Antarctica Political History
Antarctica is a 5,405,000 square mile land mass situated directly upon and around the south pole.
| Antarctica Resources Southern Oceans Fisheries West Antarctic Ice Sheet Antarctica and Climate Change |
The principle political controversy in Antarctica deals with the issue of sovereignty. Who has the legal right to administer or govern this ice covered land? Throughout the twentieth century, various claims to Antarctic territory were registered by states sponsering expeditions to the continent. Prior to the negotiation of the Antarctic Treaty, seven states -- Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom --registered territorial claims. Three of the claimants' territorial boundaries overlap (Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom). Here's a great political map of the Antarctic Region detailing the claims.
Conflict among claimants came next, especially between the UK and Argentina. After World World II, the United States responded to the issue by extending invitations to select interested parties to discuss the legal status of Antarctica. This invitation was turned down by many of the parties for different reasons. Accompanying the invitation, was a United States suggestion that the area be governed under a condominium agreement, proposing that the question of individual state sovereignty be relinquished by all interested parties in favor of a collective sovereignty arrangement. In addition, the Soviet Union was excluded from the original list of participants. Under the leadership of Stalin, the Soviet government sent a note to all the recipients of the original invitation stating that any settlement of the Antarctic question required Soviet acquiescence.
The second attempt at political co-operation followed in the wake of scientific cooperation on the continent. The International Geophysical Year (IGY) was a title given to the work accomplished by a consortium of scientists, including Soviet, in Antarctica in 1956-1957. After this work was successfully completed, the United States suggested another attempt at a political solution. On May 2, 1958, invitations to an Antarctic conference were sent to, and accepted by eleven states, including the Soviet Union. The invitation was more open ended than the previous one because it contained no specific legal framework as a negotiation starting point. That would be left up to the participants. Poland was the only state requesting an invitation that did not receive one.
During the preparatory meetings (1958-1959) the participants discussed agenda items, voting procedure and the types of issues subject to negotiation. Formal bargaining commenced in Washington D.C. on October 15, 1959. The Antarctic Treaty entered into force June 23, 1961. In legal form, the treaty is a comparatively brief (12 article) international agreement focusing on military, conservation and scientific cooperation in Antarctica. Treaty jurisdiction covers the entire continent, including islands and ice shelves from south 60 latitude south to the pole. The potentially explosive issue of sovereignty is frozen in time while the treaty is in force. All participants agree that no old sovereignty claims will be dismissed nor will any new claims be accepted.
© 2001. Patricia A. Michaels