Does Any Country Have Sovereignty Over The Antarctic?

Many nations, including Britain, New Zealand, France, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Russia, and Norway have advanced claims of sovereignty over parts of the Antarctic. The United States prepared a particularly sweeping claim over vast areas of the continent but never advanced it formally.

In 1958, in an attempt to forestall possible conflict over the region, the Antarctic Treaty was signed. While not dismissing the claims of sovereignty that had been advanced previously, it put them into abeyance, and declared that henceforth any nation could conduct peaceful activities and scientific exploration in any part of the continent.

The treaty has held good since it was signed though, at times, the concord threatened to break down as some countries were keen to exploit the mineral potential of the region. A protocol to the treaty, forbidding use of the continent's mineral resources until 2048, was agreed and has put the issue onto the backburner, however.