British Antarctic Territory
- British Antarctic Territory
-
a British colony in the S Atlantic, comprising the South Shetland Islands, the South Orkney Islands, and Graham Land: formerly dependencies of the Falkland Islands.
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a territory of the United Kingdom lying southeast of South America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west. Triangular in shape, it has an area (mostly ocean) of 2,095,000 square miles (5,425,000 square km), bounded by the South Pole (
south),
latitude 60° S (
north), and by longitudes 20° W (
east) and 80° W (
west). It includes all land areas south of 60° S and between the aforementioned longitudes, including the
South Orkney Islands, the
South Shetland Islands, the
Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands, and mainland Antarctica extending to the South Pole. In area, the land portion of the territory covers about 660,000 square miles (1,700,000 square km). Most of the islands in the territory are glaciated; the Antarctic Peninsula is mountainous, with a snow-covered plateau extending the length of the peninsula, rising from 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in the north to about 7,000 feet (2,000 m) in the south; and the main continental area is covered by permanent ice cap and fringed by floating or grounded ice shelves.
Designated a territory in 1962 by the British government, it consists of the area (excepting South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) previously known as the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The territory is administered by a High Commissioner resident in Stanley, Falkland Islands. The population of the territory (usually between 50 and 100) consists of scientists and technicians who maintain the British Antarctic Survey stations. In the summer months, relief personnel and summer field-workers arriving by airplane and ship enlarge the population.
Argentina claims the Antarctic region bounded by latitude 60° S and longitudes 25° W and 74° W; Chile claims the area bounded by latitude 60° S and longitudes 53° W and 90° W. All territorial claims in Antarctica south of 60° S, including the British one that is the basis of the British Antarctic Territory, are in abeyance for the duration of the
Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959.
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Universalium.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
British Antarctic Territory — British territory including that part of Antarctica between 20° and 80° west longitude, the South Orkney Islands, & the South Shetland Islands … English World dictionary
British Antarctic Territory — Infobox country native name = conventional long name = British Antarctic Territory common name = British Antarctic Territory symbol type = Coat of arms national motto = Research and Discovery national anthem = God Save the Queen royal anthem =… … Wikipedia
British Antarctic Territory — Territoire britannique antarctique British Antarctic Territory … Wikipédia en Français
British Antarctic Territory — geographical name islands & territories in the S Atlantic & in Antarctica administered by the British including South Orkney & South Shetland islands, Antarctic Peninsula, & Palmer Archipelago … New Collegiate Dictionary
British Antarctic Territory — Brit′ish Antarc′tic Ter′ritory n. geg a British colony in the S Atlantic, comprising the South Shetland Islands, the South Orkney Islands, and Graham Land: formerly dependencies of the Falkland Islands … From formal English to slang
British Antarctic Territory — a British colony in the S Atlantic, comprising the South Shetland Islands, the South Orkney Islands, and Graham Land: formerly dependencies of the Falkland Islands … Useful english dictionary
Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory — The flag of the Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory This is a list of High Commissioners and Commissioners of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT), the area of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. The British Antarctic Territory … Wikipedia
Coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory — The coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory were first granted in 1952, when the territory was still a dependency of the Falkland Islands (along with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). The arms consist of a shield bearing a… … Wikipedia
Flag of the British Antarctic Territory — The Flag of the British Antarctic Territory was granted in 1963, a year after the British Antarctic Territory was created. Previously the Territory was a part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies and used the same flag.The flag is a white ensign… … Wikipedia
Postage stamps and postal history of the British Antarctic Territory — Despite the lack of permanent inhabitants, the British Antarctic Territory issues its own postage stamps. While some are actually used by visiting tourists and resident scientists, the bulk are sold overseas to collectors. The first issue came in … Wikipedia
