Dozens of research stations, some year-round and others seasonal, operate in Antarctica under the guidance of around 30 individual countries. These stations include Esperanza, McMurdo, Cámara, Neumayer II and III, and Orcadas, to name only a few. Altogether they staff anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 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.