eas of West
Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may
calve from ice shelf

Environment - current issues:
in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole
was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers;
researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing
through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish
lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm
one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of
ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming

Geography - note:
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent;
during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South
Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly
uninhabitable

People Antarctica

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and
summer-only staffed research stations
note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate
through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only
(summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its
nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region
covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of
persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management
and protection of the Antarctic region 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; peak
summer (December-February) population - 3,822 total; Argentina 417,
Australia 213, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Ecuador
22, Finland 20, France 123, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 112, Japan
150, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia
429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US
1,170, Uruguay 60 (2005-2006); winter (June-August) station
population - 1,028 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12,
Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan
40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South
Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 288, Uruguay 9 (2005); research
stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60
degrees south latitude) by members of the Council of Mana