Why do people choose to live in Antarctica?

Answer 1

It has been said that people who live and work temporarily in Antarctica are either mercenaries or missionaries.

Mercenaries look for financial opportunities. Since there is no where to spend money on the continent, the salaries earned can simply build up in bank accounts.

Missionaries seek to understand the passion so that they can educate others about this marvelous, exotic, extreme place on planet earth.

Answer 2

Land in the Arctic is accessible by humans; land in Antarctica is only accessible by (reinforced, ice-worthy) boat, and only for part of the year, since the continent doubles in size based on freezing sea ice, during the winter months.

There's nothing on the Antarctic continent that will support human life; no trees, no soil or growing season, and no animals.

(Animals come to the Antarctic continent to breed, but do not live on the continent.)

Answer 3

People are hired to live and work in Antarctica, and the choice may be between being a 'missionary' -- loving the earth and learning about the science of its health, or being a 'mercenary' -- working there simply for the money.

Answer 4

Every person who lives on the Antarctic continent lives in a research station, because these communities are the only places that support human life.

There are no cities on the continent, no national infrastructure and no life-sustaining landscapes on Antarctica.

Answer 5

Most people live and work in Antarctica to promote knowledge of the continent and it's future potential. Some are there mainly so their country can have a share in it's potential mineral wealth.

Answer 6

People live in Antarctica temporarily, because they work for their governments in pursuit of science.

Answer 7

Many people, including the Inuit, Inupiat, and Yupik peoples, are native to the Arctic. The Antarctic is uninhabitable because of its extreme cold.

Answer 8

The citizen population of Antarctica is zero (0). Antarctica houses only scientists studying various things on the continent for short periods of time.