TEAM WORLDWONDERINGS:-Hello, friends Antarctica is the only continent which isn’t a country, doesn’t have a government, nor any indigenous tribals living their for ages. One of the most obvious reasons is that it is the coldest continent in the world. The temperate can go as low as -89°C, Additionally, it is also the windiest place on Earth.
With snowstorms at a speed of 300 km/hr. It can blind you. Antarctica is also the world’s driest continent. To the extent that you might be surprised to know that it is considered a desert. There’s only around 51mm of rain here, and even when it rains, it turns into snow before reaching the ground.
Antarctica is the only place on Earth with little to no influence of humans. But it doesn’t mean that countries all across the world haven’t tried to take over Antarctica. Look at this map. France claims this part of Antarctica, Norway claims this part, Australia lays its claim on the entire part on the right side.
Understanding Sovereignty in Antarctica: Who Controls the Ice?
Countries like Britain, Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand claim various parts of Antarctica. So is Antarctica truly divided among these countries? In today’s video, let’s get to know the interesting geopolitics and history of Antarctica. “Antarctica. a composite portrait of a continent which has challenged man since first he can sail beyond the limits of his horizon.
” “The Antarctic Continent is surrounded by frozen seas. The South, the bottom of the world, is considerably colder than the top of the world.” “Missions to study the weird wonders of the Antarctic.” “For the song of Antarctica’s secrets is but one piece in the greater puzzle that challenges man on all corners of the universe.
” Let’s begin our story right at the beginning. It was around 350 BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle, was among the first people to say that the Earth was spherical. At the time, the Greeks were aware of the Arctic regions in the North. They had named it the Arctos. The word ‘Arctos’ was derived from the bear.
The Antarctic Treaty: A Pillar of Peace and Science
The constellations that we can see in the sky, one of them is of the Great Bear, they were inspired by that constellation and named the Arctic region, Arctos. Because they knew that the Earth is spherical, they knew that the North and South are like mirror images and would have similar features. So they named the unknown southern region Antarctos.
It meant antithetical to the bear. The opposite of Arctos. And from here, the name Antarctic was derived. Humans stepped on Antarctica for the first time during the 1890s, but hundreds of years before that, Antarctica had started appearing on maps. When several explores went on expeditions around the world, they knew that if they went to the South of the world, they come upon some land.
But they didn’t know what was on the land exactly. Or how big it is. This is why when the French explorers, made the world map in the year 1530, they had drawn Antarctica. Look at this map. The Northern Hemisphere is depicted on the left side. And the Southern hemisphere on the right side. The largest land mass in the middle of the Southern hemisphere was named It literally meant Unknown Southern Land.
Beyond Territorial Claims: International Collaboration
About 200 years later, in 1773, British Naval officer James Cook became the first person to go to the South of the Antarctic Circle. He was about 130 km farther from Antarctica, when he turned his ship around. Even though he hadn’t seen Antarctica, he had seen icebergs with rock deposits on them. When he saw those rocks, he concluded that Terra Australis does exist.
But going much closer to Antarctica was so dangerous, that he had famously said, He was so sure that no one could reach Antarctica, because the place was so perilous. With strong winds blowing and the ship at danger of hitting icebergs at any moment. But his words were proven wrong 50 years later. It is quite controversial as to who was the first person to step on Antarctica.
Because several people claim to have been the first person. British-American Captain John Davis believed that he was the first person to do so, because his ship was lost and he reached Antarctica. The first undisputed landing was in 1895, when a Norwegian ship called the Antarctic, reached its shores. 6-7 members of the crew of this ship got into a small boat and went on to the land.
Preserving the Legacy: Antarctica for Future Generations
when several countries tried to lay claim on Antarctica. between 1908 and 1942, 7 countries claimed sovereignty over this continent. Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. Apart from them, there were countries the USA, the Soviet Union, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, and Germany, who were conducting explorations conducting new expeditions on Antarctica, without claiming any territory.
It is a political territory where several countries have come together to collaborate, and divided power among them equally. But Antarctica doesn’t have any police force, no army, and no legal system. The loopholes of this Treaty can be seen being exploited even now. For tourism, tourists can go to the British station in Antarctica named the Port Lockroy, and can get their passports stamped there.
Even in the territories of Chile and Argentina, tourists can get their passports stamped. It is another way through which these countries, express their claims. What do you think, friends? What should be Antarctica’s future? Should things continue as they are? Countries collaborating together, not allowed to do mining and drilling, and people can be allowed to go there for scientific research or tourism.