Antarctica Explorers

By: Alison Cole
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:42:22
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Across the different countries and continents in the world, the histories of different places often include very notable periods or eras that have significantly changed the lives of the people who live in different areas. Some notable examples include the two world wars, the fall of communism, and the industrial revolution, which have altered both the physical and political landscape in the places where they occurred. However, in some of the places where there are no permanent human settlements, like Antarctica, the same principle also applies. Because given man's desire to explore, the exploration of such places has also led to some dramatic events in the history of these places.

Notable events in Antarctica's History

One of the most notable events in Antarctica's history is the early expeditions to the continent during the period between the late 1770s to the mid-1840s, which is considered as the period when Antarctica was discovered by the world. Some of the more notable expeditions during this period include those that were led by British Capt. James Cook (1772), British mariner William Smith (1819), American explorer Nathaniel Palmer (1821), American scientist Dr. James Eights (1830), and British Capt. James Ross (1841).

Another notable era in Antarctica's history was during the late 1890s to the early 1900s, which saw the inland exploration of Antarctica. This period also saw the participation of other countries apart from the U.K. and America in the exploration of Antarctica, including Belgium, Norway, Australia, Japan, and Germany. However, the participation of these countries fostered competition among them, which often resulted in "turf wars" among these countries. To resolve the problem, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was established and started in 1957 to foster coordination among the countries that were undertaking further exploration of the continent.

As history would show, the IGY paved the way for the peaceful co-existence of the different explorers in the country, as it resulted to the Antarctic Treaty. This treaty sets the guidelines in the exploration of Antarctica that provide for cooperation in scientific research and exchange of data among research teams from different countries. In addition to this, the treaty also prohibits military operations, nuclear explosions, and disposal of radioactive wastes in the area.

Different countries go through notable eras that alter the history and the lives of their people. In places like Antarctica where there are not a lot of people, this is also true. This is because Antarctica's history shows that there have been notable events, including the signing of the Antarctica Treaty that affected the research teams that regularly go to the icy continent.

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