Life in the arcologies of the South Polar Confederation is harsh by the standards of civilized society in the wider world. The frigid temperatures, frequent snow fall and ice storms make for a uniquly unpleasant experience for anyone who has to work outside. Consequently Antarcticans wear multiple layers of protective and heated clothing even while inside the arcologies, stations and watch and outposts. Snow blindness is also a feature that must be guarded against by special protective vision devices.
South Polar architecture is heavily influenced by the need to retain heat, maintain breathable levels of oxygen, circulate both warm and cold air often in completely sealed environments (both above and below ground or within or beneath glaciers) and resist the extremely low temperatures and/or being crushed by accumulating ice or snow. Surface buildings take the form of circlular domes, quonset huts or triangular frames designed to shed snow, sleet and freezing rain. All building, both inside an arcology and outside, are made as self-sufficient as possible as physical isolation from even nearby neighbours is not uncommon. Antarctican habitats, installations of all sorts and research stations are often widely scattered over the continent.
All inhabitants of the South Polar Confederation are highly educated in both arctic survival skills and a broad selection of scientific, technocratic or industrial skills, all of which are essential to life and the long term development of Antarctica. Each arcology has training schools to advance such skills the citizens already have or wish to acquire if they don't have them. Emphasis since the scientific colony's earliest days have been on cross-training as an essential part of everyday life, to make sure all tasks or assignments are accomplished and all gaps either the work or research force are filled without fuss or delay.
Ethnical, while a large number of Antarcticans are drawn from the British Empire and in particular the British Isles, a special emphasis has been upon finding people who are already used to challenging climatic conditions especially dealing with extreme cold, ice and snow: peoples from British North America (both British or European immigrants and the native aboriginal populations, typically the more northern based First Nations, Métis and Inuit), the Northwest Frontier of British India, the Scandinavian countries and islands (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) and Russian provinces of Finland and Siberia are the most common.
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