Antarctica is such an attractive piece of land that an invisible struggle has been going on over it among many countries since the 20th century. Argentina, Chile, Great Britain and other states have laid claim to it.
The answer seems obvious — yes, because the continent has eternal winter with fierce frosts and it is impossible to live there. Who needs such land? In reality, Antarctica is such an attractive piece of land that an invisible struggle has been going on over it among many countries since the 20th century. The continent was discovered in the 19th century by an expedition led by Fabian Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, and some countries later used this fact to justify their own interests in the region.
But Argentina and Chile thought otherwise and were among the first to announce their claims to Antarctica to the world. These countries wanted to recognize the continent as theirs on the grounds that it is located closest to their territories. It even went so far that Argentina sent a pregnant woman there in the late stages of pregnancy. The child born in the eternal permafrost (fortunately, everything went well) became the first person to be born on this continent. And since the baby is a citizen of Argentina, the land should now go to it — the country’s authorities were convinced.
But Chile outplayed them and made a knight’s move. Representatives of this state declared that they had managed not only to give birth, but also to conceive and carry a child in Antarctica. It gets even more interesting…
We divided an orange
Great Britain acted quietly. Without any tricks, the United Kingdom simply chose a part of the continent and declared it its own. Well, it wanted to — and that was that. The example proved contagious: Australia, New Zealand, Norway, France followed suit. Enterprising Chile and Argentina joined them. At first the division went smoothly, but then it turned out that the chosen territories “overlapped” between countries. A conflict began to brew, threatening to move from disputes behind the scenes to the arena of military clashes.
A peaceful solution was reached thanks to the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed by 12 countries in 1959. And although none of the countries that claimed Antarctica renounced their demands, the document clearly defined what can and cannot be done on the continent.
Only peaceful activities can be conducted in Antarctica: scientific research and tourism. The creation of military bases, testing of any type of weapon, and disposal of radioactive waste are all prohibited.
Today, about 100 research stations from 30 countries operate on the continent. The “Akademik Vernadsky” station deserves special attention — the only Ukrainian Antarctic station, founded in 1996, which is a modern complex with the necessary conditions for scientists.
Beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet lie unique subglacial lakes with fresh water, including Lake Vostok, which required drilling a borehole more than 3.7 km deep.
A trip to Antarctica with a spa and jacuzzi
Despite the harsh climate, tourism is developed in Antarctica. Travelers reach the continent on expedition vessels. Cruises start from the Argentine city of Ushuaia. Tour programs include “safaris” on boats and kayaks among icebergs, whale watching, walks with penguins and, for the most daring, polar swimming.
If the budget allows, you can go on a cruise on a liner with conditions and service like a five-star hotel — with a spa center and an open-air jacuzzi.
The cost of tours to Antarctica starts from 10,000 USD per person. Medical insurance and an international flight to Buenos Aires and back are paid separately — that’s about another 2,000 USD.
But a journey during which you can see the southern lights, whales swimming a couple of meters away, and noisy but so cute penguins will definitely pay for all the expenses and be remembered for a lifetime!
The tourist season in Antarctica lasts from November to March, when summer comes on the continent. The temperature at this time in the region where travelers are usually brought ranges from −2 °C to +5 °C. On the “hottest” days it reaches +10 °C.
New disputes over the fate of the continent
Climate change in Antarctica has led to new diplomatic disputes between countries. After the melting of glaciers, land is exposed on the continent that may contain deposits of valuable metals and elements. But from the Madrid Protocol, adopted in 1991, it follows that mining in Antarctica is prohibited. The ban on the development and exploitation of natural resources is in effect until 2048.
The Antarctic Treaty states that all decisions regarding the continent are discussed and adopted at consultative meetings held by its participants. Today, 58 countries are part of it, 29 of them have consultative status and participate in voting, the remaining 29 are non-consultative parties and do not make decisions .
In 2022, a serious incident occurred at such a meeting. During the speech of a representative of Russia, participants from 25 countries demonstratively stood up and left the hall in protest. The situation repeated at the meeting a year later. In response, Russia and China at the meetings began to reject and block decisions requiring consensus to create new protected areas in the Southern Ocean…
Your opinion: who should Antarctica belong to? Or should it remain a global heritage? Tell us in the comments.
