volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak
international agreements: NA

Note: the coldest, windiest, highest, 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

@Antarctica:People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are seasonally
staffed research stations
Summer (January) population: over 4,115 total; 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, NZ 264, Norway 23, Peru 39,
Poland NA, South Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116, Uruguay NA,
US 1,666, former USSR 565 (1989-90)
Winter (July) population: over 1,046 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, former USSR 313 (1989-90)
Year-round stations: 42 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,
former USSR 6 (1990-91)
Summer only stations: over 38 total; Argentina 7, Australia 3, Chile
5, Germany 3, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 4, NZ 2, Norway 1, Peru 1, South
Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US numerous, former USSR 5
(1989-90); note - the disintegration of the former USSR 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

@Antarctica:Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica

Digraph: AY

Type:
Antarctic Treaty Summary: The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December
1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal
framework for the management of Antarctica. Administration is carried
out through consultative member meetings - the 18th Antarctic Treaty
Consultative Meeting was in Japan in April 1993. Currently, there are
42 treaty member nations: 26 consultative and 16 acceding.
Consultative (voting) members include the seven nations that claim
portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap)