The Antarctic

A recomposed satellite image of the Antarctic

The Antarctic is one located all around South Pole. It is the coldest place of the world, it is covered almost entirely by freeze.

The Antarctic is smaller than it, it, it and it. It is virtually empty of any human population, if not for scientific activities.

Synopsis

History

A history related to the shape of the Earth

Its history is very related to the many assumptions concerning the shape of the Earth.

The majority of the sources agree to affirm that it is which names the first this continent. Indeed, them thinks at the time the Earth being a symmetrical sphere, it is necessary necessarily a point for him of balance on both sides ofequator : The Arctic (Arktos in Greek) and the Antarctic (Antarktos). Arktos mean "bear", in reference to the group of stars indicating north, still called "Small Ourse today".

With IIE century, (Greek astronomer), is persuaded that the continent exists, at the point to affirm that its grounds are inhabited and cultivated, but remain inaccessible to the remainder of the Earth because of a large insuperable strip of land sheltering of the monsters.

But with , the scientists give up the reflexions on this continent, finding strange that forgot a part of its Creation on these grounds if moved back. One starts to reconsider that the Earth is punt, which excludes the existence from the Antarctic (from a geographical point of view).

One reconsiders there from XVE century, when Bartolomeu Dias de Noveas and Vasco de Gama discover new grounds. The latter sail round the Bonne Éspérance Cape (in the south of) and thus refutes the assumption of a continent more in the south. Nevertheless, when Ferdinand Magellan circumvent the south of the American continent, it discovers that there is one there strait difficult to cross, and beyond whose a thick snow cover appears under a very cold climate.

Blow the geographers of the time put forth the assumption that an immense continent called Austral continent on the planispheres of the time exists and that it would be continuous Earth of Fire in Australia.

First steps towards the discovery

When Francis Drake is sent by the English government to explore it in the years 1570, it sees penguins on an island.

The existence of the Austral continent is finally confirmed with XVIIE century. Indeed, after having undergone storms by crossing it , certain navigators fail themselves in the Antarctic. They see there mountains covered with snows and ices, and appearing rather hostile and especially very cold.

It is finally James Cook who achieves the goal in . During several months, it skirts the glaciers of the Antarctic to find a channel of access in order to take possession of the grounds. It succeeds in reaching the continent, with 66°33 of southern latitude and 106°54 of western longitude. It can also affimer with certainty which it is impossible that the continent is inhabited. Nevertheless, it notices the presence of many colonies of seals and whales, which attracts the merchants later a few years.

With XIXE century, of many boats comes to fish the seal along banks of the continent.

The scientific conquest of the continent

It is it that French explorers, ordered by Dumont d' Urville plant their flag on the antarctic grounds. A few days later, it is with the tower of the American fleet of Charles Wikles to reach that point. The discovery is then discussed.

The first scientific forwarding is sent in by the English, thanks to an association enters British Association for the Avancement of Science and Royal Society. It includes/understands doctors, naturalists and botanists.

In , George Wilkins fly over the continent for the first time.

In , them The United States a forwarding of 4 000 people with 13 boats and 23 planes organize to chart the littoral.

Treaty on the Antarctic it is signed 1er December in Washington by 12 countries (it, it, , it , , it , , , it, it (current Russia), it , it and them The United States. At the present time, 45 States ratified it.

Geography

Antarctique vu depuis le pôle sud
The Antarctic seen since the South Pole

The Antarctic is one of the eight or biogeographic areas.

Relief

25 times larger than France, it are made of two parts:

  • in the east of the meridian line of Greenwich, a plate of approximately 10 km² million (in the past attached to)
  • in the west, the Antarctic Peninsula, forming the prolongation of Andes cordillera

It is the chain of the Mounts Transantarctiques (2 500 km length) which separates them.

Its icecap, which almost entirely covers it (59 000 km²), sometimes 4 500 m thickness exceed, and constitute 90% of fresh water of the Earth. Some icebergs can exceed the size of .

Temperatures

  • The winter, they can reach -70°C in the grounds and -35°C on the coasts
  • The summer, they oscillate between 5°C (on the coasts) and -35°C (in the grounds)

The continent holds the world record of the lowest temperature, with -89°C at the base of Vostok (bases Russian installed in ).

Despite everything snow and the ice which the continent contains, the Antarctic is regarded as one , because annual precipitations, reaching a maximum to 50 mm, are comparable with those of The Sahara.

Fauna

In the grounds, one finds only very few animals, which approach more of the microscopic organizations.

In the Antarctic Ocean some species in particular of forming an enormous biomass cohabits thanks to water very rich in nutrients and oxygen. Separation with the other oceans is a true border of fog where the temperature passes on average from 6 to 16º in a few km.

Emperor penquins


Policy

Proposition de drapeau pour l'Antarctique
Proposal of for the Antarctic

As a geographical area with the polar climate, therefore particularly not very favourable with the life and the human activity.

Certains States maintains a presence human permanent or semi-permanent, in bases with vocation primarily scientist. These bases are supplied during the court be polar by ships, which can approach the coasts when ice-barrier (partly) melted.

The Antarctic continent is subjected to a very particular legal status devoted by Treaty on the Antarctic, signed in (see higher). This treaty recognizes the continent like a ground favourable with scientific research, and within this framework, with the international co-operation.

The Treaty on the Antarctic also establishes a "gel" of the territorial claims. Indeed, because of the geographical proximity of their metropolis or by interest geostrategic or (within sight of the probable ones what comprises its basement), of the States asserted portions of the continent. The majority of the portions are kinds of sections on the basis of South Pole, going to the ocean, and whose edges are meridian lines. In certain cases, these sectors are even asserted by several States (the Antarctic peninsula is thus asserted by Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom).

On the whole, seven States assert a part of the southern continent. It acts of, it , , it , , and it. Their territorial claims however are not always recognized.

To ensure a legal stability and to avoid conflicts related to territorial sovereignty in the Antarctic, the States chose to admit an original legal mechanism. The Treaty on the Antarctic established a "gel" of the territorial claims.

Thus, the Antarctic can be regarded being as an international space. But the States which emitted territorial claims can continue to affirm that such or such sector of the continent belongs to him. Thus, France can lay down particular rules on the Adélie coast which it asserts. Moreover, the Adélie coast is one of the districts of the Southern Lands and Antarctiques Françaises.


Large the biomes terrestrial


Néarctique · Palearctic · Afrotropical · Indomalais · Australasian · Néotropique · Océanien · The Antarctic

External bonds


and areas of world



Eurasia

Americas
Eurafrasy




The Antarctic 		supercontinents :
Gondwana • Laurasia • Pangée • Rodinia
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