南極

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: It is read なんきょく. 南 contributes south and 極 a pole; the word can name the South Pole or the surrounding Antarctic region.
• Basic usage: In examples about expedition members' lives or the surrounding sea, it refers to the broader Antarctic region.
  • 南極の厳しい環境で働く隊員の生活を映像で見た。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A pole versus a continent
  • 南極点 specifies the geographic point, while 南極大陸 explicitly names the continent.