However, in Antarctica, taking anything is banned. This includes rocks, feathers, bones, eggs and any kind of biological material including traces of soil. Taking anything man-made is also completely banned, as some might actually be research equipment.
The people who travel to or live in Antarctica fall into two main groups, those who live and work on scientific research stations or bases, and tourists. No-one lives in Antarctica indefinitely in the way that they do in the rest of the world. It has no commercial industries, no towns or cities, no permanent residents.
Since no country owns Antarctica, no visa is required. However, the countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty's Protocol on Environment Protection require that visitors from those countries (including the USA, Canada, EU and Australia) need permission. This is nearly always through tour operators.
No one country owns Antarctica, instead it is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) which sees a number of countries running the continent as a condominium.
On 13th December 2020, the sixteenth edition of the Antarctic Ice Marathon ® is scheduled to take place at 80 Degrees South, just a few hundred miles from the South Pole at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains.
For anyone planning to fly to/ from Antarctica, the town of Punta Arenas in southern Chile is the main departure point for all: Charter flights to King George Island, South Shetland Islands (flying time = 2 hours). This is the only commercial airfield servicing the Antarctic Peninsula for visitors.
The islands have been claimed by the United Kingdom since 1908 and as part of the British Antarctic Territory since 1962. They are also claimed by the governments of Chile (since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province) and by Argentina (since 1943, as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province).
Antarctica is a continent but not a country. The land is managed under the Antarctic Treaty, originally signed in 1959 by the 12 countries involved in scientific studies on the continent at that time. It now includes 48 countries from around the world.
They have a total area of about 620 square kilometres (240 sq mi). The islands are claimed both by Britain (as part of the British Antarctic Territory since 1962, previously as a Falkland Islands Dependency), and by Argentina as part of Argentine Antarctica.
The islands have been claimed by the United Kingdom since 1908 and as part of the British Antarctic Territory since 1962. They are also claimed by the governments of Chile (since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province) and by Argentina (since 1943, as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province).
Settled by Norse invaders in the 9th century, Scotland sezied the islands in 1472. Fishing and livestock are important, and the islands are famous for Shetland ponies. The region is also noted for its woollen clothing. More recently, oil and tourism have become major industries.
