antarctic adj
1. of or relating to Antarctica
2. at or near the south pole [syn: south-polar] n : the region around the south pole: Antarctica and surrounding waters [syn: Antarctic Zone, South Frigid Zone]

Antarctic \Ant*arc"tic\, a. [OE. antartik, OF. antartique, F. antarctique, L. antarcticus, fr. Gr. ?; ? + ? bear. See Arctic.] Opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it, and applied especially to a circle, distant from the pole 23[deg] 28[min]. Thus we say the antarctic pole, circle, ocean, region, current, etc.

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The Antarctic (pronounced /ænˈtɑrktɪk/) is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence. The region covers some 20% of the Southern Hemisphere, of which 5.5% (14 million km2) is the surface area of the continent itself.

The maritime part of the region constitutes the area of application of the international Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), where for technical reasons the Convention uses an approximation of the Convergence line by means of a line joining specified points along parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude. The implementation of the Convention is managed through an international Commission headquartered in Hobart, Australia by an efficient system of annual fishing quotas, licenses and international inspectors on the fishing vessels, as well as satellite surveillance.

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