Argentina’s Antarctica

Argentina's Antarctica - September 8, 2003
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting... Musing about promotional inserts (above) reminded us of an interesting national day insert for Argentina in the mid-1990s that showed a map of Argentina which included a large chunk of Antarctica as part of its territory.
Thanks to Carleton Cole for finding the following interesting info about both Argentina and Chile's attempts to claim ownership of some of 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.