Nations around the world started claiming large chunks of Antarctica for whaling purposes.On the Peninsula itself the countries of Argentina, Great Britain, and Chile have intersecting claims.Other countries that have claims to this area include France, New Zealand, Norway and Australia.

The greatest example of nationalism came in 1940 when planes were sent by Nazi Germany to drop stakes with the swastika symbol carved on them over vast areas of Antarctica to allege ownership by the Third Reich.Antarctica sat largely unnoticed as the global war raged, followed by the Cold War, and only the whalers, continuing their predatory ways, ventured to this icy continent.Interest in Antarctica waned until the late 1950’s when certain events allowed scientists to observe the effect of solar radiation on Earth.

The celestial event was the peak of sunspot activity in 1957-1958. This International Geophysical Year is marked by increased interest by scientist and governments around the globe exploring Antarctica because of its one of a kind view of the southern hole in the Earth’s magnetic field. The wanted to be able to see how the barrage of solar radiation affected the continent.Scientists representing 67 different countries arrived to encircle the continent and establish their bases.Based on the success of their cooperative efforts, negotiations took place to create the Antarctic Treaty - which became one of the most extraordinary international agreements the world has seen.antarctica travel brochure

The treaty was fully enforced in 1959 and it was agreed by all signing countries that Antarctica would not be used for any wartime efforts.Nuclear testing/explosions were banned as well as any radioactive waste being dumped there.The only reason military activities were to be allowed on the continent was in the logistic support of science.Previous land claims were not addressed as a part of this treaty.

Although the Cold War wasn’t widely known as a time of cooperation, the superpowers dropped all claims, and ignored those of their ally nations, but made known their belief that their claim would still be valid at some future time.In one fell swoop, no country could stake any more claims to the continent.antarctic travel

All this changed in the 1960’s and 1970’s as the presence of oil, gas, and minerals believed to be on the continent, brought governments and industry searching for these resources.Soon, there were national bases all over the surrounding islands and the peninsula; at its most prolific, Antarctica is home to 5,000 people - only in the summer, and only in the science stations that are based all around the peninsula and islands.

By the end of the 1970s, bases from the US, Soviet Union, Britain, Italy and others propped up on King George Island, followed by more bases from China and South Korea in the 80’s, among others.Though they were there for ostensibly scientific purposes, their actions were not unlike the Nazi stake dropping in that they wanted to stake political claim.These bases essentially served as notices of the “squatting rights” of these nations.

However, by the 1980s the political mentality had begun to turn away from exploitation and in the direction of scientific exploration.In a manner similar to declaring the oceans international territory, the Antarctic has become a shared continent.The Halley Bay base in Antarctica, a British-run facility, showed us the first glimpses of the ozone layer depletion we were doing to the earth, increasing UV exposure exponentially.

In 1987, this discovery spurred an international decree that the end of the 20th century would see the end of chemical usage that damaged the ozone.This put Antarctica back on the map because the scientific research conducted at this location on Earth gave people a better view of how industry was changing Earth structurally and physically.It was also in the 1980’s that the disgust for whaling reached its highest point. It was also during this time that the Green movement of the world supported using Antarctica as a world park.

The same countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty, decided to disallow the removal of natural resources such as gas and oil from Antarctica for the next 50 years, and possibly longer. They also decided to make environmental issues equal to scientific issues.Antarctica is now acting as a guide to the human race, teaching them about the damage that can be done through industrial endeavors, and how to avoid environmental destruction in the future.