British Antarctic Territory
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Research and discovery
Anthem: God save the Queen
Capital		Rothera (Main base) London (location of administration/Commissioner)
Official language(s)		English (de facto)
Government		British Overseas Territory
-	Monarch	H.M. Queen Elizabeth II
-	Commissioner	Colin Roberts
-	Deputy Commissioner	Jane Rumble
-	Administrator	Henry Burgess
Establishment
-	Claimed	1908
Area
-	Total	1,709,400 km2  660,003 sq mi
Population
-	estimate	250 (summer only)[citation needed]
Currency		Pound Sterling (GBP)
Internet TLD		.aq

The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes 20°W and 80°W, forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole. The Territory was formed on 3 March 1962, although the UK's claim to this portion of the Antarctic dates back to Letters Patent of 1908 and 1917. The area now covered by the Territory includes three regions which, before 1962, were administered by the British as separate dependencies of the Falkland Islands: Graham Land, the South Orkney Islands, and the South Shetland Islands. Since the Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961, Article 1 of which states "The treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force", most countries do not recognise territorial claims in Antarctica.

The Territory overlaps the Antarctic claims of Argentina (Argentine Antarctica) and Chile (Antártica Chilena Province). It is inhabited by the staff of research and support stations operated and maintained by the British Antarctic Survey and other organisations, and stations of Argentina, Chile and other countries. There are no native inhabitants.

History[link]

The United Kingdom has had a continuous presence in the far South Atlantic since 1833 when it reasserted sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. In 1908, the UK extended its territorial claim by declaring sovereignty over "South Georgia, the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands, and the Sandwich Islands, and Graham's Land, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean and on the Antarctic continent to the south of the 50th parallel of south latitude, and lying between the 20th and the 80th degrees of west longitude".^[1] All these territories were administered as Falkland Islands Dependencies from Stanley by the Governor of the Falkland Islands.

In 1917, the wording of the claim was modified, so as to, inter alia, unambiguously include all the territory in the sector stretching to the South Pole (thus encompassing all of the present-day British Antarctic Territory). The new claim covered "all islands and territories whatsoever between the 20th degree of west longitude and the 50th degree of west longitude which are situated south of the 50th parallel of south latitude; and all islands and territories whatsoever between the 50th degree of west longitude and the 80th degree of west longitude which are situated south of the 58th parallel of south latitude".^[1]

In 1943, at the height of World War II, the UK undertook a military operation known as Operation Tabarin, to provide reconnaissance and meteorological information in the South Atlantic Ocean. This "secret" wartime project became the civilian Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and later the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). BAS is responsible for most of the United Kingdom's scientific research in Antarctica. In the 1950s the Antarctic Treaty was negotiated to demilitarise the region and retain Antarctica – defined as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude – for peaceful research purposes. The treaty was passed in 1961.

Recognition[link]

The Antarctic Treaty, signed by all relevant regional claimants, does not in itself either recognise or dispute any territorial claims, leaving this matter to individual signatories.^[2] Most of the world's countries do not recognise any national claims to Antarctica.^[3] Britain, France, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, all of whom have territorial claims on the continent, mutually recognise each other's claims.^[4][5] Argentina and Chile dispute the British claim, and make their own counter-claims that overlap both Britain's and each other's (see Argentine Antarctica and Antártica Chilena Province).

Geography[link]

Signy Research Station and panorama, South Orkney Islands

Topography[link]

The British Antarctic Territory includes the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands and numerous other offshore islands, the Ronne Ice Shelf (Weddell Sea), parts of Coats Land, and a triangle of central continental Antarctica converging on the South Pole.

Over 99 percent of the territory's land surface is covered by a permanent ice sheet, up to 5 kilometres thick.^[6] The highest peak is Mount Jackson, on the Antarctic Peninsula, at 10,446 feet (3,184 m).^[6]

Vegetation[link]

There are very few plants in the British Antarctic Territories and most of them are mosses and lichens, but there are also two flowering plants: the Antarctic hairgrass and Antarctic pearlwort.^[7]

Wildlife[link]

Many bird species, including seven species of penguin breed in the British Antarctic Territories. The British Antarctic Territories are also home to six species of seals.^[7]

Administration[link]

The British Antarctic Territory is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). A Commissioner is appointed and is always the Head of the FCO's Overseas Territories Department.

The Territory has a full suite of laws, and legal and postal administrations. Given the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty System, the Territory does not enforce its laws on foreign nations who maintain scientific bases within the Territory. It is self-financing, with income from the sale of postage stamps and income tax.

Nationality law[link]

The territory is fully a part of the British Overseas Territories for nationality purposes. It is possible to hold British Overseas Territories citizenship (BOTC) by virtue of a connection with the Territory. Additionally, since the relevant provisions of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 came into force on 21 May 2002, a BOTC connected with the territory would also hold British citizenship.

Although this territory's immigration laws would not allow for naturalisation, a person born in the territory before 1983 would hold BOTC (and British citizenship) on that basis. British citizenship and BOTC would also extend to the first generation born overseas. No people currently fall into this category. While Emilio Palma was born in the Antarctic territories claimed by the UK, he has not claimed British citizenship, and was automatically granted Argentine citizenship by the government since his parents were both Argentine citizens, and he was born in an Argentine base in Antarctica. Changes to British nationality law from 1 January 1983 ensure that no claims to BOTC or British citizenship by virtue of a connection to the territory can be made by those born from that date.

Research stations[link]

Rothera Research Station

The British Antarctic Survey has two permanently staffed research stations in the Territory:^[8][9]

• Halley
• Rothera

Signy was operated from 1947 until 1996 and now is only staffed in the summer.^[10] There are also two summer-only forward operating stations, at Fossil Bluff and Sky Blu.

Faraday was maintained until 1996, when it was sold to Ukraine and renamed Akademik Vernadsky Station.^[11]

Since 1996, the historic base at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island has been staffed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust during the Antarctic summer. Receiving about 10,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most visited sites on the continent. Visitors can tour the museum, buy souvenirs, post mail, and view the large gentoo penguin colony.^[12]

Argentine presence in the territory dates to the foundation of the Orcadas Base, South Orkney Islands, in 1903.

A number of other nations maintain bases in the territory, many in the South Shetland Islands.^[6]

Postage stamps and coins[link]

Despite the lack of permanent inhabitants, the British Antarctic Territory issues its own postage stamps. While some are actually used by visiting tourists and resident scientists, the bulk are sold overseas to collectors. The first issue came in 1963, an engraved set with 15 values ranging from ½d to one pound, featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth overlooking various scenes of human activity in Antarctica. Several additional issues in the 1960s were followed by a decimalisation issue in 1971 produced by overprinting the 1963 stamps.

In 2008/2009, as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the 1908 British territorial claim, the British Antarctic Territory issued its first ever legal-tender coin.^[13]

For more information on British currency in the general region, see The Sterling Currency in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Antarctica portal
	United Kingdom portal

• British Overseas Territories

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: British Antarctic Territory

• Chilean Sovereignty in Antarctica
• UK Foreign Office homepage
• British Antarctic Survey
• British Antarctic Territory

v t e Antarctica Main articles Antarctic History Geography Climate Expeditions Research stations Field camps Territorial claims Antarctic Treaty System Telecommunications Demographics Economy Tourism Transport Military activity in the Antarctic Flag of Antarctica Geographic regions Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica West Antarctica Extreme points of the Antarctic List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands Antarctica ecozone Waterways Southern Ocean McMurdo Sound Ross Sea Weddell Sea Famous explorers Ernest Shackleton James Clark Ross Richard E. Byrd Roald Amundsen Douglas Mawson Robert Falcon Scott more... Portal:Antarctica

v t e British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies Overseas territories Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Montserrat Pitcairn Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Guernsey1 Jersey Isle of Man Sovereign base areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia 1 includes Alderney and Sark

v t e Antarctic territorial claims Current Adélie Land Argentine Antarctica Australian Antarctic Territory British Antarctic Territory Chilean Antarctica Peter I Island Ross Dependency Queen Maud Land Proposed Brazilian Antarctica Former New Swabia

Coordinates: 75°00′S 50°00′W / 75°S 50°W / -75; -50

British Antarctic Survey
320px insignia
Abbreviation	BAS
Formation	1962
Legal status	Government Organisation
Purpose/focus	Carry out scientific research and surveys in the Antarctic
Headquarters	BAS Headquaters
Location	High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge
Region served	United Kingdom
Director	Professor Ed Hill
Deputy-Director	Mr Robert Culshaw
Parent organization	Natural Environment Research Council
Staff	400+ staff
Website	www.antarctica.ac.uk

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica.^[1] BAS addresses key global and regional issues. This involves joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and more than 120 national and international collaborations.

History[link]

Operation Tabarin was a small British expedition in 1943 to establish permanently occupied bases in the Antarctic. It was a joint undertaking by the Admiralty and the Colonial Office. At the end of the war it was renamed the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) and full control passed to the Colonial Office. At this time there were four stations, three occupied and one unoccupied. By the time FIDS was renamed British Antarctic Survey in 1962, 19 stations and three refuges had been established.^[2]

The Antarctic explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs was Director of BAS from 1958 to 1973.

Bases[link]

Bases in Antarctica[link]

Rothera Research Station

The BAS operates five permanent bases in the British Antarctic Territory:^[3]

• Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island
• Halley Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf
• Signy Research Station on Signy Island
• Fossil Bluff Logistics Facility on Alexander Island
• Sky Blu Logistics Facility in Ellsworth Land

Of these bases, only Rothera and Halley are manned throughout the year.^[4] The remaining bases are manned only during the Antarctic summer.

Bases on South Georgia[link]

The BAS also operates two permanent bases on South Georgia:^[3]

• King Edward Point Research Station at King Edward Point
• Bird Island Research Station on Bird Island

Both South Georgia bases are manned throughout the year.

Other sites[link]

BAS headquarters

The headquarters of the BAS are in the United Kingdom, in the university city of Cambridge, on Madingley Road. This facility provides offices, laboratories and workshops to support the scientific and logistic activities in the Antarctic.^[5]

The BAS also operates the Ny-Ålesund Research Station on behalf of the NERC. This is an Arctic research base located at Ny-Ålesund on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.^[6]

Equipment[link]

Ships[link]

RRS James Clark Ross at the wharf at Rothera base

BAS operates two ships in support of its Antarctic research program. Whilst both vessels have research and supply capabilities, the RRS James Clark Ross is primarily an oceanographic research ship, whilst the RRS Ernest Shackleton is primarily a logistics ship used for the resupply of scientific stations.^[7] James Clark Ross replaced RRS John Biscoe in 1991 and the Ernest Shackleton was the successor to RRS Bransfield in 1999.^[8]

Both vessels depart from the United Kingdom in September or October of each year, and return to the United Kingdom in the following May or June. Both vessels undergo refit and drydock during the Antarctic winter, but are also used elsewhere during this period. The James Clark Ross often undertakes scientific research on behalf of other organisations in the Arctic, whilst Ernest Shackleton is chartered into commercial survey work.^[7]

The two civilian ships operated by the BAS are complemented by the capabilities of the Royal Navy's ice patrol vessel that operates in the same waters. Until 2008 this was HMS Endurance, a Class 1A1 icebreaker. Endurance's has two Lynx helicopters enable BAS staff to get to remote field sites that BAS aircraft cannot access.^[9] However, a catastrophic accident left Endurance badly damaged, with a replacement only being procured in 2011. This ship, HMS Protector, first deployed to the Antarctic in November 2011.^[10]

Aircraft[link]

The BAS Dash-7 at Port Stanley Airport on the Falkland Islands.

BAS operates five aircraft in support of its research program in Antarctica. The aircraft used are all products of de Havilland Canada and comprise four Twin Otters and one Dash 7. The planes are maintained by Rocky Mountain Aircraft out of Springbank Alberta Canada. During the Antarctic summer the aircraft are based at the Rothera base, which has a 900 metre gravel runway. During the Antarctic winter conditions preclude flying and the aircraft return to the United Kingdom.^[11]

The larger Dash 7 undertakes regular shuttle flights between either Port Stanley Airport on the Falkland Islands, or Punta Arenas in Chile, and Rothera. It also operates to and from the ice runway at the Sky Blu base. The smaller Twin Otters are equipped with skis for landing on snow and ice in remote areas, and operate out of the bases at Rothera, Fossil Bluff, Halley and Sky Blu.^[11]

Findings[link]

RRS Ernest Shackleton outward bound from Portsmouth, UK, 12 Nov 2008.

In January 2008, a team of British Antarctic Survey scientists, led by Hugh Corr and David Vaughan, reported that 2,200 years ago a volcano erupted under Antarctica's ice sheet (based on airborne survey with radar images). The biggest eruption in the last 10,000 years, the volcanic ash was found deposited on the ice surface under the Hudson Mountains, close to Pine Island Glacier.^[12]

See also[link]

• British Antarctic Territory
• Faraday Research Station
• Halley Research Station
• Rothera Research Station

References[link]

External links[link]

• BAS website
• Discovering Antarctica — teaching and learning resources on Antarctica
• BAS science programmes
• BAS research stations
• BAS Online Palaeontology Collection