Antarctica · antarctica
The Unclaimed Continent
How seven countries gave up the last empty place on Earth.
Antarctica is the only continent without a native population, a permanent army, or a national government. The reason is a 1959 treaty that quietly did what no other territory on Earth has ever achieved.
This story is still being researched by our editorial team. The published article will replace this placeholder shortly.
Seven countries claim slices of it. Not one of those claims has been recognized. At the bottom of the map sits a landmass the size of Europe and Australia combined — and, by international agreement, it belongs to no one.
What the article will cover
- The overlapping pie-slice claims (Britain, Argentina, Chile, Norway, Australia, France, New Zealand)
- The 1959 Antarctic Treaty — how twelve Cold War enemies agreed to freeze politics at 60°S
- What Antarctica looks like today: 70 bases, no borders, no commerce
- What happens when the treaty comes up for review in 2048
Come back soon to read the full story.