West Antarctica

West Antarctica, or Lesser Antarctica, one of the two major regions of Antarctica, is the part of the continent that lies within the Western Hemisphere, and includes the Antarctic Peninsula. It is separated from East Antarctica by the Transantarctic Mountains and is covered by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. It is separated from the main land mass of Antarctica by the Ross Sea, partly covered by the Ross Ice Shelf, and the Weddell Sea, largely covered by the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. It may be considered a giant peninsula stretching from the South Pole towards the tip of South America.