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.
Argentina’s Antarctica
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