Antarctica
Geography
Antarctica is split into two primary sectors- The northern part of the continent called the Antarctic Melts or Meltland, and the Southern Ice Fields closer to the south pole. Both regions have very different ecosystems, topography, and geology. For the most part, the continent is quite flat until one reaches the center of the continent, which is dominated by towering rocky mountains and glaciers. The southern half of the continent also has a vast ice shelf over the ocean, greatly expanding the continent's walkable terrain, despite there being no land underneath. Since the human era, Antarctica has drifted north significantly and is thought to one day collide with Australia and New Zealand.
Fauna & Flora
In the Antarctic Melts, the environment closely resembles the tundras found in the northern hemisphere, with next to no native flora. Instead, the region is covered in plant species that have been naturalized after introduction, much of which was first introduced from northern hemisphere specimens during the late human era. Many animal species, such as the Antarctic Auroch, rodents, canines, and wild cats are also introduced from escaped domestic breeds or stowaways on ships. Compared to other regions, Antarctica's exposed soils are extremely nutrient poor, only supporting simple plant life.
The southern region has not seen many changes in millennia ecologically, due to its extremely harsh weather conditions, being dominated largely by penguins, seals, and seabirds by the shores.
Natural Resources
Antarctica hosts vast reserves of mineral deposits and fossils, most of which have not been extracted due to the continents extreme weather. The Antarctic Ocean is also heavily protected from overfishing its abundant but fragile ecosystem of fish. Extremely strict regulations and guidelines prevent the extraction of resources except for scientific study, research, and testing.
History
Since Antarctica began to melt and expose regions of the continent free of snow for much of the year, there have been many expeditions to conquer its terrain since the human era. The vast majority of these expeditions have resulted in critical failure for a variety of reasons, most due to a lack of permanent and sustainable food supply in the winter months and difficulty growing food. Throughout the Antarctic landscape, there are dozens if not hundreds of failed settlements, research bases, and colonies. Due to the extremely dry environment, many of these are incredibly well preserved, having 'mummified' anything that was left behind, including remains. Incredibly, there are at least 32 naturally preserved human mummies that have been recovered from Antarctica, some of which were buried in ice, permafrost, and glaciers.
Inhabiting Species
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