Do humans live at the South Pole?
During six months of winter, about 50 people live and work at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, maintaining the facility and supporting science projects. The South Pole is the southernmost point on the Earth. It is the precise point of the southern intersection of the Earth's axis and the Earth's surface.
No one actually lives at the North Pole. Inuit people, who live in the nearby Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Russia, have never made homes at the North Pole. The ice is constantly moving, making it nearly impossible to establish a permanent community.
There is no single country that owns Antarctica. Instead, Antarctica is governed by a group of nations in a unique international partnership. The Antarctic Treaty, first signed on December 1, 1959, designates Antarctica as a continent devoted to peace and science.
Even though the North Pole and South Pole are "polar opposites," they both get the same amount of sunlight. But the South Pole is a lot colder than the North Pole.
There are two very small schools at the Argentinian Esperanza Base and the Chilean Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, both on the Antarctic Peninsula. The parents of these children work at these bases.
Due to harsh conditions, extreme weather and no permanent population on the continent there are no regular passenger flights to Antarctica. Most flights transport research personnel and supply the bases. The lack of infrastructure makes it difficult to recover a stranded aircraft in case of an emergency.
The rough weather conditions and low visibility make it extremely difficult to fly and land a plane over the continent. It is technically possible to fly to Antarctica, but there are very few flights that take the risk of going there.
The Antarctic Treaty and the Environmental Protocol form the basic guidelines for all human activity on the Antarctic continent and all Consultative Parties have laws in force in their respective home legislation to govern their citizens accordingly.
Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of 1,610,000 km2 (620,000 sq mi), it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth.
Antarctica is the only place on the planet where the land isn't officially owned by anyone. A few countries have made land claims (for more about this, see the information box on the next page), but those claims aren't officially recognized and don't cover the entire continent.
Is there a president in Antarctica?
Antarctica does not have a president or prime minister. The Antarctic Treaty is a decentralised system of governance, with no executive leader.
Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature on the planet: On 10 July 1913, temperatures at the aptly named Furnace Creek area in the California desert reached a blistering 56.7°C (134.1°F). Average summer temperatures, meanwhile, often rise above 45°C (113°F).
Space is very, very cold. The baseline temperature of outer space is 2.7 kelvins (opens in new tab) — minus 454.81 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 270.45 degrees Celsius — meaning it is barely above absolute zero, the point at which molecular motion stops.
The average temperature at the north pole is about 14 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average temperature at the south pole is about -58 degrees Fahrenheit!
The Marshals Service became the official law enforcement entity for the South Pole through an agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Attorney for Hawaii.
Dr. Bob Koff performs dental work at the McMurdo Station medical clinic. The well-traveled dentist has been on a number of humanitarian missions during his career, and spends many of his off-hours doing community service at the station.
Antarctica has no public hospitals, pharmacies, or doctor's offices. Although cruise ships have the capacity to deal with minor ailments, medical emergencies require evacuation to a country with modern medical facilities.
The South Pole is not the coldest place in Antarctica. The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica was -89.6°C at Vostok station in 1983. The average winter temperature at the South Pole is about -49°C. Your home freezer is only about -15°C.
As the world's last unexplored wilderness, Antarctica is shrouded in mystery, and as a land of extremes, it's also great at keeping its secrets. The harsh conditions, freezing temperatures and barren landscapes make Antarctica inhospitable to humans.
The Antarctic Treaty does not prevent tourists, military personnel or scientific researchers from being present in Antarctica - but they do require an appropriate permit from a Treaty Party.
What has recently been found in Antarctica?
In June 2022, an underwater ecosystem was discovered in a river beneath the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica. This discovery was made by New Zealand scientists when they drilled through the shelf and filmed the icy water below. The video footage revealed shrimp-like creatures swimming about in their underwater habitat.
The population of Antarctica
In the summer, the continent has a population of around 5000 people but during the winter this number is reduced to roughly a fourth with 1000 people. The inhabitants are mainly based on research stations with the McMurdo Station as the largest.
So what does live in Antarctica? Antarctica's sub-zero temperatures aren't only inhospitable to humans, but most other mammals as well. While penguins, seals and whales are the best known residents of Antarctica, they are seabirds and marine mammals.
Smoking is prohibited in all Commonwealth buildings, vehicles, plant and equipment. This includes all the buildings and vehicles in Antarctica and Macquarie Island. At each station, smokers are directed to an outside van designated as the 'smokers' hut'.
Minor infractions, such as petty theft, are handled locally with penalties such as expulsion from Antarctica and losing one's job. The only serious crime that has happened is an "Assault with a deadly weapon".
- Do not disturb wildlife either at sea or on land.
- Do not feed or touch animals or photograph in a way that will disturb.
- Do not damage plants.
- Keep noise to the minimum.
- Do not bring non-native species to Antarctica.
Seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, but the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims.
Bir Tawil. Perhaps the most famous “unclaimed land” in the world is Bir Tawil. In 2014, author Alastair Bonnett described Bir Tawil as the only place on Earth that was habitable but was not claimed by any recognised government.
The Conger Ice Shelf, spanning about 460 square miles, shattered off the continent on March 15. Its disintegration has alarmed scientists, who have long considered ice in eastern Antarctica as relatively stable and far less vulnerable to global warming compared to ice in western Antarctica.
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Vessels.
| Internet Service/Category | Current Reliability |
|---|---|
| Media Services (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) | Allowed, reliability varies based on station bandwidth use |
Do you have to pay taxes if you live in Antarctica?
The IRS does not consider Antarctica extraterritorial, so U.S. tax law applies. For further information, you can contact the IRS (www.irs.gov). District directors are in each state at the same address where you normally file tax returns.
These magnetic fields interfere with aircraft magnetic navigational tools. Antarctica's isolated nature further makes it difficult for planes to communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC), further rendering navigation difficult.
There actually is an Antarctic dollar, or Antarctican dollar, that's used throughout the Federated States of Antarctica. It's also known as an Emp (or buck) in honour of the Emperor Penguins that call Antarctica home.
Antarctica has 20 airports, but there are no developed public-access airports or landing facilities.
The most commonly spoken language of Antarctica is Russian, which happens to be the official language of Bellingsgauzenia, New Devon, and Ognia. English is also one of the most widespread languages spoken. You can find English spoken in the Balleny Islands, New South Greenland, Eduarda, etc.
No one is allowed to take up permanent residence in the Antarctic Peninsula or anywhere else in Antarctica. However, research groups are allowed to stay in Antarctica for limited periods of time. Due to this, the overall temporary population of Antarctica can go as high as 10,000.
The geographic South Pole is in a frozen white expanse, but it's not an empty one. There's also a major Antarctic outpost there, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, where scientists carry out research ranging from glaciology to astrophysics.
Under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, ratified by 53 nations, persons accused of a crime in Antarctica are subject to punishment by their own country.
A few years ago, a giant hole opened up in the Antarctic sea ice, capturing attention around the world. Not since the 1970s had such a chasm appeared in the mid-ocean ice of the Weddell Sea. Scientists showed in previous research that ocean processes and cyclones contributed to the hole, called a polynya.
Eleven babies have been born in Antarctica, and none of them died as infants. Antarctica therefore has the lowest infant mortality rate of any continent: 0%. What's crazier is why the babies were born there in the first place.
Can I buy property in Antarctica?
Antarctica is the only place on the planet where the land isn't officially owned by anyone. A few countries have made land claims (for more about this, see the information box on the next page), but those claims aren't officially recognized and don't cover the entire continent.
Gamburtsev Mountain Range. Antarctica holds many secrets beneath its vast ice sheets - even a massive mountain range. Hidden below a two to four thousand kilometre thick sheet of ice are the Gamburtsev Mountains. They stretch for 1,200 kilometres and rise to 3,000 metres, a third of the height of Mount Everest.
Antarctica is not owned by anyone and does not have its own government so you do not need a visa to visit (although you may need a passport to re-enter your own country afterward). If you are a citizen of one of the countries that have signed the Antarctic Treaty, you will need permission to visit Antarctica.