World

The Antarctic Free City Experiment

Twenty-two nations, one treaty exemption.

By Sarah Chen·Friday, May 29, 2026·5 min read

Construction has begun on a planned settlement on the Antarctic Peninsula under a treaty exemption negotiated over four years by twenty-two nations.

The settlement, named Meridian, is a civic experiment.

About the correspondent

Sarah Chen

World

World Affairs Editor. Foreign desk lead covering compute geopolitics and emerging blocs.

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