SANAE IV

Research station · South Africa · year-round

SANAE IV is a station run by South Africa, established in 1962. It sits at 71°40'S 2°50'W, 2,038 km from the South Pole, and is staffed through the winter. At peak it holds 80 people. Through the winter it is the nearest human presence to 202,295 km² of ice — 18th of the 44 facilities that stay open. How far it is from anybody →

OperatorSouth Africa

TypeStation

SeasonalityYear-Round

StatusOpen

Established1962

Peak population80 people

Elevation850 m

RegionDronning Maud Land

Position71°40'S 2°50'W

Decimal-71.6729, -2.8403

Distance to pole2,038 km

Ice it is nearest to202,295 km² · 18th of 44

Nearest stations

Great-circle distance. Antarctic logistics run on proximity — these are the neighbours a station shares weather, flights and emergencies with.

Nearest penguin colonies

Known breeding sites within reach. Locations only — no counts. Estimating colony size from satellite imagery does not yet work, so this site publishes no abundance figures.

SANAE IV in Antarctic Polar Stereographic (EPSG:3031). Rings are 60°, 70° and 80°S.

Within 584 km. Orange dots are stations, blue are penguin colonies. North points at the pole.