While there is no native population on Antarctica, there are 40 permanent research stations, with an average of 1,000 people living there year-round (around 25 people per station), braving harsh winds and an inhuman cold that once, in July 1983, dipped below 128 degrees Fahrenheit. All in the name of science.

Is Antarctica illegal to live in?

Antarctica is the only continent on Earth without a native human population. Since no country owns Antarctica, no visa is required to travel there. If you are a citizen of a country that is a signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, you do need to get permission to travel to Antarctica.

Can you die in Antarctica?

Human deaths are uncommon in Antarctica, despite its harsh environment. As recently as October, a subcontractor died of natural causes at Palmer Station, one of two other NSF outposts on the frozen continent.

Why is Antarctica so dangerous?

Winter temperatures plummet to about -100 degrees Fahrenheit, and that, combined with the world’s driest air, makes it a struggle to even climb a flight of stairs. The air causes instant pain to any exposed skin. It’s not even wise to smile—your gums and teeth will ache. Frostbite can set in quickly.

How is life in the field in Antarctica?

It is very cold and often windy, like the top of a mountain. Living ‘in the field’, away from the main station, you experience this difference very strongly. In other ways Antarctic life is quite like ‘home’ — people at the stations have fully insulated living and working quarters with their own rooms and bath/toilet facilities.

How many people live in Antarctica in the summer?

There are many bases across Antarctica; around 30 countries have around 82 bases. Some of these bases are open only in summer, and others are operated all year around. The summertime population of Antarctica is around 5000 people (not including those on ships), but this drops to just 1000 people continent-wide during the long, dark, cold winter.

Is it bad to live without sunlight in Antarctica?

Living without sunlight for months at a time can cause serious mood disorders, so people who sign up to work in Antarctica first undergo psychological screening to make sure they aren’t at risk.

Are there any indigenous people living in Antarctica?

The research stations are like small towns — but only kind of. Very few people overwinter in Antarctica, and the continent has no indigenous population, so nobody was born there, there are no children around, nobody has much of a history there.