Category : Science and Education
Archive   : ATLAS1.ZIP
Filename : 684311.151

about 14,000,000 kmý; land area: about 14,000,000 kmý

Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US;
second-smallest continent (after Australia)

Land boundaries: see entry on Disputes

Coastline: 17,968 km

Maritime claims: see entry on Disputes

Disputes: Antarctic Treaty suspends all claims; sections (some
overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land),
New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and UK; Brazil
claims a Zone of Interest; the US and USSR do not recognize the territorial
claims of other nations and have made no claims themselves (but reserve the
right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90ø
west and 150ø west

Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and
distance from the ocean; East Antarctica colder than Antarctic Peninsula in
the west; warmest temperatures occur in January along the coast and average
slightly below freezing

Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet, with average elevations
between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 5,000 meters high;
ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land,
and the scientific research areas of Graham Land and Ross Island on McMurdo
Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of coastline

Natural resources: coal and iron ore; chromium, copper, gold, nickel,
platinum, and hydrocarbons have been found in small quantities along the
coast; offshore deposits of oil and gas

Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other (98% ice, 2% barren rock)

Environment: mostly uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity) winds blow
coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of
the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise around
the coast; during summer more solar radiation reaches the surface at the
South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; in
October 1987 it was reported that the ozone shield, which protects the
Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, has dwindled to its
lowest level ever over Antarctica; subject to active volcanism (Deception
Island)
Note: the coldest continent

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ
Û ð People ð Û
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Population: no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations
varies seasonally;

Summer (January) population--3,330; Argentina 179, Australia 216,
Brazil 36, Chile 124, China 62, France 46, FRG 9, GDR 15, India 59,
Italy 121, Japan 52, NZ 251, Poland 19, South Africa 102, South
Korea 17, UK 72, Uruguay 47, US 1,250, USSR 653 (1986-87);

Winter (July) population--1,148 total; Argentina 149, Australia
82, Brazil 11, Chile 59, China 16, France 32, FRG 9, GDR 9, India 17,
Japan 37, NZ 11, Poland 19, South Africa 15, UK 61, Uruguay 10, US 242,
USSR 369 (1986-87);

Year-round stations--43 total; Argentina 7, Australia 3, Brazil 1,
Chile 3, China 1, France 1, FRG 1, GDR 1, India 1, Japan 2, NZ 1,
Poland 1, South Africa 1, South Korea 1, UK 6, Uruguay 1, US 3, USSR 8
(1986-87);

Summer only stations--26 total; Argentina 3, Australia 3, Chile 4,
Italy 1, Japan 1, NZ 2, South Africa 2, US 4, USSR 6 (1986-87)

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Û ð Government ð Û
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Long-form name: none

Type: The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into
force on 23 June 1961, established, for at least 30 years, a legal framework
for peaceful use, scientific research, and suspension of territorial claims.
Administration is carried out through consultative member meetings--the 14th
and last meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in October 1987.

Consultative (voting) members include claimant nations (they claim portions
of Antarctica as national territory and some claims overlap) and nonclaimant
nations (they have made no claims to Antarctic territory, although the US &
USSR have reserved the right to do so and do not recognize the claims of
others); the year in parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was voted
to full consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates an original
1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations are--Argentina, Australia, Chile,
France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant nations are--Belgium,
Brazil (1983), China (1985), FRG (1981), GDR (1987), India (1983), Italy
(1987), Japan, Poland (1977), South Africa, Uruguay (1985), US, and the
USSR.

Acceding (nonvoting) members, with year of accession in parenthesis,
are--Austria (1987), Bulgaria (1978), Cuba (1984), Czechoslovakia (1962),
Denmark (1965), Finland (1984), Greece (1987), Hungary (1984),
Netherlands (1987), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981),
Peru (1981), Romania (1971), South Korea (1986), Spain (1982), and Sweden
(1984).

Antarctic Treaty Summary: Article 1--area to be used for peaceful purposes
only and military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but
military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific purposes;
Article 2--freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall
continue; Article 3--free exchange of information and personnel;
Article 4--does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and
no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force;
Article 5--prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6--includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60ø
00' south, but that the water areas be covered by international law; Article
7--treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to
any area and may inspect all stations, equipment; advance notice of all
activities and the introduction of installations, and military personnel
must be given; Article 8--allows for jurisdiction over observers and
scientists by their own states; Article 9--frequent consultative meetings
take place among member nations and acceding nations given consultative
status; Article 10--treaty states will discourage activities by any country
in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11--disputes to be
settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ;
Articles 12, 13, 14--deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the
treaty among involved nations.

Other agreements: Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals; a mineral
resources agreement is currently undergoing ratification by the Antarctic
Treaty consultative parties

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Û ð Economy ð Û
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Overview: No economic activity at present except for fishing off
the coast and small-scale tourism, both based abroad. Exploitation of
mineral resources will be held back by technical difficulties, high
costs, and objections by environmentalists.

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Û ð Communications ð Û
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Airports: 39 total; 25 usable; none with permanent surface runways;
3 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ
Û ð Defense Forces ð Û
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Note: none; Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty states that advance notice
of all activities and the introduction of military personnel must be given