Do People Live in Antarctica?

A common question is do people live in Antarctica? Yes, people live In Antarctica, but it is very different from other places in the world due to its extreme and remote environment. Here is a quick overview:

• Antarctica does not have any permanent residents or citizens.
• Antarctica is the only continent on Earth with no native or permanent population. It’s also the coldest, driest, highest, and most windy continent in the world.  
• Due to its remote location and incredibly harsh climate and weather conditions, it is not easy for humans to inhabit. 
• During the summer months of October to April, it’s a temporary home to around 5,000 scientists and researchers.
• During the winter, a small group of around 1,000 scientific workers live and work in Antarctica, carrying out scientific operations in the extreme cold.
• Each year, Antarctica receives 100,000 visitors who mainly explore the Antarctic continent on an expedition cruise during the summer.

Due to its remoteness, the Antarctic continent was undisturbed by human footprints for 35 million years until the first expeditions in 1820. Despite having no permanent residents or citizens, there is constant human activity on the White Continent. 

At Polar Escapes we are experts in Antarctica. If you would like to visit you can find and book the largest range of expedition cruises, ships and tours to Antarctica.

In the rest of this article, I explore common questions about living on an icy continent.

Could Humans Live in Antarctica?

There are no permanent human settlements in Antarctica. Due to the unrelenting cold temperatures during the winter and the lack of resources, it is unlikely Antarctica will be settled with a permanent population any time soon. Survival conditions would be very tough, as there is no way to sustain a population with agriculture or livestock. Supplies such as fuel and food would need to be shipped, making it incredibly expensive to settle there.

The other question is why humans would want to live there. With 24 hours of darkness beneath the Antarctic Circle and extremely low temperatures during the winter months, living in Antarctica would certainly not be a dream come true for many.

Why is there no indigenous population in Antarctica?

There are no native Antarcticans. Antarctica’s extreme environment is harsh, even for most wildlife there. But they have at least evolved adaptations that help them survive the subzero temperatures, fierce winds, and blizzards.

Of the two polar regions, Antarctica is much colder and more inhospitable than the Arctic, which is home to more than 4 million people and has an indigenous population of around 400,000.

For polar comparison, the average winter temperature at the North Pole is -40°C (-40°F). And yes, this is incredibly cold, but in the South Pole, temperatures can plummet as low as -60°C (-76°F).

The Arctic has more wildlife and plant life than Antarctica, making it easier for humans to sustain themselves. Antarctica is technically a desert due to its low rainfall.

Read our guide to the Arctic Vs Antarctica to find out more about the differences.

What is the Population of Antarctica today?

The population of Antarctica varies between 1,300 scientists and researchers during the winter and 5,000 during the summer months. Tourism adds to the population during the summer, when up to 100,000 people visit the white continent, mainly on expedition ships, although they don’t live ashore.

Who lives in Antarctica, and where do they live?

Scientists and researchers live and work on various research stations around the continent. The largest is the McMurdo station, run by the United States station on the Hut Point peninsula of Ross Island in the Ross Sea. A specific nation runs each station or is a partnership between countries. 

Antarctica has no towns or cities, but there are names for its different regions and bays. Sixty-six scientific stations across Antarctica and South Georgia serve as national research bases. These include Adelaide Island, home to the Rothera Research Station, the largest British Antarctic station.

There are also currently research stations at Laurie Island, which the Argentinian government runs, and Comandante Ferraz, maintained by the Brazilian government in King George Islands in the South Shetland Islands. 

Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Chile, Russia, India, China, Pakistan, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Japan run research stations in Antarctica. Antarctic research activities are intended for peaceful purposes only under the Antarctic Treaty.

The research population sizes vary from just a few people to around 1,300.

Only two civilian settlements exist in Antarctica: Argentina’s Esperanza Base and Chile’s Villa Las Estrellas, which support scientific staff. Other scientists work from research ships that monitor the Antarctic environment and marine mammals.

How long do scientific staff stay in research stations?

Scientists, researchers, and support staff are all employed on a contract basis, usually for between three and six months. Some stay for up to 15 months, although far fewer stay over the winter. Many Antarctic research stations only operate during the southern summer when the conditions are milder. Others operate all year round in the most extreme conditions.

What is life like on an Antarctic research station?

Antarctic scientific stations are incredibly remote and self-sustaining outposts built from durable materials that can withstand extreme weather. Research stations have infrastructure that includes medical facilities, labs, kitchen and dining areas, sleeping dorms, educational facilities, weather monitoring equipment, and transport.

McMurdo Station is one of the remotest places on Earth; some compare it to a mining settlement or an extreme type of summer camp! It’s a temporary home to around 1250 residents. A large scientific station in Antarctica, like McMurdo, is equipped with mess halls, medical facilities, and communal areas for entertainment.

Of course, living in Antarctica, even for just a few months, is incredibly challenging due to the extreme cold, high winds and poor visibility. Residents must stay indoors on some days, such as during exceptionally high winds or whiteouts.

In a remote location, even simple things like obtaining drinking water are more difficult, as scientists need to melt snow or ice to do so. Food supplies are limited, and residents at research stations largely rely on frozen and canned food.

Staff must always go out in waterproof, windproof, and insulated layers.

Of course, it’s not just about guarding against the weather. Although there are medical facilities, the remote location and limited connection with the outside world make it difficult. 

So, to work on a research station, you must also prepare for emergencies and have survival skills to deal with Antarctica’s harsh and often unpredictable environment.

The isolation and confined way of life can also take a psychological toll on people working in Antarctica.

But, despite its vast challenges, some people return for years and even decades, and it becomes a way of life. It’s a world away (literally and figuratively) from how most people live, working in freezing conditions, 10 hours a day, six days a week. 

And forget Wi-Fi. It’s a place where its transient community unplugs from the modern world and has a campus-like life of pursuits when they’re not hard at work. There are lectures, yoga classes, art exhibitions, film screenings, hiking, marathons, and even the odd live band.

So, that’s a snapshot of life and work at the edge of the world. 

Have humans been born in Antarctica?

Eleven people have been born in Antarctica. The first person to be born in Antarctica was known to be Emilio Marcos de Palma Morella, who was born at the Esperanza base. Other babies born in Antarctica were made to claim sovereignty over the territory as part of a secret baby race.

Can you legally live in Antarctica?

You can’t just go and live in Antarctica, as there is no infrastructure, houses, or food supply. To live legally in Antarctica, you will have to find a job at one of the research stations or bases or on a temporary basis. There are no permanent inhabitants or citizens in Antarctica. Expeditions visiting Antarctica require a permit from their representative country.

The Politics Of Living in Antarctica

Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959 to preserve Antarctica for scientific research. The treaty does not allow any nation to claim Antarctica as part of its territory.

Seven countries had made territorial claims in Antarctica before the Antarctica treaty, but these claims are not legally recognised.

Can Someone be a citizen Of Antarctica?

No, it’s impossible to be a citizen of Antarctica, as it is not a country. All the people temporarily living in Antarctica are citizens of other nations.

Antarctica’s Regions and Environment

Antarctica is almost totally covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, the largest ice sheet in the world, covering an area of 14 million square kilometres and having an average thickness of two kilometres.

The continent is divided into two parts, East Antarctica and West Antarctica, each with different characteristics. The two regions are separated by the Transantarctic Mountains.

Most visitors travel to the Antarctic Peninsula, which is mountainous and icy and home to abundant wildlife, including whales and large penguin colonies.

Tourism and Visiting Antarctica

Tourism has grown substantially over the last decade in Antarctica. From roughly 40,000 visitors in 2010 to over 100,000 visiting the white continent annually.

The vast majority of people visiting Antarctica arrive on an expedition cruise ship and make landings on the Antarctic peninsula. Tourists can visit research stations and historic huts in Antarctica on shore landings. Passengers can also opt to camp out for the night and see some incredible wildlife and landscapes. 

Antarctica has no hotels, but it is possible to join an expedition and stay in a luxury lodge. Often, these expeditions include a flight to the South Pole.

Tourists must comply with the Antarctic treaty’s strict protocols to protect the wildlife and environment; some of these rules include:

• Protect the Antarctic wildlife (including keeping noise down, respecting plants, and not feeding or touching animals)
• Respect protected areas: (be aware of protected locations and respect their restrictions)
• Respect scientific research (obtain the necessary permissions and don’t interview with equipment, study sites or field sites.)
• Be safe (keeping a safe distance from wildlife, stay with the group, don’t walk on glaciers)
• Keep Antarctica pristine: (Don’t litter, don’t remove artefacts such as rocks, bones or fossils)

Antarctic tourism is heavily regulated to reduce the environmental impact and the carbon footprint. Tourism activities are subject to environmental assessments.

All partners we work with at Polar Escapes are members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IATTO), which works to establish best tourism practices.

Could you live in Antarctica?

Unless you’re looking for very specialist work and a short-term contract on a scientific research base, the answer is most likely no.

An expedition cruise offers the perfect opportunity to see one of the world’s most unique, remote, and beautiful environments.

Visitors can experience Antarctica in all its beauty and wonder if they do so safely, responsibly and sustainably.

Summary | Do People Live in Antarctica?

So to answer the question do people live in Antarctica?

• Humans never settled in Antarctica due to its freezing weather, harsh climate, and lack of food supplies.
• Humans are unlikely to inhabit Antarctica due to the lack of infrastructure, agriculture, and resources required for human life to function there.
• Antarctica, unlike the Arctic, does not have an indigenous population.
• Today, the people who live in Antarctica are scientists, researchers, and field staff working at 70 bases and scientific stations spread across the continent.
• Eleven babies have been born in Antarctica, although they are not citizens of Antarctica.
• The Antarctic Treaty forbids any nation from claiming territory as its own.
• Living in Antarctica is impossible unless you have a job at one of the research stations.
• It is possible to visit Antarctica on an organised expedition cruise or tour.

At Polar Escapes, we specialise in expedition cruises and tours of Antarctica. For more information, please see our Antarctica Cruises and Tours.

Do you need help planning your trip to Antarctica? Please get in touch with the team that has first-hand knowledge of visiting the icy continent.