Australia is one of seven states that claim territory in Antarctica, the others being the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, France, Chile, and Argentina.
It is bounded by Queen Maud Land in the West and by Ross Dependency in the East. The Australian Antarctic Territory is the largest of any claims to the continent, and covers nearly 5.9 million square kilometres. This makes up about 42 per cent of Antarctica, and would cover about 80 per cent of Mainland Australia.
Sovereignty over the Territory was transferred from Britain to Australia under the Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933, which came into effect in 1936.
Some people wonder who owns most of Antarctica. Well, while nobody owns Antarctica, Australia's claim is the largest, with a 42% share of the entire continent covering a whopping six million square kilometres.
Seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, but the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims.
Some people wonder who owns most of Antarctica. Well, while nobody owns Antarctica, Australia's claim is the largest, with a 42% share of the entire continent covering a whopping six million square kilometers.
Eleven babies have been born in Antarctica, and none of them died as infants. Antarctica therefore has the lowest infant mortality rate of any continent: 0%.
Antarctica is important to Australia. We have sovereignty over 42 per cent of the continent, including sovereign rights over adjacent offshore areas (Figure 6.1). The Government is spending an additional $2.2 billion to protect Australia's significant Antarctic interests.
The Australian Antarctic Division has 4 permanent research stations in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. Map showing the distance between each station and major Australian ports. Mawson, Davis and Casey stations are on the Antarctic continent.
It has now been found that stretching of the continental crust preceded the start of rifting that separated the land masses. Based on this improved knowledge of how the landmasses fitted together in Gondwana, it places Australia adjacent to the present Wilkes Land of Antarctica.
Australia and much of Gondwana was in the grip of a major ice age, that took hold in the Late Carboniferous and extended well into the Permian as ice sheets advanced and retreated several times across the great southern landmass.
Evidence from across much of Australia suggests the ice age was arid and windy - in some respects similar to conditions we have seen in recent times – and extended over approximately 200 human generations (about 6,000 years).
'Antarctica-Australia' was originally called Australia because it was believed to be part of the legendary 'Terra Australis' continent. When the powers that be wanted a change from 'New Holland' they chose Australia, taking the name from what was widely thought to be a mythic southern continent.
Australia would gain a large inland sea. River estuaries would become much larger and they and the paths of their rivers would expand significantly inland drowning floodplains and many riverbank communities. Billions of people, up to 40% of the world population would be displaced and have to move to higher ground.
All of the Earth's continents float on tectonic plates, which glide slowly over a plastic-like layer of the upper mantle. And the plate that Australia sits on has been moving relatively fast, about 2.7 inches a year (northward and with a slight clockwise rotation).
While there are no permanent inhabitants on the continent, there are a number of small settlements (research stations) that allow for scientists and support staff to live and work in Antarctica on a rotational basis.
China has restarted construction on its fifth base in Antarctica for the first time since 2018 and is making “significant progress,” according to new analysis. The U.S. has three year-round research stations in the Antarctic.
China already has four research bases on Antarctica, but it is now-accelerating construction work on a fifth, on the inexplicably named Inexpressible Island, that made news last week.
Including all its islands and ice shelves, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. It covers 13,661,000 km². The Australian Antarctic Territory is 5,896,500 km² (42% of Antarctica).
As well as being the world's most important natural laboratory, the Antarctic is a place of great beauty and wonder. Its frozen wastes have fired the public imagination for generations, and around 30,000 tourists now visit the Antarctic each year to experience what life is like in the Earth's last great wilderness.
Several countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the UK) claim parts of the Antarctic as their own. Since 1923 New Zealand has maintained a right of sovereignty over the Ross Dependency, which was originally part of the UK's claims in the Antarctic.
Australia's national interests in Antarctica, articulated in the Strategy and Action Plan, are to: maintain Antarctica's freedom from strategic and/or political confrontation. preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory, including our sovereign rights over adjacent offshore areas.
The most commonly spoken language of Antarctica is Russian, which happens to be the official language of Bellingsgauzenia, New Devon, and Ognia. English is also one of the most widespread languages spoken. You can find English spoken in the Balleny Islands, New South Greenland, Eduarda, etc.
Antarctica does not have and has never had an indigenous population - there are no native human Antarcticans.