Australian Antarctic Territory

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The Australian Claim

The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) or Australian Antarctic Claim consists of two sectors of the continent of Antarctica and is the largest Antarctic territory claimed by any nation.

Location

The AAT consists of all the islands and territory south of 60°S and between 45°E and 160°E, except for Adélie Land. It is bounded by Queen Maud Land in the west and by the Ross Dependency in the east. The area is estimated at 5,896,500 km2.

Recognition of claim

In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty came into force. Article 4 deals with territorial claims, and although it does not renounce or diminish any preexisting claims to sovereignty, it also does not prejudice the position of Contracting Parties in their recognition or non-recognition of territorial sovereignty. As a result, only four other countries (New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, and Norway) recognize Australia's claim to sovereignty in Antarctica.

Adélie Land, a French territorial claim, exists as a sliver dividing this territory into two parts.

See also