Antarctica's Human Population: Seasonal Extremes

Antarctica has zero permanent residents—but a highly seasonal scientific population.

Summer (Nov–Mar): ~5,000 People

• Peak research activity: 70+ stations (30 year-round, 40+ summer-only)
• Fields: glaciology, climate, astronomy, biology, geology, oceanography
• Support staff: logistics, construction, medical, culinary, communications, pilots
• Tourists: 40,000–70,000/year (ship-based, not counted in "population")

Winter (Apr–Oct): ~1,000 People

• "Winter-overs" at year-round stations (McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole, Vostok, Concordia, etc.)
• Total isolation: no flights Feb–Oct; psychological/physical screening required
• Critical maintenance, long-term experiments (ice cores, atmospheric, neutrino)

National Presence

• USA: McMurdo (~1,000 summer, 150 winter), South Pole (~150/50), Palmer (~40/10)
• Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, UK, Germany, Korea, India, others
• Antarctic Treaty (1959): science only, no military, no sovereignty claims

Not "Inhabited"

No births (except 11 planned at Argentine/Chilean bases 1978–1983 for sovereignty theater), no families, no schools, no economy. Everyone rotates. It's a scientific workplace, not a society.