LocationSouth of 60º latitude.
Area13,661,000 sq km (5,274,126 sq miles).
TimeStrictly speaking, Antarctica operates on GMT + 0 time, but bases and stations in Antarctica tend to keep the time of their home territory.
Recent HistoryThe main human activity undertaken in Antarctica is scientific research, and it was at the British Halley research station that the hole in the ozone layer was discovered in 1985.
The constitutional position of Antarctica is governed by the terms of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 (which came into
effect in 1961), which was signed initially by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, the UK, Belgium, Japan, South Africa, the USA and Russia. The first seven of these countries have historic claims to the ice-bound continent (none of which were - or are - generally recognized) and the Treaty preserves the status quo, neither recognizing nor repudiating the old claims, but forbidding their expansion in any way. The terms of the Treaty also forbid, absolutely, the assertion of new claims. The Treaty applies to all land and ice shelves below 60º south.
The discovery in 1985 by the British Antarctic Survey of a ‘hole' in the ozone layer of the Earth's atmosphere did more than perhaps any other event, bar nuclear accidents, to bring ecology to prominence in the international political agenda. The Antarctic Treaty made no provision for mineral exploitation and in November 1988, an Antarctic Minerals Convention was carefully instigated. This was intended to regulate but not directly prevent the extraction of minerals, and caused much protest from environmental lobbyists. Several nations, led by Australia and France, declined to ratify the Convention. Ten years later, an agreement was reached which placed an indefinite ban on mining, further limiting economic development and exploitation. It is due to be reviewed in 2048.
As a result, in 1991, the Antarctic Treaty nations agreed to add the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty, which bans mining and provides for a fully comprehensive regime of environmental protection. The Protocol entered into force in 1998 after ratification by each of the 26 Antarctic Treaty nations.
In May 1994, the International Whaling Commission agreed to the creation of a whale sanctuary around Antarctica below 40º south.
In May 1997, it was suggested by the World Meteorological Organization that the long-term outlook for the ozone layer over the Antarctic was improving. It will take some years for this to be conclusively proved, however. Even depending on a significant reduction of CFCs and other harmful emissions, it is unlikely that the hole will repair itself permanently (if, indeed, it does at all) before 2060 at the earliest.
Scientists from many nations collaborate on research projects in Antarctica. Every summer about 5,000 of them travel to the continent to obtain vital information on the Earth's ecosystem. Antarctica's ice and sediment cores provide insights into how the world's climatic system functioned in the past. Studies of the Antarctic ice sheet help predict future sea levels, knowledge of which is crucial to our future given that 50% of the world's population lives in coastal areas. Information on the break up of continents and the interaction between the Sun's wind and the outer limits of the Earth's atmosphere can also be gained from studies here.
Studies in Antarctica have hinted at the possibility of life in space. More than 70 lakes lie far beneath the continent and there is evidence that the waters of one of them, Lake Vostok, contain microbial life. The lake shares a number of similarities with Europa (Jupiter's moon), breathing life into the argument that there could be life on Europa. Further experiments, embarked on in early 2008, could back up this line of thinking.
Contact Information:British Antarctic Survey in the UKHigh Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
Tel: (01223) 221 400.
Website:
www.antarctica.ac.uk International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators in the USAPO Box 2178, Basalt, CO 81621, USA
Tel: (970) 704 1047.
Website:
www.iaato.org
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