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Antarctica contains research stations and field camps that are staffed seasonally or year-round, and formerwhaling settlements.[1] Approximately 12 nations, all signatory to theAntarctic Treaty, send personnel to perform seasonal (summer) or year-round research on the continent and in its surrounding oceans. There are also two official civilian settlements:Villa Las Estrellas inBase Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva operated byChile, andFortín Sargento Cabral inEsperanza Base operated byArgentina.
The population of people doing and supporting scientific research on the continent and its nearby islands south of60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty)[2] 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. The largest station,McMurdo Station, has a summer population of about 1,000 people and a winter population of about 200.[3]
At least 11 children have been born in Antarctica.[4] The first wasEmilio Marcos Palma, born on 7 January 1978 toArgentine parents atEsperanza, Hope Bay, near the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.[5] The first girl born on the Antarctic continent was Marisa De Las Nieves Delgado, born on 27 May 1978. The birth occurred at Fortín Sargento Cabral, Base Esperanza (Argentine Army).[6][7]
Solveig Gunbjørg Jacobsen ofNorway, born in the island territory ofSouth Georgia on 8 October 1913, was the first person born and raised in theAntarctic (the world region south of theAntarctic Convergence).[8] The first human born in the wider Antarctic region was theAustralianJames Kerguelen Robinson, born in theKerguelen Islands on 11 March 1859.[9]
| Parents country | Name | Birthday | Sex | Place of birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Emilo Marcus Palma | January 7, 1978 | M | Esperanza Base |
| Marisa De Las Nieves Delgado | May 27, 1978 | F | ||
| Ruben Eduardo de Carli | September 21, 1979 | M | ||
| Francisco Javier Sosa | October 11, 1979 | M | ||
| Silvina Analia Arnouil | January 14, 1980 | F | ||
| Jose Manuel Valdares Solis | January 24, 1980 | M | ||
| Lucas Daniel Posse | February 4, 1980 | M | ||
| Maria sol Cosenza | May 3, 1983 | F | ||
| Chile | Juan Pablo Camacho | November 21, 1984 | M | Villa Las Estrellas,Eduardo Frei Montalva |
| Gisella Ester Cortés Rojas | December 2, 1984 | F | ||
| Ignacio Alfonso Miranda Lagunas | January 23, 1985 | M |
English, Spanish, and Russian are the most widely spoken languages spoken in Antarctica. Spanish is dominant among South American launchpads of Argentina and Chile for Antarctic voyages. While Spanish is spoken especially among Argentinian, Chilean, and other Spanish-speaking research stations, English is the most widely used language. This is due to the large representation of English-speaking countries and the fact that English has become the de facto language of scientific research in the region.Antarctic English, a distinct variety of theEnglish language, has been found to be spoken by people living on Antarctica and thesubantarctic islands.[12]
