Considering the Economic Potential of Antarctica and the Situation of Iran

Antarctica is a vast land larger than Europe. Advancement of knowledge is the most important reason for presence of different countries in this region. Due to Iran's long-term vision, achieving scientific first place in the region, special attention to this continent is essential. Except for scientific purposes, other economic benefits followed by many countries in Antarctica, including fisheries, melting iceberg for fresh water supply, tourism development and exploitation of the region's mineral resources. These benefits, along with the development of science and technology should be done concerning environmental conservation.
Based on the experience of other countries in this continent, different levels of resource exploitation can be considered in Antarctica, some of them achieved by presence in the region and for others, additional investment is needed. For this purpose, we have used the economic comparative advantage index. The results of this study showed that being in Antarctica for Iran is economically justifiable thorough Research and Development (R&D) on oceanographic sciences. As a result, Iran should invest on research areas for long run to have better understanding of this region.