Antarctica

Cultural Attributes

Dates of Interest

• January 20th

  Although not an official holiday, Penguin Awareness Day aims to raise awareness about penguins and their conservation. It is observed globally, including by researchers and visitors in Antarctica, where several penguin species reside.

What is mealtime like in Antarctica?

What social values matter in Antarctica?

What should I know before going to Antarctica?

Historical Eras

Timeline of Key Events

1. 350 BCE

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   It was the ancient Greeks who first came up with the idea of Antarctica. They knew about the Arctic - named Arktos - The Bear, from the constellation the great bear and decided that in order to balance the world, there should be a similar cold Southern landmass that was the same but the opposite “Ant - Arktos” - opposite The Bear. They never actually went there, it was just a lucky guess!

2. 1773

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   In January, James Cook crosses the Antarctic circle and circumnavigates Antarctica, though he doesn't sight land, deposits of rock seen in icebergs showed that a southern continent exists. His comment - “I make bold to declare that the world will derive no benefit from it”.

3. 1819

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   Captain Thaddeus Bellingshausen a Russian naval officer in the Vostok and Mirny circumnavigates the Antarctic, first to cross the Antarctic circle since Cook. He made the first sighting of the continent, reaching 69? 21'S, 2? 14'W - describing an “icefield covered with small hillocks.” on Jan 27th 1820. For some considerable time, exactly who and when first set eyes on Antarctica were in dispute as British naval officers, William Smith and Edward Bransfield also saw Antarctica on Jan 30th the same year - followed by American sealer Nathaniel Palmer on Nov 16th. This was the first time a continent had truly been “discovered” (i.e. there weren't any native peoples living there who'd known about it for ages already). All sightings are of the Antarctic Peninsula.

4. 1821

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   First known landing by American sealer Capt. John Davis

5. 1899

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   Carsten Borchgrevink leads a British expedition that landed men at Cape Adare and built huts

6. 1902

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   Captain Scott, UK, leads his first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole, with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson. They are forced to turn back two months later having reached 82 degrees south, suffering from snow blindness and scurvy.

7. 1909

   http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/exploration%20and%20history.htm

   January, Australian Douglas Mawson reaches the South Magnetic Pole.

Religion

Population

Population

0

Population: Male/Female

no indigenous inhabitants, but staff is present at year-round and summer-only research stations

Country Identity

Country Name

Antarctica

Government Structure

Government Type

Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 26th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Madrid, Spain

Legal System

Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov

Executive Branch

Antarctica has no government in the traditional sense and therefore no executive branch, head of state, or head of government. The continent is not a sovereign nation and is not governed by any single country or international body with executive authority over the territory as a whole. Instead, Antarctica is administered through the Antarctic Treaty System, a multilateral framework that came into force on June 23, 1961. The original treaty was signed by 12 nations on December 1, 1959, and as of the most recent count, 56 countries are party to the agreement. Of these, 29 hold Consultative Party status, meaning they have the right to participate in decision-making at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, which are held annually and serve as the primary forum for governance of the continent. No permanent human population lives on Antarctica. The people present at any given time are scientists, support staff, and researchers stationed at national research facilities operated by individual member nations. Each of these stations falls under the jurisdiction of the country that operates it, rather than under any unified Antarctic authority. Seven nations — Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom — have made territorial claims to portions of Antarctica, some of which overlap. However, the Antarctic Treaty effectively freezes these claims; no new claims may be made, and existing claims are neither recognized nor denied under the treaty framework. The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, provides administrative support to the treaty system but holds no executive governmental power. Its role is logistical and organizational rather than legislative or executive. As a result, Antarctica remains one of the few places on Earth governed entirely through international cooperation rather than by a traditional executive authority, making it a unique case in the study of global governance.

Snapshot

Currency Name and Code

No universal currency

Banknotes

Energy

Oil Production

0 bbl/day

Natural Gas Reserves

0 cu m

Communications

Telephone System

General Assessment: Local systems at some research stations Domestic: Commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations International: Country code - none allocated; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) to and from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties

Internet Country Code

.aq