No Country Lies Between Asia and Antarctica

Oceanic Separation

Antarctica is a continent surrounded entirely by the Southern Ocean. The nearest continental landmasses are:

• South America (Drake Passage, ~1,000 km)
• Australia (~3,500 km)
• Africa (~4,000 km)

Asia is separated by the Indian Ocean and the Indonesian archipelago; no sovereign territory bridges the gap. The Antarctic Treaty (1959) suspends all territorial claims south of 60°S.