Whaling nations laid claim to massive territories across the continent of Antarctica. On the Peninsula itself the countries of Argentina, Great Britain, and Chile have intersecting claims. Claims to Antarctica have also been declared by New Zealand,, France, and Norway.
In 1940, the Nazis in Germany ordered airplanes to send stakes emblazoned with swastikas down to the land in order to claim it on behalf of the Third Reich. Global war soon consumed the world's attention, and the Cold War followed; consequently, Antarctica was forgotten by all except for the whalers. However, due to celestial happenings at that time, science was ready turn it's attention to the The Ice in a really big way.
The celestial event was the peak of sunspot activity in 1957-1958. This International Geophysical Year is marked by increased interest by scientist and governments around the globe exploring Antarctica because of its one of a kind view of the southern hole in the Earth's magnetic field. The wanted to be able to see how the barrage of solar radiation affected the continent. In all, 67 countries sent scientists to set up research bases across 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.
This treaty was signed in 1959 by all the countries with major interests in Antarctica. It was an agreement that made this continent to be used solely for peaceful purposes. The treaty specifically spelled out not allowing any destructive forces to be detonated on the continent, including banning nuke testing and exploding, as well as not allowing countries to dump their toxic waste onto it's barren landscape or waters. The only military activities allowed were in support of the scientific projects. There would be no further talk of territorial claim staking.
The major countries at that time showed a willingness to work together, which was exceptional during these years, and decided to forgo any claims. In addition, they did not acknowledge claims from other countries either. In one fell swoop, no country could stake any more claims to the continent.
It was in the 1960's and 1970's that governments and industry started to desiring the oil, gas, and minerals that were known to be in and around Antarctica. There was a flurry of national bases erected, mainly on the peninsula and surrounding islands. Antarctica's summer population of approximately 5,000, largely due to the fact that it's only a three day cruise, dozens of science posts are home to most of these visitors.
Bases were opened on King George Island throughout the 1960s and 70s by Chile, Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Argentina, the United States and Soviet Union, with Peru, Brazil, China, Uruguay, and South Korea joining them in the 1980s. These bases were technically engaged in scientific experiments and studies, but they also served to mark claims on territory. They effectively gave themselves "squatter's rights" on behalf of their country.
Political motivation for inhabiting Antarctica began to evolve away from resource exploitation to that of scientific exploration by the 1980's. 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 first discovered the hole in the Earth's ozone layer. This proved that industrial activity was degrading the atmosphere, allowing cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface.
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. All of this information increased the value of having Antarctic science bases, along with discovering the "greenhouse" effects due to carbon emissions that have caused damage since the Industrial Age started. 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.
The same countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty, decided to disallow the removal of natural resources such as gas and oil from Antarctica for the next 50 years, and possibly longer. They also decided to make environmental issues equal to scientific issues. Antarctica is important today as it was during it's hey-day because instead of being exploited and ruined in the name of wealth and greed, it's teaching us how those very things that marked progress are creating a very unstable world. Hopefully, through the studies conducted we will be able to learn how to reverse some of those issues and challenges we will face in the future.
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