Which continent is the coldest, driest, and windiest on Earth?

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth.

The continent surrounds the South Pole and is almost entirely covered by an ice sheet. About 98 percent of its land area is covered by ice, and its average elevation is the highest of any continent because of that thick ice cover.

Antarctica is also classified as a desert because most of the continent receives very little precipitation. The interior is especially dry, while coastal areas receive more snowfall. Cold, dense air flowing downhill from the high interior creates powerful katabatic winds.

The continent has no permanent native human population. Scientific stations operated by many countries support research under the Antarctic Treaty System, which reserves the region for peaceful purposes and scientific cooperation. The South Pole is not the same as the magnetic South Pole, whose position changes over time.