Lesson Title: Who Owns Antarctica ?

 

Author: P. J. Morris Adams

 

Author Info: teacher, Richland Northeast High School, Columbia, SC; SCASI 1992, NGS ILI 1993, AP Summer Institute 1997

 

Grade: 11 - 12; AP

 

Learning Style:

 

Cognitive Level:

 

Continent:: Antarctica

 

Outcomes:

 

Key Words: Antarctica, Antarctic Treaty, state, sovereignty, territory, territorial sovereignty, sector claims

 

Time Needed: One to two class periods

 

Overview: This lesson offers a mapping approach to the concepts of sovereignty and territorial expansionism. Territorial sovereignty is incorporated into a student exercise of map analysis. This lesson has been designed to conclude a series of lessons on the nature of sovereignty within a unit on political geography but could be used elsewhere in the curriculum if the concept of territorial sovereignty has been taught.

 

Definition of Key Terms:

Antarctica - the coldest, windiest, driest, highest, quietest, most remote and perhaps the least understood continent on Earth

 

Antarctic Treaty - negotiated and signed in Washington in 1959 by 12 states that participated in the International Geophysical Year, an additional 30 states have acceded to the treaty and 14 have been accepted as Consultative Parties (Cps). Treaty went into effect in 1961; reviewable after 30 years, but to date no state has requested a review

 

state - an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs

 

sovereignty - the ability of the recognized governing authority to create and enforce law within the boundaries of the territory without the interference of authorities from outside the boundaries

 

territory - land area

 

territorial sovereignty - the land area in which the sovereignty is presumed to exist.

 

sector claims - territorial claims based on the sector principle which make a territorial claim based on possession of all land and islands lying between a coast and either the North or South Pole

 

Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Identify territory claims in Antarctica

2. Locate and map the proposed claim of territory by Ecuador

3. Examine the potential conflict over territorial claims in Antarctica

4. Analyze the Antarctic Treaty in terms of these claims

 

Materials:

1. Background Information sheet for teachers (below)

2. Outline map of Antarctica with longitude labeled

3. Classroom Atlases

4. Student copies of Antarctic territorial claims (see Extra Resources)

5. Student copies of the potential Ecuadorian Antarctica claim (see Extra Resources)

6. Antarctica Treaty (see Extra Resources)

 

Background Information

 

The history of Antarctica is one unlike any other place on Earth. Even after being "discovered" Antarctica proved to be almost impossible to, first, even land on, much less explore. But explorers prevailed and the flags of their countries came with them. But unlike all earlier explorations and claims of ownership, Antarctica has proved unique both in the claims that have been made and the little that has been done to support those claims. Lines have been drawn on the map, but what that has accomplished is very hard to see. Elsewhere in the world land that has been claimed has then been "used." The sovereignty question in Antarctica remains just that - a question. Many of the countries that have made a claim on Antarctica have issued postage stamps which is a traditional way for a country to indicate territorial sovereignty. But it is the actions of three South American countries that bring to bear on the "mapping" of Antarctica and the possible future problems regarding inter-state relationships in Antarctica.

 

Both Chile and Argentina have gone to great lengths to make their claims in Antarctica part of their national territory. While there has been no recognition of these claims by any other sovereign state, both countries have great nationalistic pride in these claims. In August of 1973, an Argentine cabinet meeting was held in the area claimed by Argentina. Chile's president Pinochet spent a week in Antarctica in 1977 which caused Argentina to devise the boldest plans for claiming sovereignty. In the fall of 1978, a pregnant Argentine woman was send to live in Antarctica and in Jan. 1979, Emile Marco Palma was the first child born in Antarctica. Following the pattern in colonialism as seen in North America, Emile takes his place in history along side Virginia Dare. The Argentines followed with a wedding in Feb. 1979. Both countries have maintained colonies of civilian dependents living year round at their bases and tourism from bases both in Chile and Argentina has grown significantly in the last decades.

 

Now Ecuador seems poised to make a sector claim in Antarctica which will overlap Chile's claim and border the UK and be very close to Argentina. This claim would come with an Antarctica Secretariat already in place in the Ecuadorian government. Ecuador has also made claims in the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon Basin and outer space. Ecuador is not seen as ready to fight over these claims, but nationalistic pride can cause countries to do very strange things.

 

The Antarctica Treaty of 1959 currently is considered an model in inter-state cooperation and all the terms of the treaty have been upheld peacefully to date. But countries that support the Treaty nevertheless have made claims in Antarctica and clearly Ecuador is prepared to make a claim. As the technology improves to make commercial ventures possible and profitable, what other states will turn to Antarctica with territorial claims and gains on their minds?

 

Background Resources

 

de Blij, H.J. Human Geography: Culture, Society, and Space, 5th edition

Glassner, Martin Ira. Political Geography, 2nd edition

Rubenstein, James M. An Introduction to Human Geography, 5th edition

Taylor, Peter J. Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State and Locality,

3rd edition

 

Preparation:

1. The teacher should read through the activities, the Extra Resources and be familiar with the background material. The teacher may wish to do further research into the latest attempts to claim sovereignty in Antarctica.

2. This lesson can be tailored to work with many age groups and will accommodate whatever degree of time and depth a teacher desires.

3. Although this activity was developed as an individual assignment, it lends itself well to small group analysis and cooperative learning techniques.

4. Gather and prepare materials

 

Activities:

1. Teacher will lecture on the Background Information or have students read the material.

2. Pass out the Outline maps of Antarctica, classroom atlases, Antarctica territorial claims and have students map out the current sector claims or use an outline map with the sector claims already mapped out and have students label the claims.

3. Pass out the Ecuadorian claim and have the students map it onto the Outline map.

4. Discuss the Antarctica Treaty particularly Article IV which states that no activities "constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica or create any rights of sovereignty in Antarctica." Have students discuss why states make claims for territory and yet also support the Treaty.

 

Evaluation:

Students could be evaluated a number of ways after this activity. They could write and essay after the class discussing their understanding of the potential problems in these claims and the enforcement of the Treaty. They could hand in their maps or use the maps for comparison purposes during an extension activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSESSMENT - THE NATURE OF SOVEREIGNTY

 

 

Multiple Choice

 

1. Political geography uses what term to discuss power or independence from control of its internal affairs by other states?

A. nation

B. sovereignty

C. country

D. city-states

E. colony

Answer: B. sovereignty

 

2. Match each of the following basic shapes of states with a distinctive characteristic or problem.

a. compact 1. potential isolation

b. prorupted 2. problematic

c. elongated 3. efficient

d. fragmented 4. surrounded by another state

e. perforated 5. access or disruption

A. a-1, b-2, c-3, d-4, e-5

B. a-2,b-5,c-1, d-3, e-4

C. a-3, b-5, c-1, d-2, e-4

D. a-3, b-1, c-5, d-4, e-2

E. a-5, b-4, c-3, d-2, e-1

Answer: C. a-3, b-5, c-1, d-2, e-4

 

3. All of the following are types of physical boundaries EXCEPT

A. mountains

B. rivers

C. deserts

D. oceans

E. languages

Answer: E. languages

 

 

4. A federation has been described as "the most geographically expressive of all political systems." This is because a federation is

A. the type of government that is mapable.

B. the type of government that works.

C. the type of government that is the oldest.

D. the type of government that enables unity and diversity to coexist.

E. the type of government that most of the world has.

Answer: D

5. Some forces within a country pull that country together, some push the country apart. The forces that pull a country together are called

A. centrifugal

B. national

C. centripetal

D. war

E. money

Answer: C. centripetal

 

6. All of the following are multinational unions EXCEPT

A. UN

B. USA

C. OAU

D. EU

E. ASEAN

Answer: B. USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short Answer Questions

 

1. How are boundaries drawn between states?

 

2. Why would states try to claim territory in Antarctica?

 

3. Analyze how the shape or spatial form of a state's territory impacts on the political development of the state.

 

 

 

Extended Essays

 

1. Contrast the attempts used to claim territory in Antarctica by three of the following states: New Zealand

Chile

Argentina

Ecuador

 

2. Assess the validity of the following statement: "It is in the interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord."

 

 

Performance Event

 

The student is to develop a PowerPoint presentation detailing the territorial claims various sovereign states have made on Antarctica and the development of at least one science station that is currently operating year-round in Antarctica.

 

 

Portfolio Item

 

A map showing the various science stations of Antarctica and the territorial claims made by states in Antarctica. The map may be made with the aid of a computer GIS program, a "paint" program, or handdrawn, but it is not to be just a photocopy or a map off the Internet.

 

 

Resources:

Antarctica Bases, 1994.JPG

Antarctica Map 2.JPG

Antarctica Map 3.JPG

Antarctica Outline Map.JPG

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