Antarctica (original) (raw)

Antarctica

1978: Proposed Flag (Whitney Smith)	1996: Proposed Flag (Graham Bartram)	2018: Proposed Flag (Evan Townsend)	Antarctic Treaty Secretariat Flag Adopted 20 Sep 2002

Antarctic Treaty � The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 Dec 1959 and entered into force on 23 Jun 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica. Administration is carried out through consultative member meetings.
Summary: Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments; a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains un-ratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 Oct 1991 and entered into force 14 Jan 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Antarctic Treaty Secretariat

Executive Secretaries of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat (in Buenos Aires, Argentina) 1 Sep 2004 - 31 Aug 2009 Johannes "Jan" Huber (b. 1947)
(The Netherlands)
1 Sep 2009 - 31 Aug 2017 Manfred Reinke (Germany) (b. 1952)
1 Sep 2017 - Albert Alexander Lluberas Bonaba
(Uruguay)

Antarctic Treaty membership (57)

Antarctic Territorial Claims

Argentina

Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and the Island of the South Atlantic (Tierra del Fuego, Ant�rctica y Islas del Atl�ntico Sur); includes Argentine claim, 74�W and 25�W; overlaps British and Chilean claims. Claimed: 8 Feb 1942

Australia

Australian Antarctic Territory Australian claim, 160�E to 142�E and 136�E to 45�E;
Claimed: 13 Jun 1933

Chile

Magellanes and Chilean Antarctica (Magallanes y Ant�rctica Chilena); includes Chilean claim, 53�W to 90�W; overlaps Argentine and British claims. Claimed: 6 Nov 1940

France

French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres Australes et Antarctiques Fran�aises) Adelie Land; includes French claim, 142�E to 136�W. Claimed: 21 Nov 1924

New Zealand

New Zealand Antarctic Territory (Ross Dependency) New Zealand claim, 160�E to 150�W. Claimed: 30 Jul 1923

Norway

Norwegian Antarctic Territory (Dronning Maud Land) Queen Maud Land; Norwegian claim, 45�E to 20�E with Peter I Island. Claimed: 14 Jan 1938

United Kingdom

British Antarctic Territories (Graham Land) British claim, 20� W and 80�W; Argentine and Chilean claims overlap. Claimed: 21 Jul 1908

Unofficial Claims

Brazil

Brazilian Antarctica (Ant�rtida Brasileira) proposed claim, 28�W to 53�W south of 60�; zone overlaps Argentine, British and Chilean claims. Zone of Interest first proposed: 1986

Germany

New Swabia Land (Neu-Schwabenland) area explored 20�E to 10�W, overlaps Norwegian claim. Area was not formally claimed by Germany. Explored: 19 Jan - 6 Feb 1939

South Africa

South African Antarctica South African unverified claim: 1963 - 1993?

Spain (Castile)

Governorate of the Southern Land (Gobernaci�n de la Terra Australis) nominally covered Tierra del Fuego, which was considered part of the continent of Terra Australis (Antarctica) and all the territories from the south of the Strait of Magellan. Spain (Castile) Nominal claim: 1539-1555.

Uruguay

Uruguayan Antarctica (Ant�rtida Uruguaya), coordinates 0�W 25�W, overlapping with the Norwegian and British claims. Uruguay Proposed claim: 1973

Antarctica International Disputes: The Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in Government type entry); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and U.K.; Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are not accepted by other countries; 22 of 29 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory, although Russia and the U.S. have reserved the right to do so (and do not recognize the claims of the other nations), and no country can make a new claim; no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; the International Whaling Commission created a sanctuary around the entire continent to deter catches by countries claiming to conduct scientific whaling; Australia has established a similar preserve in the waters around its territorial claim.

� Ben Cahoon