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“When you hear people describe Antarctica as desolate, hostile, and uninhabitable, remember to complete the phrase with "for people." For those that live here, the penguins, seals, whales, etc. Antarctica is their home and they would not trade it for anywhere else on the planet.”
2004 Antarctic Expeditioner
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Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th century.