3.2.1.5 Antarctica

Question 1

How many countries hold sovereignty over Antarctica?

Answer 1

Seven

Question 2

Which countries hold claim over territory of Antarctica?

Answer 2

UK, Norway, France

Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand

Question 3

Why is the Antarctic Treaty important?

Answer 3

Because of the lack of soverignty

Question 4

When was the Antarctic Treaty signed?

Answer 4

1959

Question 5

When does the ATS expire?

Answer 5

2048

Question 6

What does the ATS rule?

Answer 6

No new soverignty claims will be considered
Freedom on scientific investigateion
The area is only to be used for peaceful purposes
Military activity and testing is prohibited
Dumping of nuclear waste is banned

Question 7

What is the UNEP?

Answer 7

United Nation’s Environmental Programme

Has observer status in Antarctic Treaty Consultive meetings to provide expertise

Question 8

How many countries have signed the ATS?

Answer 8

52

Continuing to grow

Question 9

What are the purpose of NGO’s in Antarctica?

Answer 9

To monitor, understand or control aspects of Antarctica e.g. marine life and sea levels

Question 10

how big is Antarctica?

Answer 10

covers an area of 14 million km2

Question 11

what is the annual precipitation of Antarctica

Answer 11

166m

Question 12

average temperature of Antarctic

Answer 12

-49 degrees c

Question 13

what is the main plant life in Antarctica

Answer 13

moss and lichen

Question 14

why is the ecosystem in Antarctica very fragile

Answer 14

due to the small amount of sunlight and rainfall it recieves
lack of warmth
making it very fragile

Question 15

where do micro phyto plankton thrive in?

Answer 15

the Antarctic vonvergence

Question 16

what are the main threats to Antarctica?

Answer 16

Climate change
Fishing and whaling
Search for minerals
Tourism and research

Question 17

details of climate change as a threat

Answer 17

in the past 50 years, the west coast has warmed by 3degrees c
leading to the retreat of ice shelves, penguin population decline
sea levels have risen by 3mm a year since the 1990s

Question 18

details of fishing and whaling as a threat

Answer 18

illegal fishing and whaling is unsustainable and damages the extensive food chain
whales are slow breeders which makes population recovery take a long time

Question 19

details of searching for minerals as a threat

Answer 19

large oil reserves in the Southern Ocean

coal in the Transantarctic Mountains

Question 20

details of tourism and research as a threat

Answer 20

pollution and risk of oil spills increase from ships
intrudence of tourists can disturb animals, destroy vegetation and erode the landscape
research facilities cam be damaging

Question 21

what is a key NGO in Antarctica and when was it formed

Answer 21

ASOC - Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

1978

Question 22

what was ASOC set up for

Answer 22

to monitor climate change
for those that were concerned that some countries were planning to make it legal to exploit the Antarctic’s natural minerals

Question 23

what does the IWC do

Answer 23

ensures whale populations are at a sustainable level

Question 24

what strategy did the IWC introduce

Answer 24

the Whaling Moratorium

Question 25

why has the Whaling Moratorium not been successful?

Answer 25

it doesn’t have enough authority to carry out the main functions

Question 26

limitations of the ATS

Answer 26

there is no system to ensure all countries are abiding by the rules
issues can be slow and difficult to resolve as all countries must each a consensus over decisions regarding Antarctica

Question 27

why does the way Antarctica is governed affect the rest of the world?

Answer 27

monitoring sea level rise has encouraged efforts to mitigate climate change
secures resources for future generations
global governance allows tourists to visit safely and securely