Australian Antarctic Territory#Subdivisions

The AAT consists of all the islands and territory south of 60°S and between 44°38′E and 160°E, except for Adélie Land (136°E to 142°E), which divides the territory into Western AAT (the larger portion) and Eastern AAT.{{Cite web|url=http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australia-in-antarctica/australian-antarctic-territory|title=Australian Antarctic Territory|website=antarctica.gov.au|date=15 April 2016 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-05}} It is bounded by Queen Maud Land in the West and by the Ross Dependency in the East. The Australian Antarctic Territory is the largest of any claims to the continent, and covers nearly 5.9 million square kilometres.{{cite web|title = National recovery plan for Albatrosses and Giant-petrels: Section 4.1.6 Australian Antarctic Territory, Geography |publisher= Australian Government, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |url= http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/albatross/habitat.html |access-date= 2008-07-16| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080817111259/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/albatross/habitat.html| archive-date= 17 August 2008 | url-status= live}} This makes up about 42% of Antarctica, and would cover about 80% of Mainland Australia.{{Cite web|title=Australian Antarctic Territory|website=antarctica.gov.au|date=15 April 2016 |access-date=2021-11-09|archive-date=23 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123111059/https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australia-in-antarctica/australian-antarctic-territory/|url=https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australia-in-antarctica/australian-antarctic-territory/|language=en}} It also corresponds to roughly twice the size of Queen Maud Land, India, Argentina or Kazakhstan.{{cite web|title=India - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/india/#geography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111023536/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/india/ |archive-date= 11 January 2021 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |work=The World Factbook |url-status=live |quote=2,973,193 sq km}}{{cite web|title=Argentina - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/argentina/#geography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227101423/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/argentina/ |archive-date=27 February 2023 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |work=The World Factbook |url-status=live |quote=2,736,690 sq km}}{{cite web|title=Kazakhstan - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kazakhstan/#geography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227104519/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kazakhstan/ |archive-date=27 February 2023 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |work=The World Factbook |url-status=live |quote=2,699,700 sq km}}

The territory is mostly inhabited by the staff of research stations. The Australian Antarctic Division administers the area primarily by maintaining three year-round stations—Mawson, Davis, and Casey—which support various research projects.The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2018). Maintaining Australia’s national interests in Antarctica: Inquiry into Australia’s Antarctic Territory. Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.

[[File:Districts of Australian Antarctic Territory.svg|thumb|300px|Map of districts of Australian Antarctic Territory

{{legend|#ec1111|Enderby Land}}

{{legend|#f88c19|Kemp Land}}

{{legend|#049e62|Mac. Robertson Land}}

{{legend|#0e38b4|Princess Elizabeth Land}}

{{legend|#b73db7|Kaiser Wilhelm II Land}}

{{legend|#45bfe2|Queen Mary Land}}

{{legend|#0ee706|Wilkes Land (showing further subdivisions into 5 parts)}}

{{legend|#ffd200|George V Land}}

{{legend|#038099|Oates Land}}

]]

The territory is divided into nine districts, which are from west to east:{{Cite web|date=2020-02-04|title=The Australian Antarctic Territory: History and Present Status|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-australian-antarctic-territory-history-and-present-status.html|access-date=2021-11-09|website=WorldAtlas|language=en-US}}

These regions are split into two separate areas geographically, with George V Land and Oates Land lying to the east of the French Territorial claim of Adélie Land, and all other districts lying to its west.

Australia claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from the Australian Antarctic Territory. However, the Australian proclamation of an Antarctic EEZ is contested. The effect of Article IV of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty (which prohibits new territorial claims or the extension of existing claims in the Antarctic) would seem to be that an EEZ cannot be claimed in relation to territory to which that Treaty applies (south of 60° South).{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} The provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) define the exclusive economic zone of a coastal state as up to {{convert|200|nmi|km}} from the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured.{{cite web|title=Part V. Exclusive Economic Zone. Article 57. Breadth of the exclusive economic zone|work=United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|url=https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm|access-date=15 January 2018}}

Whaling in Australian Antarctic territorial waters is controversial and has received international attention.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10487038 |title=Japanese whalers told to keep out of Australian territory |date=16 January 2008 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=17 September 2011}} Anti-whaling protest groups, in particular Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, have been active within the Australian Antarctic territorial waters. Sea Shepherd small boat crews have had multiple encounters with Japanese ships that claim to be on research expeditions while opponents argue this is only a "cover" for banned commercial whaling.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7800863.stm "'Stink' attack on Japan's whalers], BBC, 27 December 2008[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22670246 "Japanese whaling ship detains 2 protesters"], NBC News, 15 January 2008 The Australian Whale Sanctuary, in Australian Antarctic territory, is not recognised by the government of Japan. Anti-whaling legislation passed by the Australian Government applies to Australian territorial waters. However, Australia's claims of sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory—and thus sovereignty over Australian Antarctic territorial waters—are recognised by only the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Norway.[http://www.smh.com.au/news/whale-watch/an-honorable-way-out-of-the-whaling-debacle/2008/01/18/1200764227112.html "An honorable way out of the whaling débâcle"], Sydney Morning Herald, 19 January 2008

File:Davis Station November 2005.jpg]]

Active and closed stations in the territory, from West to East:

| Enderby Land

|-

| Mawson

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Australia}}

| {{coord|67|36|09.7|S|62|52|25.7|E|}}

| Mac Robertson Land (Mawson Coast)

|-

| Soyuz

| Closed

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|70|35|S|68|47|E|}}

| Mac Robertson Land (Lars Christensen Land)

|-

| Druzhnaya

| Closed

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|69|44|S|72|42|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Bharati

| Permanent

| {{flag|India}}

| {{coord|69|24|S|76|11|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Zhongshan

| Permanent

| {{flag|People's Republic of China|name=China}}

| {{coord|69|22|S|76|22|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station

| Seasonal

| {{flag|Romania}}

| {{coord|69|23|18.6|S|76|22|46.2|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Progress Station

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|69|23|S|76|23|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Davis

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Australia}}

| {{coord|68|34|35.8|S|77|58|02.6|E|}}

| Princess Elizabeth Land (Ingrid Christensen Land)

|-

| Sovetskaya

| Closed

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|77|58|S|89|16|E}}

| Wilhelm II Land

|-

| Mirny Station

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|66|33|S|93|01|E|}}

| Queen Mary Land

|-

| Komsomolskaya

| Closed

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|74|05|S|97|29|E|}}

| Queen Mary Land

|-

| Vostok

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|78|28|S|106|48|E|}}

| Wilkes Land (Knox Land)

|-

| Wilkes Station

| Closed

| {{flagu|Australia}}

| {{coord|66|15|25.6|S|110|31|32.2|E|}}

| Wilkes Land (Budd Land)

|-

| Casey

| Permanent

| {{flagu|Australia}}

| {{coord|66|16|54.5|S|110|31|39.4|E|}}

| Wilkes Land (Budd Land)

|-

| Concordia Station
(Dome C)

| Permanent

| {{flagu|France}}
{{flagu|Italy}}

| {{coord|75|06|S|123|23|E|}}

| Wilkes Land (Banzare Land)

|-

| Leningradskaya

| Closed

| {{flagu|Russia}}

| {{coord|69|30|S|159|23|E|}}

| Oates Land

|}

In 1933, a British imperial order stated:

That part of His Majesty's dominions in the Antarctic Seas which comprises all the islands and territories other than Adélie Land which are situated south of the 60th degree of South Latitude and lying between the 160th degree of East Longitude and the 45th degree of East Longitude is hereby placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia.Antarctica and international law: a collection of inter-state and national documents, Volume 2. pp. 143. Author: W. M. Bush. Editor: Oceana Publications, 1982. {{ISBN|0-379-20321-9}}, {{ISBN|978-0-379-20321-9}}

In 1933, the Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933 stated:

That part of the territory in the Antarctic seas which comprises all the islands and territories, other than Adelie Land, situated south of the 60th degree south latitude and lying between the 160th degree east longitude and the 45th degree east longitude, is hereby declared to be accepted by the Commonwealth as a Territory under the authority of the Commonwealth, by the name of the Australian Antarctic Territory.{{ Cite Legislation AU | Cth | act | C2004C00416 | Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933 }}

The borders with Adélie Land were fixed definitively in 1938. In 1947, Britain transferred Heard Island and McDonald Islands to the territory. On 13 February 1954,{{cite web |title= A Brief History of Mawson |publisher= Australian Government – Australian Arctic Division |url= http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7041 |access-date= 2008-07-16 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080727085111/http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7041 |archive-date= 27 July 2008 |url-status= dead }} Mawson Station was established as the first Australian station on the continent proper.

Australia's claim to sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory is recognised by only the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Norway.{{cite web|title=Chapter 6: Antarctic Territories |publisher=Parliament of Australia |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ncet/communication/report/chapter6.pdf |access-date=2013-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626203525/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ncet/communication/report/chapter6.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2008 |url-status=dead }} Ships of Japan conduct whaling in Australian Antarctic territorial waters.{{Cite AustLII|FCA|3|2008|litigants=Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd |parallelcite=(2008) 165 FCR 510 |courtname=auto |date=15 January 2008 |pinpoint=[13]}}.

In 2016, the Australian Government formulated an Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year "Action Plan" to improve overland transport capabilities and aviation access to the continent. The plan incorporated a strategy to protect the Antarctic environment and maintain an indefinite ban on mining and oil drilling. The construction of a research and resupply icebreaker vessel was also planned.{{cite web|title=Antarctica |website=2017 Foreign Policy White Paper |url=https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/minisite/static/4ca0813c-585e-4fe1-86eb-de665e65001a/fpwhitepaper/foreign-policy-white-paper/chapter-six-global-cooperation/climate-change/antarctica.html |access-date=2023-08-23 |date=November 2017}} The 25,000-tonne {{ship|RSV|Nuyina}} was delivered in 2021 and was immediately employed in support of the Casey Station. It is envisaged that the ship will support scientific research over the next 30 years.{{cite web|title=RSV NUYINA – AUSTRALIA'S NEW ICEBREAKER |website=Government of Australia |date=6 October 2022 |url=https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/transportation/shipping/rsv-nuyina/ |access-date=2023-08-23}}

Through "Operation Southern Discovery", elements of the Australian Defence Force also provide annual support for the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) in regional scientific, environmental and economic activities.{{cite web|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/operations/southern-discovery |title=Operation Southern Discovery |website=Australian Government - Defence |access-date=20 August 2023}} The Royal Australian Air Force provides air logistical support using C-17 transport aircraft supported by KC-30 tanker aircraft to supply Wilkins airfield in Antarctica.{{cite web|url=https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AP39-Australias-Antarctic-National-Air-Power-Futures.pdf|title=Australia's Antarctic National Air Power Futures |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=23 August 2023 |date=2019 |first1=Peter |last1=Layton |first2=Travis |last2=Hallen |first3=Lauren |last3=Bishop }}

During the early 1980s, there was a brief debate in Australia on whether or not to allow mining on the mineral-rich continent.{{cite web|title=Mining|url=http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/environment/geology/mining|work=In the 1980s, the question of possible mineral exploitation (including the hydrocarbons oil and gas) was addressed by the nations of the Antarctic Treaty. They negotiated an agreement called the Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA) which would have regulated mining should it have ever been contemplated. CRAMRA did not come into force. Instead, the Madrid Protocol was negotiated and it includes a ban on Antarctic mining.|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=26 June 2013}} Several mining proposals have been discussed and have all been rejected.{{cite web|title=No mining in Antarctica, say Aussies|url=http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/no-mining-in-antarctica-say-aussies-1.1066056?ot=inmsa.ArticlePrintPageLayout.ot|work=Despite the current global appetite for minerals, which has underpinned two decades of economic growth in Australia, the country currently has no plans to allow any mining in Antarctica|publisher=IOL|access-date=26 June 2013}}

On 9 August 2011, the influential Australian think-tank, the Lowy Institute, published a report warning Canberra against complacency when it comes to its claim.{{cite web|title=Antarctica: Assessing and Protecting Australia's National Interests|url=http://www.lowyinstitute.org/files/pubfiles/Fogarty%2C_Antarctica_web.pdf|work=International interest in Antarctica is rising.|publisher=Lowy Institute|access-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721060624/http://www.lowyinstitute.org/files/pubfiles/Fogarty%2C_Antarctica_web.pdf|archive-date=21 July 2013|url-status=dead}} The global treaty banning resource exploitation becomes reviewable in 2041,{{cite web|last=Swan|first=Robert|title=2041|url=http://2041.com/about-2041/#whatisthis|work=In the year 2041, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty could potentially be modified or amended.|publisher=2041.com|access-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805203108/http://2041.com/about-2041/#whatisthis|archive-date=5 August 2013|url-status=dead}} and some states may then decide to withdraw from it considering the continent's mineral deposits. These include coal seams, manganese, iron and uranium, while Antarctica's forecast oil reserves are estimated as among the largest in the world after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Lowy's national security fellow Ellie Fogarty said in the paper that Australia cannot adequately patrol its claim, lacking the kind of ski-planes it needs to reach some areas.

File:Cover AAT 1959.jpg

{{Main|Postage stamps and postal history of the Australian Antarctic Territory}}

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 and its territories, including Antarctica.

Assigned the country calling code +672{{Cite web |date=2024-12-04 |title=Communicating with Australian Antarctic Program participants - messaging & calling apps, email and phone. – Australian Antarctic Program |url=https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/family-and-friends/introductory-package/communicating-with-antarctica-by-phone-and-email/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=www.antarctica.gov.au |language=en}} 1[0-4] XXXX, the four stations and the Aurora Australis operated by the Australian Antarctic Division can be reached by direct calling from anywhere in the world. The area codes are 10 for Davis, 11 for Mawson, 12 for Casey, 13 for Macquarie Island and 14 for Wilkins and the Aurora Australis, in each case followed by four additional digits.

As of May 2018, the AAT was believed to have a population of around 80 people during winters and 200 during summers.{{cite web |title= The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2018). Maintaining Australia's national interests in Antarctica: Inquiry into Australia's Antarctic Territory. Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories. |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Capital_and_External_Territories/AntarcticTerritory |website=aph.gov.au |language=en-AU}}

{{Portal|Geography|Australia}}

• Australian Antarctic Building System

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.antarctica.gov.au/ Australian Antarctic Division]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071030143303/http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/search_names.cfm Australian Antarctic Gazetteer]

{{Coord|75|00|S|102|30|E|scale:40000000|display=title}}

{{Antarctic territorial claims}}

{{States and territories of Australia}}

{{British overseas territories}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Antarctic region

Category:States and territories established in 1933

Category:1933 establishments in Antarctica