000 people reside at research stations across the continent year-round. Only cold-adapted plants and animals like penguins, seals and mosses survive in Antarctica's harsh climate with temperatures ranging from -80 to -90 degrees Celsius in winter and 5 to 15 degrees Celsius near the coast in summer.