Demographics of Antarctica

Antarctica has permanently and seasonally staffed research stations, field camps, and former whaling settlements. The largest of these, McMurdo Station, has a population (summer) of about 1200 residents. Approximately 29 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, send personnel to perform seasonal (summer) and year-round research on the continent and in its surrounding oceans. The population of persons doing and supporting scientific research on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty) varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research are present in the waters of the treaty region.

At least ten children have been born in West Antarctica. The first was Emilio Marcos Palma, born on January 7, 1978 to Argentine parents at Esperanza, Hope Bay, near the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.[1] In 1984, Juan Pablo Camacho was born at the Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, becoming the first Chilean born in Antarctica. Soon after, a girl, Gisella, was born at the same station. In 2001, National Geographic reported that eight children had been born at Esperanza alone.

Nation Summer
(January)
population
3,687 total
(1998-9)
Winter
(July)
population
964 total

(1998-9)

Year-round
Stations
42 total
(1998-9)
Summer-only
Stations
32 total
(1998-9)
Argentina 302 165 6 7
Australia 201 75 4 4
Belgium 13      
Brazil 80 12 1  
Bulgaria 16     1
Chile 352 129 4 7
China 70 33 2  
Finland 11   1  
France 100 33 1  
Germany 51 9 1 1
India 60 25 1 1
Italy 106   1  
Japan 136 40 1 3
South Korea 14 14 1  
Netherlands 10      
New Zealand 60 10 1 1
Norway 30 6 1 1
Peru 28     1
Poland 70 20 1  
Romania 20 11    
Russia 254 102 6 3
South Africa 80 10 1 -
Spain 43   1  
Sweden 20     2
Ukraine     1  
United Kingdom 192 39 2 5
United States 1,378 248 3  
Uruguay     1  

Languages

Antarctica has no spoken language of its own. The languages spoken there are the ones spoken by its visitors.[2]

See also

References

External links