Antarctica

Antarctica is an archipelago directly next to Aotearoa, itself being spit into two primary sectors- the northern Melts, and the southern Ice Field Islands. Both regions have very different ecosystems, topography, and geology. For the most part, the continent is quite flat until one reaches the center of the continent, which is dominated by towering rocky mountains and glaciers. The southern half of the continent also has a vast ice shelf over the ocean, greatly expanding the continent's walkable terrain, despite there being no land underneath. Since the human era, Antarctica has drifted north significantly, raising a number of new islands through folding of the crust.   In the Melts, the geography is dominated by structures created by melting ice, glaciers, and the many thousands of rivers and streams across the continent. Lakes, pools, and ponds are extremely common, having filled in valleys and low spots in the terrain to form aquatic ecosystems of their own, many of which have their own miniature ecosystems and species unique to a single body of water.   The Ice Field Islands in the south are a much more homogeneous region that sees little variety, being dominated by glaciers and sea ice, much of which is frozen year round. During winter in the southern hemisphere, the ice shelves surrounding the islands expand greatly, melting once more in the spring and summer.

The vast majority of life present in Antarctica are species descended from those that migrated from the nearby Aotearoa islands, likely having been washed ashore by storms or island hopping. Some species such as the Antarctic Auroch were intentionally introduced, as were other livestock.

Antarctica hosts vast reserves of mineral deposits and fossils, most of which have not been extracted due to the continents extreme weather. The Antarctic Ocean is also heavily protected from overfishing its abundant but fragile ecosystem of fish. Extremely strict regulations and guidelines prevent the extraction of resources except for scientific study, research, and testing.

The Human Era

Although extremely rare, expeditions into the continent's interior and southern regions have revealed that Antarctica was not the pristine untouched land it was one thought to be, having a number of ruins and relics from the late human era. Some of these ruins appear to have been attempted settler colonies themselves, while others are similar to that of today, being research stations for ecological studies and resupply points to such. One such facility discovered in more recent years has proven to be the oldest, with incredible archaeological finds such as the Antarctic Ice Mummies that have given extensive looks into human biology, culture, and history during the late human period. Recovered texts from these sites are most often from similar time periods, and while mainly focused on research or mechanical issues, many of the documents have also outlined the chaos of the rise of the dragons- many make mention of loss of contact with other regions of the world, confusion, and lack of supplies.   The most commonly accepted theory proposed is that Antarctica may have seen repeated settling attempts by humans in its distant past, with only a scant few seasonal outposts having been successful. These outposts were not likely occupied all year long and may have been being used to prepare broader areas for further settlement by studying the local conditions. When the dragons arose, these settlements may have been cut off from the rest of the world temporarily during crucial times of the year in which they would ordinarily have left the region, or shortly before, prompting most individuals to abandon their outposts. Of those that did not, they likely did not survive the polar conditions for long.  

War of the Majors

It's unknown exactly when Lapi, The God of Earth, began to move Antarctica alongside the other continents, but widely believed that Antarctica's movements may have been a late change during the era due to its extreme isolation and continued geologic activity today. Compared to the movements of the other continents, Antarctica appears to have slowed its steady progression north very little, and remains set to one day collide and merge with Aotearoa. Extensive study of the seafloor rifts in the surrounding regions directly show that its movements are a deliberate act by the divine, and that prior to such, the continent had been on an entirely different path.   Despite such findings, Lapi has refused to make any commentary on Antarctica or its projected path.   Due to its isolation and few large landmasses, Antarctica was chosen by Nagi, God of Water for his primary temple in the southern most region of the continent. The temple of Nagi does not permit visitors and it's exact location is unknown, with many suspecting it may only be accessible from underwater if it has any component above the surface at all. Precious little about the temple, its staff, or routines are known even to this day.  

Modern Times

The region was initially largely left alone due to a lack of resources, but its dramatic climate change over many millennia allowed for plant life to take hold and begin to dominate the most northern reaches of the island and to sustain small colonies of settlers. Once such settlements were established, the region was claimed by Aotearoa, though to much controversy due to human era treaties and agreements the continent was to be left alone and only used for research with minimal intervention. Despite this, Aotearoa has numerous times supported its claims to the continent by way of force and political maneuvering, chief of all being that the majority of nations who prior had claims to research areas on the island had abandoned them for centuries if the nations in question still exist at all.   Today, Antarctica hosts a number of Aotearoan settlements and colonies, primarily along its northern coast due to its close proximity to the island nation. The vast majority of these are farming and fishing communities, with a heavy focus on livestock and cold tolerant crops, though in wintertime almost all of these regions are supplied by mainland Aotearoa.