Australian Antarctic Territory
Encyclopedia : A : AU : AUS : Australian Antarctic Territory
| |||
| Capital | Mawson Base | ||
| Area | 5896500 square kilometers | ||
| Political status | Territory of Australia | ||
| Governor | Sir Michael Jeffery, ex officio as Governor-General of Australia | ||
| Population | 70 | ||
| Currency | Australian dollar | ||
The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia. It consists of all the islands and territory south of 60° S and between 44°38' E and 160° E, except for Adélie Land (136°11' E to 142°02' E), which divides the territory into Western AAT (the larger portion) and Eastern AAT. It is bounded by Queen Maud Land in the West and by Ross Dependency in the East. The area is estimated at 6,119,818 km2. The territory is only inhabited by the staff of research stations. The main station is Mawson Station. However, since Australia's signature of the Antarctic Treaty, territorial claims are effectively suspended, and the Australian Antarctic Division administers the area primarily by supporting various research projects.
Subdivisions
The territory is divided into nine districts, which are from West to East:
| No. | District | Area (km2) | Western Border | Eastern Border |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enderby Land | 044°38' E | 056°25' E | |
| 2 | Kemp Land | 056°25' E | 059°34' E | |
| 3 | Mac Robertson Land | 059°34' E | 072°35' E | |
| 4 | Princess Elizabeth Land | 072°35' E | 087°43' E | |
| 5 | Wilhelm II Land | 087°43' E | 091°54' E | |
| 6 | Queen Mary Land | 091°54' E | 100°30' E | |
| 7 | Wilkes Land | 2,600,000 | 100°30' E | 136°11' E |
| 8 | George V Land | 142°02' E | 153°45' E | |
| 9 | Oates Land | 153°45' E | 160°00' E | |
| AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC TERRITORY | 6,119,818 | 044°38' E | 160°00' E |
Stations
Active and closed stations in the territory, from West to East:
| Station | Latitude | Longitude | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molodezhnaya (Russian) (closed) | 67°40'00.1" S | 45°51'00.0" E | Enderby Land |
| Mawson Station | 67°36' 09.7" S | 62°52' 25.7" E | Mac Robertson Land (Mawson Coast) |
| Soyuz (Russian) (closed) | 70°35' S | 68°47' E | Mac Robertson Land (Lars Christensen Land) |
| Druznaya (Russian) (closed) | 69°44'S | 72°42'E | Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land) |
| Zhongshan (Chinese) | 69°22'S | 76°22'E | Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land) |
| Progress (Russian) | 69°23' S | 76°23' E | Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land) |
| Davis Station | 68°34'35.8" S | 77°58'02.6" E | Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land) |
| Platcha | 68°30'41.8" S | 78°30'43.6" E | Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land) |
| Sovetskaya (Russian) (closed) | 77°58′ S | 89°16′ E | Wilhelm II Land |
| Mirny Station (Russian) | 66°33'00.0" S | 93°01'00.1" E | Queen Mary Land |
| Komsomolskaya (Russian) (closed) | 74°05' S | 97°29' E | Queen Mary Land |
| Vostok (Russian) | 78°28' S | 106°48'E | Wilkes Land (Knox Land) |
| Wilkes Station (closed) | 66°15'25.6" S | 110°31'32.2" E | Wilkes Land (Budd Land) |
| Casey Station | 66°16'54.5" S | 110°31'39.4" E | Wilkes Land (Budd Land) |
| Concordia Station (Dome C) (international) | 75°06S | 123°23'E | Wilkes Land (Banzare Land) |
| Leningradskaya (Russian) (closed) | 69°30'00.0" S | 159°22'59.9" E | Oates Land |
History
Victoria Land was first claimed for Britain on 9 January 1841 and Britain claimed Enderby Land in 1930. In 1933, a British imperial order transferred territory south of 60° S and between meridans 160 W and 45 W to Australia. The borders with Adélie Land were fixed definitively in 1938. In 1947, Britain transferred Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Macquarie Island to the territory. On 11 February 1954, Mawson Station was established as the first Australian station on the continent proper.
Postage stamps
Australia issues postage stamps for the Australian Antarctic Territory. The first issues came in 1957, and sporadically thereafter, settling into a pattern of an annual issue by the 1990s. All have been Antarctic-themed, and all are valid for postage in Australia, so in practice they are just Australian stamps with a different inscription.
External links
- [Australian Antarctic Division]
- [PDF-Map of the AAT]
- [Australian Antarctic Gazetteer]
- [Russian stations]
| States and territories of Australia
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| States and mainland territories: Australian Capital Territory · New South Wales · Northern Territory · Queensland · South Australia · Tasmania · Victoria · Western Australia · Jervis Bay Territory | |
| External territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island | |
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