This year China built its fourth base. Next year it will build a fifth. All Antarctica's 68 bases are professedly peaceful research stations, established for scientific purposes - but the ban on militarisation is widely flouted.
Chile and Argentina, for instance, both maintain a permanent army presence on the Antarctic mainland, and the worry is that some countries are either not reporting military deployment, or may instead be recruiting civilian security contractors for essentially military missions. Antarctic skies are unusually clear and also unusually free from radio interference - they are ideal for deep-space research and satellite tracking.
But they are also ideal for establishing covert surveillance networks and remote control of offensive weapons systems. The Australian government recently identified China's newest base as a threat, specifically because of the surveillance potential. It said: "Antarctic bases are increasingly used for 'dual-use' scientific research that's useful for military purposes. Many governments reject Antarctica's status quo, built on European endeavour and entrenched by Cold War geopolitics that, some say, give undue influence to the superpowers of the past.
Iran has said it intends to build in Antarctica, Turkey too. India has a long history of Antarctic involvement and Pakistan has approved Antarctic expansion - all in the name of scientific cooperation. But the status quo depends on self-regulation. The Antarctic Treaty has no teeth. Faced with intensifying competition over abundant natural resources and unforeseen intelligence-gathering opportunities, all it can do - like my penguin - is squawk, and patter off into the snow.
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US ice-breaker to rescue stuck ships. Russia , the United Kingdom, and the United States. The treaty went into effect in and had been signed by 54 nations as of The Antarctica Treaty established the continent as a neutral location to be used exclusively for peaceful scientific purposes. Rules set forth by the treaty and its updates include:.
Antarctica will remain to be used as intended for research and as a nature preserve. Antarctica has become a symbol of the effects of climate change, leading scientists and policymakers to push for stronger environmental protections for the region.
Countries In Antarctica The Great White Continent is governed under a series of recognised guidelines and agreements called the Antarctic Treaty System. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in and the agreement currently has 54 signatories. Although Antarctica has never had an indigenous population, seven nations have claimed parts of the continent — New Zealand , Australia , France , Norway , the United Kingdom , Chile and Argentina.
Some of these territories overlap. The United States , Russia and Brazil all have a permanent presence in Antarctica, but haven't currently claimed territory. Most of these ten countries have established scientific research centres, where around people work and live in Antarctica over summer, with numbers reducing to around in winter.
The vast majority of the population are scientists; some are operational staff, like ships' crews and service workers. Antarctica's closest access point is in South America. Ushuaia in Argentina is the major thoroughfare for Antarctic expeditions. Punta Arenas in Chile is another gateway for cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula. From there, travellers may take a flight to the South Shetland Islands to board their vessel — perfect for those looking to cruise in the Antarctic but avoid the Drake Passage.
Antarctica can be reached via Australia Hobart and the South Island of New Zealand , although this takes significantly longer than the journey from South America and the route offers less in terms of wildlife encounters and shore landings. Most, if not all, tourist expeditions to Antarctica depart from South America.
No visas are required to visit the Antarctic continent or its offshore islands. However, you will need to have your passport with you on the ship, as port authorities will inspect passports on departure and also again at the end of your voyage.
As most tours depart from Argentina , the majority of travellers will need to follow that country's visa rules. If travelling to the Falkland Islands, different entrance and visa rules may apply.
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