Historical Account Of Antarctica

Nations around the world started claiming large chunks of Antarctica for whaling purposes. The Peninsula is home to claims from Chile, Britain and Argentina. Claims to Antarctica have also been declared by New Zealand,, France, and Norway.

In 1940, Nazi Germany claimed their own piece of the pie by dropping swastika-etched stakes from planes across huge pieces of Antarctica, when nationalism was in full swing. After World War II, Antarctica was practically abandoned by the world except for those countries with interests in whaling enterprises. But, it wouldn't be long before heavenly happenings caused a scientific stir, prompting a mass return to The Ice.

This culminated in the International Geophysical Year when many different government bodies along with the bevy of scientists descended upon Antarctica to study phenomena because of a hole in the Earth's magnetic field. Specifically, they were all looking at the effect of sunspot activity on Earth. Over 60 different countries took part and set up camps all around Antarctica. Thanks to the high level of teamwork and cooperation among these visitors, negotiations soon began, which culminated in the Antarctic Treaty, an amazing international agreement still marveled at today.

All of the countries possessing a key interest in Antarctica signed the treaty in 1959, setting aside this continent to be used for peaceful purposes only. No waste dumping or nuclear bomb tests would be permitted on Antarctica. The only military activities allowed were in support of the scientific projects. All of the contention over territorial claims were simply put away on a shelf.

The superpowers of this era did not step forward to assert claims or otherwise interfere, although they did reservce the right to make claims in the future. Thanks to this strategy, tiny countries didn't bother to even attempt to lay any land claim.

By the 1960s and 1970, other countries began to realize the extent of oil, gas and minerals that lie in and around Antarctica, and they also began to realize the value of those resources. Countries established bases in and around the continent along with dozens of science stations in the area.

King George Island became home to bases for Poland, Argentina, Chile, Italy, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union in the 1960's and 1970's, and in the 1980's South Korea, Brazil, China, Uruguay, and Peru followed suit. True, most of these bases were established to conduct scientific experiments, but it was also a sign of political prowess for a lot of countries. In this, the countries basically became "squatters" on land that did not truly belong to them.

However, by the 1980s the political mentality had begun to turn away from exploitation and in the direction of scientific exploration. So now the Antarctic joins with the oceans in being defined as communal property belonging to the entire world. It was Britain's Halley Bay Antarctic base that discovered the hole in the ozone layer around the earth, leading to the realization industrial pollution was deteriorating the atmosphere and allowing ultraviolet radiation in.

It was this discovery that precipitated the passage of an international agreement to prohibit the use of chemicals that destroy the ozone by the late 1990's. This finding emphasized the importance of the Antarctic scientific headquarters. They have since been shown to be essential in keeping track of the "greenhouse" gasses that have been prevalent in the atmosphere for decades. Anti-whaling sentiment reached a climax during the 1980's, and global movements for a Green planet supported preserving the continent of Antarctica as a world park.

It was in 1991 that the Antarctic Treaty nations decided to ban any oil and gas exploration, as well as any mining or other irreversible mistreatment of Antarctica for at least 50 years. In addition to this, they increased the concern for the environment to the same level as science. Antarctica continues to play a major part in educating humankind about the damage it has inflicted on the planet and its atmosphere with its industrial activity, and how to avoid the catastrophic consequences of environment damage in the future.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

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