Continents / Antarctica / Economy

Economy

There is no economic activity in Antarctica outside fishing off the coast and small-scale tourism.

Although coal, hydrocarbons, iron ore, platinum, copper, chromium, nickel, gold and other minerals have been discovered in Antarctica, they are not present in sufficient quantities to enable profitable exploitation. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty of 1991 also limits any activity linked to natural resources. In 1998, an agreement resulted in the ban, for an unlimited period, from exploiting the mineral resources of this continent. This consensus, which will be reviewed in 2048, further limits the development and economic exploitation of the continent.