All significant engagement with the Southern Polar Region is co-ordinated through them, but the ensuing competition for economic advantage that this traffic offers is not always constructive.
But in these cities, Antarctica has exercised a powerful hold on the urban imagination since the late 19th century. All five cities are small in size and population and, with the exception of Cape Town, do not fit the profile of a global city. But that might change if we consider their influence over an entire region; the high percentage of residents employed in the scientific research and logistics sector; and the fact that they host some of the best educational, tourism, and entertainment facilities in relation to the Antarctic region.
It is commonly referred to as the southernmost city in the world. The city is located on the Beagle Channel , in an area that had been occupied by Yamana — or Yaghan — Indigenous people for more than 10, years. But it has yet to act as a base for any national Antarctic science programmes.
Punta Arenas population , was founded in as a penal colony by the Chilean government, and later served as destination for the settlement of European immigrants. Until the construction of the Panama Canal in , its port was key in the commercial route linking the Atlantic and the Pacific. Punta Arenas was a key site and principal point of reference for many of the early Antarctic scientific expeditions. The city is dotted with these stories. Most important, the national Antarctic programmes of more than 20 countries use Punta Arenas as a gateway to the continent — a higher number than any other gateway city.
This is partly due to logistical advantages and the geographical proximity to the Antarctic Peninsula about 1, kilometres , the area of Antarctica that hosts the largest concentration of scientific research stations on the continent, and arguably the world. Punta Arenas is at the centre of a new ambitious development plan seeking to improve its infrastructure and generate new forms of Antarctic culture and identity in the Magallanes region.
These include a School Antarctic Fair, a unique initiative in which school students compete for a coveted trip to the frozen continent to work with scientists. Christchurch population , is a key gateway to the Antarctic as the logistics centre for a number of national programmes most importantly, for the United States, Italy and South Korea.
While it has yet to attract significant Antarctic tourism operations, Christchurch has arguably the most developed cultural sector of all Antarctic cities — perhaps only comparable to Hobart. In , the International Antarctic Centre — an education and outreach facility — was opened in a precinct that includes the passenger terminals of Christchurch Airport and the New Zealand Antarctic programme offices.
The nearby Observation Hill, or Ob Hill for short is used for viewing the surrounding landscape as it reveals quite a large chunk of the area. After a brief and damaging period during which the station was supplied with power from a nuclear reactor, they decided that diesel generators are less harmful and disengaged the reactor. Great Wall Station is a marvel of Chinese ingenuity and labor, as it was constructed in only 40 days in The Chinese expedition arrived on two ships, only one of them being an actual icebreaker.
They risked getting cut off from the sea, which is why they had to work almost 17 hours a day in order to complete the station in record time. Today, a monolith can be seen at the site of the research center, commemorating their perseverance and incredible success.
Due to its accessibility and good infrastructure, it was designated as the location of The German Antarctic Receiving Station that collects data from satellite-based sensors in the area. It was set up by the German Aerospace Center. Read more: Visiting Central America. Also known as Artigas Base, this research station is one of the only two centers that Uruguay claims for itself.
Uruguayans, unlike some other Antarctica people, have an innate respect for the environment and abide by all the treaties and regulations established in the past in order to protect the biodiversity of Antarctica. They excel in life sciences and studying how humans are affecting the local environment.
Their fleet consists of airplanes, helicopters, ship, and amphibian vehicles, enabled by National Defense Ministry who are in charge of logistics. What was originally a base under the command of the Chilean Army was passed on to Chilean Antarctica Institute in In its long history stretching all the way back to when it started off as a submarine base, Yelcho also had a period of inactivity from to With room for about 15 people, Yelcho Base is now used for various scientific purposes with its small team constantly working in the laboratories.
Quite understandably, the Australian Antarctic Division has also got camps of its own on the cold, cold continent. Casey Station, or just Casey amicably, used to belong to the US, however, Australia has taken it over after International Geophysical Year which ended in Unfortunately, the station was unusable at this point due to all the ice that has accumulated around the buildings.
Read more: Aurora Borealis in Norway. Nowadays, geologists and marine biologists use Casey as a staging ground for their research. The station is also used for observation and studies of climate change and how it is affecting widespread moss beds near Casey. All of these places of worship are of different Christian denominations, and you can find them in research bases and towns in Antarctica:.
Antarctica has its fair share of the human population and our civilization has already encroached on these snow-capped lands. Antarctica is not a foreign country to provide you with a potential exemption, so tough break. Sign in. Password recovery. And we very much hope you do. Fortunately for polar enthusiasts, there are no cities on the Antarctic continent — only stations.
Dozens of research stations, some year-round and others seasonal, operate in Antarctica under the guidance of around 30 individual countries. Altogether they staff anywhere from 1, to 4, people during winter and summer, respectively. The countries that run the stations are all signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, which provides a regulatory framework for their activities on the continent. This high-science, low-urban environment means city lovers will probably have an easier time finding a petri dish in Antarctica than a pizza delivery service.
Where there are no cities, what need of countries? As mentioned, Antarctica is home to numerous stations managed by dozens of nations around the globe. These entities claim the specific territories in which they operate, but no one country claims all of Antarctica. This, however, was not always the case. Several Antarctic regions and islands have been gathered under the banners of Spanish, British, Norwegian, American, German, Soviet, French, Chilean, Argentine governments over the years.
Attempts were made to reach an accord between these governments, but it was not until that the Antarctic Treaty was drafted in an attempt to avoid international conflict. When it went into effect in , it established Antarctica as a scientific preserve closed to all military activity.
Not an altogether terrible example for the rest of the world to follow. We mean the urban variety of capital, which as a geographic and not a political entity, Antarctica has no need of. How does this affect you, Antarctic traveler? In Antarctica, only the natural demarcations of water and earth — and a whole lot of ice — determine the real boundaries.
Not so with Antarctica.
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