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Seven sovereign states – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom – have made eight territorial claims in Antarctica.These countries have tended to place their Antarctic scientific observation and study facilities within their respective claimed territories; however, a number of such facilities are located outside of the area claimed by their ...
The main treaty was opened for signature on 1 December 1959, and officially entered into force on 23 June 1961. [4] The original signatories were the 12 countries active in Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–58: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. [1]
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km 2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
Each country asserts the border that would give it the much larger Halaib Triangle, to the east, which is adjacent to the Red Sea, with the side effect that Bir Tawil is unclaimed by either country (each claims the other owns it). Bir Tawil has no settled population, but the land is used by Bedouins who roam the area. [b]
Colonization of Antarctica is the establishing and maintaining of control over Antarctic land for exploitation and possibly settlement. [1]Antarctica was claimed by several states since the 16th century, culminating in a territorial competition in the first half of the 20th century when its interior was explored and the first Antarctic camps and bases were set up.
A map of the Antarctic region, including the Antarctic Convergence and the 60th parallel south The Antarctic Plate. The Antarctic (/ æ n ˈ t ɑːr t ɪ k,-k t ɪ k /, US also / æ n t ˈ ɑːr t ɪ k,-k t ɪ k /; commonly / æ ˈ n ɑːr t ɪ k /) [Note 1] is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole.
Country Southernmost point Latitude Antarctica: South Pole: 90°00′S: Antarctic Circle: 66°33′39"S South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (United Kingdom) Southern Thule: 59°42′S Chile: Águila Islet, Diego Ramírez Islands Cape Froward (mainland) 56°32′S 53°53′S Argentina: Southernmost point of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego
Four countries have no permanent presence in Antarctica, but have programs that are observers to COMNAP. [2] Only one country, Pakistan, maintains a national Antarctic program with no affiliation to COMNAP.