Antarctica does not belong to anyone. But many countries wander around a piece

Antarctica is not a place on the ground.

The “white continent” attracted explorers and scientists to the amazing, amazing landscape of ice for two centuries. The two countries tried to sculpt Antarctica and put a claim, but no one owned it.

Over the course of 65 years, Antarctica – one and a half and a half of Canada – controls the Nations Treaty. But with high geopolitical tensions and changing global order, the governance system is now under pressure.

“Antarctica Treaty “He is subjected to great pressure and great pressure, and perhaps the worst period of experienced ever enter,” said Klaus Dods, a professor at the Royal Holwai College at the University of London.

Fake By 12 countries At the height of the Cold War, the Antarctica Treaty froze the claims of any countries in the land and the preservation of the continent “science and peace”.

“The Treaty of Antarctica, first of all, is a treaty to combat weapons,” said Dodz, a political geographic geographic experience in the Antarctic. He said that the treaty is “incredibly important” because it “declared the continent in Antarctica and the oceans surrounding a nuclear weapons -free area.”

Miscellaneous, for more than six decades, the treaty mainly worked. But after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and increased respect for US President Donald Trump towards Moscow, the consensus among the treaties of the treaty became more difficult.

“Before the full invasion of Ukraine by Russia, there was a certain amount of cooperation between the main countries,” said Ivan Bloom, the US Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Arctic and Northern Resources. “There is less cooperation now in both poles (north and south).”

David Heck, the chief scientist at Polar Knowledge Canada, said during an interview with Arena, where both Canada recently reached an agreement with Chil.

The first mission in the Canadian Antarctic

Antarctica plays more than 16,000 km from Canada, an important role in organizing the world’s climate and helping to slow down global warming. yet It is already undergoing a tremendous change, including High temperatures And scored low ice levels.

Margaret Brock sailed in the Canadian Navy, a patrol ship in the Arctic and Maritime, to Antarctica at the end of last week to carry out an unprecedented mission, and supported a team of 15 Canadian scientists for two weeks of research.

The navy is subject to strict circumstances on how it works within the parallel south 60, a circular latitude that includes the southern ocean and the southern pole. The Antarctica Treaty prohibits any military activity outside the assistance of scientific exploration or operations at research stations.

“We have no aspect of sovereignty in Antarctica. This is not at all our state here,” said Terry, who is participating, the leader of HMCS Margaret Brooke.

“We have done everything possible, less than drawing the white and red ship, to make sure that we see cooperative and help in supporting the science article, and not at all here as a quoted war.”

There is no settlement in the Antarctic continent outside the rules of science. The political weight of any country is measured by the fingerprint of science. More than 40 countries manage research stations and summer camps.

The United States has the largest imprint, with the MCMURDO research station in the Ross Sea area, as well as two other bases, one in the Antarctic. The United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan have strong programs in Antarctica.

Russia has five permanent bases smaller and a handful of summer camps. China has made its ambition to invest more in the Antarctic, as it built a new modern base, its third station throughout the year, along with two seasonal stations.

“It should be noted that there is a reason because China has created five stations in Antarctica. It is preparing, like Russia, it is likely to claim (the region) if it is on it or thought it was useful,” said Klaus Dodz.

Even Iran showed interest in the Antarctic region. In an interview with the state -controlled Iranian media in 2023, the commander of the Iranian navy, Admiral SR, said that his country intends Building a permanent base thereHe said: “Not only military action, but also the scientific work that must be implemented.”

Military activity is prohibited

Since its signing in 1959 in Washington, DC, the governance of the Antarctica Treaty has survived. But there are new concerns that technologies in some of the research rules in the strategic southern pole area have a double use of scientific and military purposes.

“The countries are trying to find out whether any of this is happening,” said Bloom, who is now a world colleague at the Wilson Center in Washington.

The Antarctica Treaty prohibits military activity except to support science and a relationship Environmental Protection Protocol It was signed in 1991 prohibited exploration of minerals.

Blum said: “There is a question about whether the urgency removal will retain the future and whether the ban on mining will keep,” said Blum. “They are now, and this is a very good thing.”

However, the expectations seem weak, especially with the discounts of financing at the American National Science Foundation (NSF), which supports the Antarctic Research. Managers-part of the DOGE efforts from Elon Musk-including a senior manager who returns from her regular work visits for a month to McMURDO.

Scientists who are currently working at American stations are worried The administration will cut more employees and supportEspecially since many of their work deals with the phenomenon of global warming, which the Trump team has distorted.

Others Logic From the withdrawal of resources from the Antarctica, given the increasing strategic value to maintain the presence of the continent.

Competition for Krill

Tension is also built on fishing rights in a relevant treaty governed by the CCAMLR preservation committee in Antarctica.

At CCAMLR meeting in Australia last October, China I prevented the extension Currel’s current management measures in Antarctica, which is the main part of the southern food network of the ocean.

Norway, China and South Korea are currently the best harvest of Crist Antarctica.

Russia and China admitted to the additional marine protected areas, which were agreed in 2014. Only five percent of the southern ocean are currently protected.

Duds said: “Countries like China and Russia (are) are fully determined to seek to achieve the navy as much as possible as possible, and on the other hand, hell is determined to their right to their right to fish in areas that I claim to be incredibly valuable in terms of marine biological diversity.”

The limits of the shares are not penetrated, but the Krill industry grows, as Norway and China builds new high -tech boats that use continuous pumping technology to what the traditional ship can almost reap, says Linda Goldzurkal, a researcher at the University of Tasmania University Institute for Marmina Studies and anti -anti -anti -vocal studies.

“China has made it clear, as is its right, that they want to be more influential in the Antarctica Treaty system,” said Goldsurcene.

“They do not know where they want to go and how much they are. So they are trying to prevent anything that prevents them from doing this in the future.”

“We need to do something to keep this.”

Political tensions also interfere in Canada’s ambition within the Antarctica Treaty system. She signed the treaty in 1988, but she wants to raise her authority to be a member of the vote, a consulting party called.

This is blocked, says Duds.

“During the past three or four years, Canada’s demand has been banned to be a consulting party, first and foremost by Russia,” he said. This is because Russia wants to be a Belarusian ally, a consultant party alongside Canada, and the decision must be by mutual consent.

“Canada publishes more scientific work on the Antarctic more than two thirds of the consulting parties. Therefore, in my opinion, it is absolutely Canada as a consulting party.”

The Canadian campaign to Antarctica this month is part of an effort to build science diplomacy in Canada in the region, although it does not manage its search station, as it instead cooperates with scientists from other countries.

The Science Team was invited on board HMCS Margaret Broke to visit the Brazilian research station on the King George Island, which is studying climate change on the continent.

“We are interested in the ice retreat, because we have a lot of retreat here,” said Monica Betty, a Brazilian biologist who works at the Brazilian station.

“When you come to Antarctica and see how beautiful it is, the feeling is that we need to do something to keep this,” she said.

“Our world is crazy these days. I think the Antarctica Treaty is a good example that it can work. With peace and science, we can live in a better way.”