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History Of Antarctica In The 1900′S.
By CruiseDirector | February 9, 2010
Nations who focused efforts on whaling laid claim to major areas around the continent of Antarctica.On the Peninsula, three nations claims overlie each other. Making the Peninsula shared by Britain, Argentina, and Chile.There are also claims from Australia, New Zealand, France, and Norway.
The highest point of nationalism hit this continent in 1940. It occurred when Nazi Germany dropped swastika-engraved stakes over large areas of Antarctica to claim it for the Third Reich.Antarctica was essentially forgotten during the time when World War II was raging, and even as the Cold War was established. The only interest came from the whaling nations.However, science would soon be motivated by celestial events to return to Antarctica.
Sunspot movement became prevalent in the years 1957 and 1958, so nations all across the globe began getting ready for the International Geophysical Year. Antarctica became a focal point due to its one-of-a-kind visibility of a clear spot in the magnetic field of the Earth in which they could examine it while it was being assaulted by solar radiation.The scientific brain power from sixty-seven countries established bases for their operations on the continent.This was such a successful cooperative effort, that the Antarctic Treaty, among the most remarkable international pacts ever created, was negotiated.affordable travel to antarctica
This treaty sets preserves and saves Antarctica for the sole purpose of peaceful research, and was signed in 1959 by countries that had key, vested interests in the continent.It set regulations preventing the continent from being used for nuclear testing, nuclear explosions, and dumping of radioactive waste.While some military activities, they are strictly limited to the logistical support of scientific activities.There would be no further talk of territorial claim staking.
Although they maintained the right to assert future claims, none of the superpower entities made any territorial claims, and they did not recognize the claims made by their allies; this kind of international cooperation was extremely unusual during the Cold War.This open-ended action discouraged smaller countries from pushing forth their own territorial claims on the area.antarctic travel
The minerals, gas, and oil that was thought to lie in and off the shores of Antarctica became attractive during the 1960′s and ’70′s.The peninsula and surrounding islands saw an extreme increase in an international presence. Antarctica’s normal population is at most 5,000 in the warmer months, and the majority of those people are jammed into the scientific communities on the peninsula or the surrounding islands.
It was during the 1960′s and 1970′s that Poland, Chile, Argentina, Britain, Italy, the United States, and the Soviet Union began setting up bases on King George Island. It was not until the1980′s that china, South Korea, Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru officially started their bases.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.All of these countries decreed “squatters’ rights” to the continent.
However, by the time the 1980′s rolled around, the use of Antarctica moved toward scientific research and retracted from using the continent for its resources.Antarctica is following in the footsteps of the world’s oceans, as they have begun to be known as community property.The Halley Antarctic base that was established by Great Britain was responsible for discovering the ozone layer, and they demonstrated how its degradation is promoted by the earth’s industrial activity, allowing damaging UV radiation to pass through.
This discovery brought about the 1987 international agreement to phase out any use of chemicals that were destroying the ozone layer by the year 2000.The international value of these scientific bases on Antarctica was emphasized by this discovery, and the current monitoring of greenhouse emissions and their effects on the planet since it became industrialized can also be attributed to this work.The 1980s saw anti-whaling movements at their peak, as well as the Green movement, which helped convince countries to leave Antarctica alone biologically.
The Antarctic Treaty nations came to an agreement by 1991 to stop all gas and oil exploration, along with mining and irreversible exploitation of the continent for 50 years or so, as well as bringing environmental concerns to scientific levels of importance.Today’s Antarctica is no longer used as a method to support industry, but instead, is showing the world how industry’s actions have impacted the planet and its atmosphere. It is also showing the world ways in which future calamities can be avoided.
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