Speculation over the existence of a 'southern land' was not
confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American
commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions
began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas
south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established
that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not merely a group
of islands or an area of ocean. Several exploration 'firsts'
were achieved in the early 20th century, but generally the
area saw little human activity. Following World War II, however,
the continent experienced an upsurge in scientific research.
A number of countries have set up a range of year-round and
seasonal stations, camps, and refuges to support scientific
research in Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims
and two maintain the basis for a claim, but most countries
do not recognize these claims. In order to form a legal framework
for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic
Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition
to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered
into force in 1961. Also relevant to Antarctic governance
are the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty and
the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources.
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