Which is the coldest continent?

Antarctica, or the Antarctic continent (from the Latin adjective antarcticus, itself from the Greek ἀνταρκτικός antarktikós, 'opposite to the Arctic'), is the southernmost continent on Earth. It is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.

On average, Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average altitude of all the continents. Antarctica is an ice desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm in the coastal area and much less inland. The temperature in Antarctica has reached -89.2 °C, although the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is -63 °C.

By 2016, there were approximately 135 permanent residents, but between 1,000 and 5,000 people reside year-round at research stations scattered across the continent. Native Antarctic organisms include many types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, protists, and certain animals, such as mites, nematodes, penguins, pinnipeds, and tardigrades. The vegetation found in some small areas is tundra.