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Over the years many of the whaling nations made territorial claims to large sections of the continent of Antarctica. The Peninsula is home to claims from Chile, Britain and Argentina. Other countries, such as Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and France have also claimed portions of the continent.

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. After World War II, Antarctica was practically abandoned by the world except for those countries with interests in whaling enterprises. Interest in Antarctica waned until the late 1950′s when certain events allowed scientists to observe the effect of solar radiation on Earth. You will gain a deeper understanding about antarctica travel brochure by checking out that resource.

In 1957, there was evidence of increased frequency of sunspots on our star, so the International Geophysical Year was begun then, allowing multinational efforts to look at the effects of solar radiation on the planet through Antarctica’s special place on the planet. 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.

This Treaty, signed in 1959 by the countries with primary interests in the continent, enacted a mandate that Antarctica’s only use would be for peaceful intentions. There would be no more nuclear testing, dumping of radioactive waste, or explosions. The only permissible activity of the military here, was to help in the coordination of scientific exploration. The conflicting territorial claims between countries were set aside in the interest of preserving the continent. This site teaches you about trips to antarctica.

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. The smaller countries became reluctant to pursue their claims in light of the maneuvering practiced by the more powerful countries.

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. Soon, there were national bases all over the surrounding islands and the peninsula; at its most prolific, Antarctica is home to 5,000 people – only in the summer, and only in the science stations that are based all around the peninsula and islands.

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. Although there was scientific research going on at these bases, they were actually more of a political statement, as the swastika stakes of the Nazis in the 1940′s. These bases essentially served as notices of the “squatting rights” of these nations.

However, by the 1980s the political mentality had begun to turn away from exploitation and in the direction of scientific exploration. Antarctica is following in the footsteps of the world’s oceans, as they have begun to be known as community property. The Halley Bay Antarctic headquarters, a British base, found the opening in the Earth’s ozone layer, indicating that man’s actions might chip away at the atmosphere so much so that ultraviolet rays can pass through and cause cancer.

This discovery led to the 1987 internation agreement to eliminate ozone-destroying chemicals by the turn of the century. This discovery validated the work of the science bases on the continent, who act as monitors of carbon emissions resulting in “greenhouse” effect. The Green movement was largely responsible for rejection of whaling in the 1980′s and protection of the continent.

By 1991 Antarctica received protection from ravaging of it’s natural resources with the Antarctic Treaty where participating nations agreed to ban exploration for oil and gas, mining and any other irreversible exploitation for at least 50 years. 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.