# I want to homestead in Antarctica. Will I face any legal issues? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957 "2012-03-16T12:59:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/1 "2012-03-16T12:59:17Z")
(No, I don’t really intend to, it’s just a hypothetical.) I’m your friendly neighborhood eccentric multi-billionaire. I want nothing more than to have fun plunging millions and millions into trying to homestead in the frozen continent, Antarctica, and run penguin races for my rich and eccentric friends. There are plenty of threads on the SD and elsewhere about the state of criminal law in Antarctica. Suffice it to say, I will not be renouncing my US citizenship and am OK with at least some measure of US law still applying, such as requirements to file income tax returns. What legal issues am I going to face just attempting to settle? Could I get put into Ice Jail for not having the right permits from who knows what country? If I homestead too close to a research base, are they going to be able to use the force of law to get me to move along? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/2 "2012-03-16T13:17:25Z")
Be sure you pay attention to the zoning and housing codes. Don’t let your lawn grow too long or get brown. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/3 "2012-03-16T13:34:24Z")
I read this as “I want to be molested in Antarctica”. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/4 "2012-03-16T13:42:00Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I read this as “I want to be molested in Antarctica”. That’s some strange type of dyslexia you’ve got there to mangle “homestead’ into " be molested”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/5 "2012-03-16T13:49:25Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > That’s some strange type of dyslexia you’ve got there to mangle “homestead’ into " be molested”. It was the vertical proximity of the letters in “robert\_columbia” that kinda jumbled it up when I scanned New Posts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/6 "2012-03-16T13:51:26Z")
The [Antarctic Treaty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System) has very little to say on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/7 "2012-03-16T14:08:34Z")
Basically, each country is responsible for their assigned area of the continent, and except for limited scientific bases, they will allow no settlement or commercial development. So pick a zone that belongs to a country where you can afford to bribe the generalissimo enough that he can ignore the heat from almost every other country with an interest in the Antarctic, and most of the Greenpeace-like berg-huggers too. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/8 "2012-03-16T14:12:15Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What legal issues am I going to face just attempting to settle? Unless you’re there purely as a US-sanctioned researcher, and stick to the US territory, you won’t be allowed to stay at all. So unless your “homestead” doubles as an official lab, you aren’t going to be allowed to set up anywhere. The Antarctic Treaty reserves Antarctica for scientific purposes, and this is fairly closely monitored. > [@](#): > > Could I get put into Ice Jail for not having the right permits from who knows what country? Doing _anything_ in Antarctica requires an EIA. Failure to do so is a violation of the Madrid Protocol and since it’s in the interest of the various signatories to police each other, you won’t be allowed to get away with not having done one, even if you stick to just US territory. > [@](#): > > If I homestead too close to a research base, are they going to be able to use the force of law to get me to move along? Yes. Remember, also, most of the bases have a substantial military staffing component - for _ahem_ research purposes, of course. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/9 "2012-03-16T14:13:38Z")
[![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic_Region.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic_Region.png) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/10 "2012-03-16T14:14:09Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Basically, each country is responsible for their assigned area of the continent, and except for limited scientific bases, they will allow no settlement or commercial development. So pick a zone that belongs to a country where you can afford to bribe the generalissimo enough that he can ignore the heat from almost every other country with an interest in the Antarctic, and most of the Greenpeace-like berg-huggers too. Antarctic treaty signatories have full access rights to each other’s bases for compliance checking. There’s no hiding. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/11 "2012-03-16T14:18:10Z")
If you’re that rich, just build a damn research station with attached grecian villa, bunny groto, and penguin racetrack. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/12 "2012-03-16T14:23:39Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Basically, each country is responsible for their assigned area of the continent, and except for limited scientific bases, they will allow no settlement or commercial development. So pick a zone that belongs to a country where you can afford to bribe the generalissimo enough that he can ignore the heat from almost every other country with an interest in the Antarctic, and most of the Greenpeace-like berg-huggers too. Or pick a zone that hasn’t (yet) been claimed. The map you yourself posted shows many areas without any claim. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/13 "2012-03-16T14:43:02Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Or pick a zone that hasn’t (yet) been claimed. The map you yourself posted shows many areas without any claim. As a (presumably) U.S. citizen, claiming virgin Antarctic territory’s going to cause a diplomatic incident of note. America claims no territory and doesn’t recognise other territorial claims (as it should be, IMO) “No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force” ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/14 "2012-03-16T15:17:04Z")
Not only will other countries not allow you to be there, there is the problem of supply. With the big boys leaning on them, very few countries in the neigbourhood or even in the rest of the wrold will allow you to load up a ship and sail south. I hope you brought a lot of supplies; and enough firepower to repel the military police of several countries acting jointly. If Argentian does not want Chile or Britain starting a colony (and vice versa) for example, none of the above will allow some generic Joe Schmoe to set up his own base anywhere, especially outside the claimed zones. Nobody’s going to just ignore him. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/15 "2012-03-16T15:29:48Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > As a (presumably) U.S. citizen, claiming virgin Antarctic territory’s going to cause a diplomatic incident of note. I think a diplomatic incident may arise regardless of the citizenship of the homesteader. You think no one is going to complain to his government just because his country isn’t a signatory to the treaty? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/16 "2012-03-16T17:04:56Z")
I’d say your best bet is to fund one of the labs, then make a lot of “Quality Assurance” visits. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/17 "2012-03-16T17:14:53Z")
See the big portion in the bottom left of this image: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic_Region.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic_Region.png) > **[Marie Byrd Land](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Byrd_Land)** > > Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of 1,610,000 km2 (620,000 sq mi), it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth. It was named after the wife of American naval officer Richard E. Byrd, who explored the region in the early 20th century. > The territory lies in West Antarctica, east of the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and south of the Pacific Ocean portion of the Antarctic or Southern Ocean, extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of th... That’s Marie Byrd Land which is the most remote region of Antartica and not claimed by anyone (according to the Antarctic treaty). If an eccentric billionaire setup a home there I think the reality is no one knows what would happen. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/18 "2012-03-16T17:49:54Z")
But where is the USA on that map? I thought we had the biggest chunk? ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/19 "2012-03-16T17:56:33Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > See the big portion in the bottom left of this image: > [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic\_Region.png](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Antarctic_Region.png) > > [Marie Byrd Land - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Byrd_Land) > > That’s Marie Byrd Land which is the most remote region of Antartica and not claimed by anyone (according to the Antarctic treaty). If an eccentric billionaire setup a home there I think the reality is no one knows what would happen. I doubt that, bringing all the building supplies, workmen, food, space heaters, rentboys, and cat food (for my genetically engineered cats) to such a remote region will go unnoticed. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957/20 "2012-03-16T17:57:20Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > But where is the USA on that map? I thought we had the biggest chunk? If you believe Wiki, [the U.S. and Russia reserve the right to make a claim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_claims_in_Antarctica#Possible_future_claims), but have not (yet) done so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-homestead-in-antarctica-will-i-face-any-legal-issues/615957.md?page=2)