Antarctic Territorial Claims

Currently there are seven claimant nations who maintain a Territorial Claim on eight territories in Antarctica . All claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty , which came into effect in 1961, although many maps continue to show the territorial claims.

Most other countries that have observation or study facilities in Antarctica have those facilities within their claimed territory. The Antarctic Treaty defers these claims and most other nations do not recognize them. No other nations have made claims themselves, although the United States , and Russia assert the right to do so. All claim areas except Peter I Island (see below) are sectors, the borders of which are defined by degrees of Longitude . In terms of Latitude , the northern border of all sectors, except the Norwegian, is the 60° S parallel that does not cut through any piece of land, continent or island, which is the northern limit of the Antarctic treaty. The southern border of all sectors, except the Norwegian, collapses in one point, the South Pole.

LIST OF ANTARCTIC TERRITORIES

The South Orkney Islands fall within the territory claimed by Argentina and United Kingdom; and the South Shetland Islands fall within the areas claimed by Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom.

Prior to 1962 , British Antarctic Territory was a dependancy of the Falkland Islands and also included South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands . The Antarctic areas became a separate Overseas Territory following the ratification of the Antarctic Treaty. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands remained a dependancy of the Falkland Islands until 1985 when they too became a separate overseas territory.

HISTORIC CLAIMS

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Antarctic Territorial Claims