Statistical information Antarctica 1992

Antarctica in the World
top of pageBackground: Speculation over the existence of a 'southern land' was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Peninsula region and areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1838 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Various 'firsts' were achieved in the early 20th century including: 1902 first balloon flight (by British explorer Robert Falcon SCOTT); 1912 first to the South Pole (five Norwegian explorers under Roald AMUNDSEN); 1928 first fixed-wing aircraft flight (by Australian adventurer/explorer Sir Hubert WILKINS); 1929 first flight over the South Pole (by Americans Richard BYRD and Bernt BALCHEN); and 1935 first transantarctic flight (American Lincoln ELLSWORTH). Following World War II there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims but no other country recognizes these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959 it entered into force in 1961.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 14,000,000 km² (est.)
Land: about 14,000,000 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US; second-smallest continent (after Australia)
Land boundaries: none, but see entry on Disputes
Coastline: 17,968 km
Maritime claims: none, but see entry on Disputes
Disputes:Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary below); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile,
France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud
Land), and UK; the US and Russia do not recognize the territorial claims of other nations and have made no claims themselves (but reserve the right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90. west and 150. west, where, because of floating ice, Antarctica is unapproachable from the sea
Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
Terrain:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 4,897 meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria
Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and Ross Island on McMurdo
Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
ElevationNatural resources: none presently exploited; iron, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities
Land use: no arable land: and no plant growth; ice 98%, barren rock 2%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations varies seasonally
Summer January population:4,115; Argentina 207, Australia 268,
Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 11, France 78, Germany 32, Greenpeace 12, India 60, Italy 210, Japan 59, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, New Zealand 264, Norway 23, Peru 39, Poland NA, South
Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116, Uruguay NA, US 1,666, Russia 565 (1989-90)
Summer only stations:over 40; Argentina 7, Australia 3, Chile 5,
Germany 3, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 4, New Zealand 2, Norway 1, Peru 1, South
Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US numerous, Russia 5 (1989-90); note - the disintegration of the former Soviet Union has placed the status and future of its Antarctic facilities in doubt. Stations may be subject to closings at any time because of ongoing economic difficulties.
Winter July population:1,066 total; Argentina 150, Australia 71,
Brazil 12, Chile 73, China NA, France 33, Germany 19, Greenpeace 5, India 1,
Japan 38, South Korea 14, NZ 11, Poland NA, South Africa 12, UK 69, Uruguay
NA, US 225, Russia 313 (1989-90)
Yearround stations:43 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, Finland 1, France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 2, South Korea 1,
NZ 1, Poland 1, South Africa 3, UK 5, Uruguay 1, US 3, Russia 6 (1990-91)
Longform name: none
Antarctic Treaty Summary: Article 1: area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purposes
Article 2: freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue
Article 3: free exchange of information and personnel in cooperation with the UN and other international agencies
Article 4: does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force
Article 5: prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes
Article 6: includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60. 00' south
Article 7: treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all activities and of the introduction of military personnel must be given
Article 8: allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states
Article 9: frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations
Article 10:treaty states will discourage activities by any country in
Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty
Article 11: disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ
Article 12 13 14: deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations
Other agreements:more than 170 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora (1964); Convention for the
Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but was subsequently rejected; in 1991 the Protocol on
Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed and awaits ratification; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through five specific annexes on marine pollution, fauna, and flora, environmental impact assessments, waste management, and protected areas; it also prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research
NationalityEthnic groupsLanguagesReligionsDemographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rateDeath rateNet migration ratePopulation distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues:mostly uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; a circumpolar ocean current flows clockwise along the coast as do cyclonic storms that form over the ocean; during summer more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the
Equator in an equivalent period; in October 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had dwindled to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; active volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak
Current issues note: the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateLife expectancy at birthTotal fertility rateContraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameGovernment typeCapitalAdministrative divisionsDependent areasIndependenceNational holidayConstitutionLegal systemInternational law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrageExecutive branchLegislative branchJudicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participationDiplomatic representationFlag description
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: No economic activity at present except for fishing off the coast and small-scale tourism, both based abroad.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture productsIndustriesIndustrial production growth rateLabor forceUnemployment rateYouth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetTaxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal yearInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsImportsReserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange ratestop of pageElectricityCoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 41 airport facilities at different locations operated by 14 national governments party to the Treaty; one additional air facility operated by commercial (nongovernmental) tourist organization; helicopter pads at 28 of these locations; runways at 9 locations are gravel, sea ice, glacier ice, or compacted snow surface suitable for wheeled fixed-wing aircraft; no paved runways; 16 locations have snow-surface skiways limited to use by ski-equipped planes - 9 runways/skiways 1,000 to 3,000 m, 4 runways/skiways less than 1,000 m, 5 runways/skiways greater than 3,000 m, and 7 of unspecified or variable length; airports generally subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions
Note: none; Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty states that advance notice of all military activities and the introduction of military personnel must be given
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs