Encyclopedia Westarctica - User contributions [en]

Noble Order of Westarctica

2018-04-05T18:54:22Z

65.223.62.142: /* List of Honorary Knights */

[[File:Grand Duke-2005-Orders.jpg|thumb|Grand Duke Travis in 2005 wearing the sash of the Noble Order of Westarctica]]
The '''Noble Order of Westarctica''' was the first [[Orders of Westarctica|Order of Chivalry]] created by [[Grand Duke Travis]]. It was created to recognize exceptional leadership qualities in foreign Heads of State, but the criteria was later expanded to include any leader with a noble title.

==Creation of the Order==
Although the Noble Order of Westarctica was the first order listed in the 17 March 2005 ''Royal Decree Revising the Orders of Westarctica'' which dealt with the four original Orders of Chivalry in [[Westarctica]], it was actually first came into use around the time the Grand Ducal Mandate was decreed. The section of the March 2005 decree on the Noble Order read:

<blockquote>
This Noble Order is designed to recognize exceptional leadership characteristics in foreign Heads of State. There is one class, Knight. The regalia for this Order is a blue sash (or riband) worn across the right shoulder to the left-side waist.
</blockquote>

==Hereditary nature of the Order==
The Noble Order of Westarctica is the only Order of Chivalry that is hereditary in nature. When the holder of the knighthood, even an honorary knighthood, dies, the honor is bestowed upon their heir. In most cases, as the order is only bestowed upon nobles or international Heads of State, whichever of their heirs assumes the throne or title becomes the new bearer of of Westarctica's knighthood as well.

This first occurred upon the death of Prince Rainier III of Monaco on 6 April 2005. His Serene Highness's honorary knighthood, which had been bestowed less than a year prior, passed to his son, Prince Albert II, who still holds it to this day.

==Knights of the Order==
The first Knights of the Order were bestowed through the mail upon twelve reigning monarchs on 20 November 2004. As these were foreign leaders, the knighthoods were only honorary.

On 7 March 2005, honorary knighthoods were bestowed upon the heirs of the Imperial thrones of Iran and Ethiopia.

On 4 April 2005, [[President Kevin Baugh]] of [[Republic of Molossia|Molossia]] was given an honorary knighthood. He remains the only non-royal, non-noble Knight of the order.

===List of Honorary Knights===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:65%; background:white; border:#01796f solid;"
|-
! Name || Year of appointment || Notes
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of Westarctica.jpg|Westarctica}} [[Grand Duke Travis]] of Westarctica || 2004 || ''Sovereign of the Order''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of UK.png}} Queen Elizabeth II of England || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Denmark.png}} Queen Margrethe II of Denmark || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Sweden.png}} King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Spain.png}} King Juan Carlos I of Spain || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Netherlands.png}} Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Norway.png}} King Harald V of Norway || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Belgium.gif}} King Albert II of Belgium || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Nepal.png}} King Gyanendra of Nepal || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Lesotho.png}} King Letsie III of Lesotho || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Iran.png}} Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Ethiopia.jpg}} Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie of Ethiopia || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Monaco.gif}} Prince Albert II of Monaco || 2005 || ''First heir to inherit a knighthood''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Luxembourg.png}} Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of Molossia.png|Molossia}} [[President Kevin Baugh]] of [[Republic of Molossia|Molossia]] || 2005 || ''Only non-royal member''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Tonga.png}} King Tupou VI of Tonga || 2012 || ''Inherited from line of Tupou IV''
|}

[[Category:Orders of Westarctica]]

Noble Order of Westarctica

2018-04-05T18:53:18Z

65.223.62.142: /* List of Honorary Knights */

[[File:Grand Duke-2005-Orders.jpg|thumb|Grand Duke Travis in 2005 wearing the sash of the Noble Order of Westarctica]]
The '''Noble Order of Westarctica''' was the first [[Orders of Westarctica|Order of Chivalry]] created by [[Grand Duke Travis]]. It was created to recognize exceptional leadership qualities in foreign Heads of State, but the criteria was later expanded to include any leader with a noble title.

==Creation of the Order==
Although the Noble Order of Westarctica was the first order listed in the 17 March 2005 ''Royal Decree Revising the Orders of Westarctica'' which dealt with the four original Orders of Chivalry in [[Westarctica]], it was actually first came into use around the time the Grand Ducal Mandate was decreed. The section of the March 2005 decree on the Noble Order read:

<blockquote>
This Noble Order is designed to recognize exceptional leadership characteristics in foreign Heads of State. There is one class, Knight. The regalia for this Order is a blue sash (or riband) worn across the right shoulder to the left-side waist.
</blockquote>

==Hereditary nature of the Order==
The Noble Order of Westarctica is the only Order of Chivalry that is hereditary in nature. When the holder of the knighthood, even an honorary knighthood, dies, the honor is bestowed upon their heir. In most cases, as the order is only bestowed upon nobles or international Heads of State, whichever of their heirs assumes the throne or title becomes the new bearer of of Westarctica's knighthood as well.

This first occurred upon the death of Prince Rainier III of Monaco on 6 April 2005. His Serene Highness's honorary knighthood, which had been bestowed less than a year prior, passed to his son, Prince Albert II, who still holds it to this day.

==Knights of the Order==
The first Knights of the Order were bestowed through the mail upon twelve reigning monarchs on 20 November 2004. As these were foreign leaders, the knighthoods were only honorary.

On 7 March 2005, honorary knighthoods were bestowed upon the heirs of the Imperial thrones of Iran and Ethiopia.

On 4 April 2005, [[President Kevin Baugh]] of [[Republic of Molossia|Molossia]] was given an honorary knighthood. He remains the only non-royal, non-noble Knight of the order.

===List of Honorary Knights===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:65%; background:white; border:#01796f solid;"
|-
! Name || Year of appointment || Notes
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of Westarctica.jpg|Westarctica}} [[Grand Duke Travis]] of Westarctica || 2004 || ''Sovereign of the Order''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of UK.png}} Queen Elizabeth II of England || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Denmark.png}} Queen Margrethe II of Denmark || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Sweden.png}} King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Spain.png}} King Juan Carlos I of Spain || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Netherlands.png}} Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Norway.png}} King Harald V of Norway || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Belgium.gif}} King Albert II of Belgium || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Nepal.png}} King Gyanendra of Nepal || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Lesotho.png}} King Letsie III of Lesotho || 2004 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Iran.png}} Reza Pahlavi, Iran || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Ethiopia.jpg}} Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie of Ethiopia || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Monaco.gif}} Prince Albert II of Monaco || 2005 || ''First heir to inherit a knighthood''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Luxembourg.png}} Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg || 2005 ||
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Flag of Molossia.png|Molossia}} [[President Kevin Baugh]] of [[Republic of Molossia|Molossia]] || 2005 || ''Only non-royal member''
|-
| {{flagiconstart|Tonga.png}} King Tupou VI of Tonga || 2012 || ''Inherited from line of Tupou IV''
|}

[[Category:Orders of Westarctica]]

Ross Sea

2018-04-02T23:02:28Z

65.223.62.142:

[[File:Ross sea.jpg|thumb|The Ross Sea in relation to the western portion of Antarctica]]
The '''Ross Sea''' is a deep bay of the [[Southern Ocean]] in [[Antarctica]], between [[Victoria Land]] and [[Marie Byrd Land]] and within the [[Ross Embayment]]. It derives its name from the British explorer [[James Clark Ross|James Ross]] who visited this area in 1841. To the west of the sea lies [[Ross Island]] and [[Victoria Land]], to the east [[Roosevelt Island]] and [[King Edward VII Land]] in [[Westarctica]], while the southernmost part is covered by the [[Ross Ice Shelf]], and is about 200 miles from the South Pole. Its boundaries and area have been defined by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research as having an area of 637,000 km2.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Seas]]

Ross Sea

2018-04-02T23:02:18Z

65.223.62.142:

[[File:Ross sea.jpg|thumb|The Ross Sea in relation to the western portion of Antarctica]]
The '''Ross Sea''' is a deep bay of the [[Southern Ocean]] in [[Antarctica]], between [[Victoria Land]] and [[Marie Byrd Land]] and within the [[Ross Embayment]]. It derives its name from the British explorer [[James Clark Ross|James Ross]] who visited this area in 1841. To the west of the sea lies [[Ross Island]] and [[Victoria Land]], to the east [[Roosevelt Island]] and [[King Edward VII Land]] in [[Westarctica]], while the southernmost part is covered by the [[Ross Ice Shelf]], and is about 200 miles from the South Pole. Its boundaries and area have been defined by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research as having an area of 637,000 km2}.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Seas]]

Ross Ice Shelf

2018-04-02T23:01:17Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Ross Ice Shelf''' is the largest [[ice-shelf|ice shelf]] of [[Antarctica]] (as of 2013 an area of roughly 500,809 km2) and about 800k across, about the size of France). It is several hundred meters thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 m high above the water surface. Ninety percent of the floating [[ice]], however, is below the water surface.

Most of Ross Ice Shelf is in the [[Ross Dependency]] claimed by New Zealand. It floats in, and covers, a large southern portion of the [[Ross Sea]] and the entire Roosevelt Island located in the west of the Sea.

The ice shelf is named after Captain Sir [[James Clark Ross]], who discovered it on 28 January 1841. It was originally called "the Barrier", with various adjectives including "Great Ice Barrier", as it prevented sailing further south. Ross mapped the ice front eastward to 160°W. In 1947, the US Board on Geographic Names applied the name "Ross Shelf Ice" to this feature and published it in the original US Antarctic Gazetteer. In January 1953 the name was changed to "Ross Ice Shelf". and in 1956 the name was published.

Ross Ice Shelf

2018-04-02T23:00:30Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Ross Ice Shelf''' is the largest [[ice-shelf|ice shelf]] of [[Antarctica]] (as of 2013 an area of roughly 500,809 km2} and about 800k across, about the size of France). It is several hundred meters thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 m high above the water surface. Ninety percent of the floating ice, however, is below the water surface.

Most of Ross Ice Shelf is in the [[Ross Dependency]] claimed by New Zealand. It floats in, and covers, a large southern portion of the [[Ross Sea]] and the entire Roosevelt Island located in the west of the Sea.

The ice shelf is named after Captain Sir [[James Clark Ross]], who discovered it on 28 January 1841. It was originally called "the Barrier", with various adjectives including "Great Ice Barrier", as it prevented sailing further south. Ross mapped the ice front eastward to 160°W. In 1947, the US Board on Geographic Names applied the name "Ross Shelf Ice" to this feature and published it in the original US Antarctic Gazetteer. In January 1953 the name was changed to "Ross Ice Shelf". and in 1956 the name was published.

Sir Percival Waddlesworth

2018-04-02T22:57:56Z

65.223.62.142:

[[File:Fancy Penguin Mascot.png|thumb|400px|Sir Percival Waddlesworth]]
'''Sir Percival Waddlesworth''' is the official mascot of the nation of [[Westarctica]]. He is depicted as an anthropomorphic adult male penguin, species unknown but possibly a [[chinstrap penguin]], wearing an top hat and monocle. Penguins are almost exclusively endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, and so the association of a penguin with the country of Westarctica is a natural one.

==Creation and naming==
In early 2018, [[Grand Duke Travis]] commissioned an artist to create a "fancy penguin" who would "''do for Westarctica what Mr. Peanut did for Planters''." After several iterations over the course of a week, the final result was approved by the Grand Duke and shared with the citizens of Westarctica through the official Facebook page.

===Naming contest===
On 29 January 2018, a contest was announced to name the penguin. The winner was promised a Knighthood for coming up with the name that best suited the fancy penguin.

Over 150 responses were recorded and the top ten names were presented to the members of the [[Westarctica's Hereditary Nobility|Hereditary Nobility]]. The nobles did not vote on single names, instead, they were asked to vote on three separate parts of the name: a title, a first name, and a last name. They also had the option to omit the title and/or the last name. Voting for the penguin's name had a 67% turnout from the 61 members of the Hereditary Nobility.

The final selection, as determined by voting, was announced on the Westarctica Facebook page on 28 February 2018. The person who submitted the winning name was [[Brittany Anne Bullock]], who was given the rank and regalia of a Dame Commander in the [[Order of the Snowflake]].

[[Category:Symbols of Westarctica]]

Sir Percival Waddlesworth

2018-04-02T22:36:44Z

65.223.62.142:

[[File:Fancy Penguin Mascot.png|thumb|400px|Sir Percival Waddlesworth]]
'''Sir Percival Waddlesworth''' is the official mascot of the nation of [[Westarctica]]. He is depicted as an anthropomorphic adult male penguin, species unknown but possibly a [[chinstrap penguin]], wearing an top hat and monocle. Penguins are almost exclusively endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, and so the association of a penguin with the country of Westarctica is a natural one.

==Creation and naming==
In early 2018, [[Grand Duke Travis]] commissioned an artist to create a "fancy penguin" who would "do for Westarctica what Mr. Peanut did for Planters." After several iterations over the course of a week, the final result was approved by the Grand Duke and shared with the citizens of Westarctica through the official Facebook page.

===Naming contest===
On 29 January 2018, a contest was announced to name the penguin. The winner was promised a Knighthood for coming up with the name that best suited the fancy penguin.

Over 150 responses were recorded and the top ten names were presented to the members of the [[Westarctica's Hereditary Nobility|Hereditary Nobility]]. The nobles did not vote on single names, instead, they were asked to vote on three separate parts of the name: a title, a first name, and a last name.

[[Category:Symbols of Westarctica]]

Peacock Sound

2018-04-02T22:28:07Z

65.223.62.142: /* Discovery */

[[File:Peacock Sound Map.png|thumb|Shaded relief map showing the Peacock Sound]]
'''Peacock Sound''' is an ice-filled sound (ocean channel between two bodies of land), 216 kilometers (134 mi) long and 64 km (40 mi) wide, separating [[Thurston Island]] from the [[Eights Coast]] of [[Ellsworth Land]] in [[Westarctica]].

The sound is occupied by the western part of the [[Abbot Ice Shelf]], and is therefore not navigable by ships.

==Discovery==
The feature was discovered by members of the U.S. Antarctic Service during flights from the ship ''Bear'' in February 1940, and was further delineated from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump in December 1946. The sound was first noted to parallel the entire south coast of Thurston Island, thereby establishing insularity, by the U.S. Navy's [[Bellingshausen Sea]] Expedition in February 1960.
[[File:USS Peacock in ice, 1840.jpg|thumb|Pencil drawing of the USS Peacock stuck in ice in 1840]]

==Name==
Peacock Sound was named after the refitted sloop of war ''[[USS Peacock|Peacock]]'' in which Captain William L. Hudson, in company with the tender ''Flying Fish'' under Lt. William M. Walker, both of the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-42, sailed along the edge of the [[pack ice]] to the north of Thurston Island for several days in March 1839.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Seas]]

Marie Byrd Land

2018-04-02T22:27:18Z

65.223.62.142:

[[ File:Antarctica, Marie Byrd Land.jpg|thumb|The Antarctic sector that constitutes Marie Byrd Land]]
'''Marie Byrd Land''' is the portion of [[Westarctica]] lying east of the [[Ross Ice Shelf]] and the Ross Sea and south of the [[Southern Ocean]], extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of the Ross Ice Shelf and [[Eights Coast]]. It stretches between 158°W and 103°24'W. The inclusion of the area between the [[Rockefeller Plateau]] and [[Eights Coast]] is based upon the leading role of the American Rear Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]] in the exploration of this area. The name was originally applied by Admiral Byrd in 1929, in honor of his wife, to the northwestern part of the area, the part that was explored in that year. It is now coterminous with the political entity of [[Westarctica]].

==Overview==
Because of its remoteness, even by [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] standards, most of Marie Byrd Land (the portion east of 150°W) was not originally claimed by any sovereign nation, it was by far the largest single unclaimed territory on Earth before becoming subsumed within Westarctica, with an area of 1,610,000 km2 (including [[Eights Coast]], immediately east of Marie Byrd Land). In 1939, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt instructed members of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition to take steps to claim some of Antarctica as United States territory. Although this appears to have been done by members of this and subsequent expeditions, these do not appear to have been formalized prior to 1959, when the [[Antarctic Treaty System]] was set up. Some publications in the United States have shown this as a United States territory in the intervening period, and the United States Defense Department has stated that United States has a solid basis for a claim in Antarctica resulting from its activities prior to 1959. The portion west of 150°W is part of [[Ross Dependency]] claimed by New Zealand.

Five coastal areas are distinguished, which are listed from west to east:

{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! Sector
! Western Border
! Eastern Border
|-
| 1
| [[Saunders Coast]]
| 158°00'W
| 146°31'W
|-
| 2
| [[Ruppert Coast]]
| 146°31'W
| 136°50'W
|-
| 3
| [[Hobbs Coast]]
| 136°50'W
| 127°35'W
|-
| 4
| [[Bakutis Coast]]
| 127°35'W
| 114°12'W
|-
| 5
| [[Walgreen Coast]]
| 114°12'W
| 103°24'W
|- style="background: #dddddd;"
|  
| Marie Byrd Land
| 158°00'W
| 103°24'W
|}

-Credit: Wikipedia

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Marie Byrd Land

2018-04-02T22:25:46Z

65.223.62.142:

[[ File:Antarctica, Marie Byrd Land.jpg|thumb|The Antarctic sector that constitutes Marie Byrd Land]]'''Marie Byrd Land''' is the portion of west [[Antarctica]] lying east of the [[Ross Ice Shelf]] and the Ross Sea and south of the Pacific Ocean, extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of the Ross Ice Shelf and [[Eights Coast]]. It stretches between 158°W and 103°24'W. The inclusion of the area between the [[Rockefeller Plateau]] and Eights Coast is based upon the leading role of the American Rear Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]] in the exploration of this area. The name was originally applied by Admiral Byrd in 1929, in honor of his wife, to the northwestern part of the area, the part that was explored in that year. It is now coterminous with the political entity of [[Westarctica]].

==Overview==
Because of its remoteness, even by Antarctic standards, most of Marie Byrd Land (the portion east of 150°W) was not originally claimed by any sovereign nation, it was by far the largest single unclaimed territory on Earth before becoming subsumed within Westarctica, with an area of 1,610,000 km2 (including Eights Coast, immediately east of Marie Byrd Land). In 1939, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt instructed members of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition to take steps to claim some of Antarctica as United States territory. Although this appears to have been done by members of this and subsequent expeditions, these do not appear to have been formalized prior to 1959, when the [[Antarctic Treaty System]] was set up. Some publications in the United States have shown this as a United States territory in the intervening period, and the United States Defense Department has stated that United States has a solid basis for a claim in Antarctica resulting from its activities prior to 1959. The portion west of 150°W is part of [[Ross Dependency]] claimed by New Zealand.

Five coastal areas are distinguished, which are listed from west to east:

{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! Sector
! Western Border
! Eastern Border
|-
| 1
| [[Saunders Coast]]
| 158°00'W
| 146°31'W
|-
| 2
| [[Ruppert Coast]]
| 146°31'W
| 136°50'W
|-
| 3
| [[Hobbs Coast]]
| 136°50'W
| 127°35'W
|-
| 4
| [[Bakutis Coast]]
| 127°35'W
| 114°12'W
|-
| 5
| [[Walgreen Coast]]
| 114°12'W
| 103°24'W
|- style="background: #dddddd;"
|  
| Marie Byrd Land
| 158°00'W
| 103°24'W
|}

-Credit: Wikipedia

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Wrigley Gulf

2018-04-02T22:25:16Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Wrigley Gulf''' is an embayment (Coordinates: 74°0′S 129°0′W) about 115 miles wide along the coastline of [[Westarctica]], lying seaward of the [[Getz Ice Shelf]]. Nearly a right angle in plan, its limits are described by [[Grant Island]], [[Dean Island]], and [[Siple Island]], which are partially or wholly embedded in the ice shelf.

Wrigley Gulf was discovered in December 1940 by the US Antarctic Service (USAS), and named for Philip Wrigley, a Chicago manufacturer who helped support the expedition.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]
[[Geography:Seas]]

Getz Ice Shelf

2018-04-02T22:24:05Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Getz Ice Shelf''' is the largest [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] [[ice-shelf|ice shelf]] along the southeast coastline of [[Westarctica]], over 300 miles long and from 20-60 miles wide, bordering the [[Hobbs Coast|Hobbs]] and [[Bakutis Coast|Bakutis]] Coasts of between the [[McDonald Heights]] and the [[Martin Peninsula]]. Several large islands are partially or wholly embedded in the ice shelf, pinning the calving front.

Summer temperature and salinity measurements from 1994 to 2010 show the shelf is subject to more changeable oceanic forcing than other Antarctic shelves. Beneath cold surface waters, the thermoclin was ∼200 m shallower in 2007 than in 2000, indicative of shifting access of deep water to the continental shelf and ice shelf base. The calculated area-average basal melt rates was between 1.1 and 4.1 m of ice per year, making Getz the largest source of meltwater to the Southern Ocean.

The ice shelf westward of [[Siple Island]] was discovered by the United States Antarctic Service in December 1940. It was named by the USAS (1939–41) for [[George F. Getz]] who helped furnish the seaplane for the expedition.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Bakutis Coast

2018-04-02T22:21:37Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Bakutis Coast''' is the part of the coast of [[Westarctica]] extending from a point opposite eastern [[Dean Island]], at 74°42′S 127°05′W , to [[Cape Herlacher]], or between [[Hobbs Coast]] in the west and the [[Walgreen Coast]] in the east. It stretches between 127°05'W and 114°12'W.

The coast in this area is bounded by several large ice-covered islands and the very extensive [[Getz Ice Shelf]].

==Discovery and name==
This coast was sighted by members of the US Antarctic Service, 1939-41, and was charted in part from air photos taken by Operation Highjump, 1946-47, both expeditions led by Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]]. The United States Geological Survey completely mapped the coast from ground surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1959-66.

Bakutis Coast was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Rear Admiral Fred E. Bakutis, Commander of the U.S. Naval Support Force, [[Antarctica]], from 1965 to 1967.

The hinterland of Bakutis Coast is the location of [[Byrd Station]], which is located in the interior, about 500 km from the actual coast.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Hobbs Coast

2018-04-02T22:19:34Z

65.223.62.142:

The '''Hobbs Coast''' (located at 74°50′S 132°0′W) is the portion of the coast of [[Westarctica]] extending from [[Cape Burks]] to a point on the coast opposite eastern [[Dean Island]], at 74°42′S 127°05′W, or between the [[Ruppert Coast]] in the west and the [[Bakutis Coast]] in the east. It stretches from 136°50′W to 127°35′.

==Discovery and name==
The coast was discovered by the US Antarctic Service (1939–41) mapped by the United States Geological Survey from ground surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1959–65.

The Hobbs Coast was named for Professor [[William H. Hobbs]] of the University of Michigan, a glaciologist specializing in polar geography and history.

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Sir Percival Waddlesworth

2018-04-02T22:17:08Z

65.223.62.142:

'''Sir Percival Waddlesworth''' is the official mascot of the nation of [[Westarctica]]. He is depicted in official documents as an adult male penguin, species unknown but possibly a [[chinstrap penguin]], wearing an anthropomorphic top hat and monocle. Penguins are almost exclusively endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, and so the association of a penguin with the country of Westarctica is a natural one.

[[Category:Symbols of Westarctica]]

Richard E. Byrd

2018-04-02T22:16:23Z

65.223.62.142:

Rear Admiral '''Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr.''', (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the [[Antarctic Plateau]]. Byrd claimed that his expeditions had been the first to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole by air. However, his claim to have reached the North Pole is disputed.

===Ancestry===
Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Esther Bolling (Flood) and Richard Evelyn Byrd Sr. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia. His ancestors include planter John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas, William Byrd II of Westover Plantation, who established Richmond, Virginia, and Robert "King" Carter, a colonial governor. He was the brother of Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, a dominant figure in the Virginia Democratic Party from the 1920s until the 1960s; their father served as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates for a time.

===Marriage===
On January 20, 1915, Richard married Marie Donaldson Ames (d. 1974). He would later name a region of Antarctic land he discovered [[Marie Byrd Land]], after her. They had four children – Richard Evelyn Byrd III, Evelyn Bolling Byrd Clarke, Katharine Agnes Byrd Breyer, and Helen Byrd Stabler. By late 1924, the Byrd family moved into a large brownstone at 9 Brimmer Street in Boston's fashionable Beacon Hill neighborhood. It would be Byrd's primary residence for the rest of his life. Noted naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison also lived on Brimmer Street.

==Education==
Byrd attended the Virginia Military Institute for two years and spent one year at the University of Virginia before financial circumstances inspired his transfer to the United States Naval Academy, where he was appointed Midshipman on May 28, 1908. While at the Academy, he severely injured his right ankle while performing a gymnastics routine. While he was able to graduate from the Academy, the injured ankle was the reason for his medical retirement from the Navy in 1916.

==Early naval career==
On June 8, 1912, Byrd graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. On July 14, 1912, he was assigned to the battleship USS ''Wyoming'' and was later assigned to the gunboat USS ''Dolphin'', which also served as the yacht of the Secretary of the Navy. While serving on board ''Dolphin'' he made the acquaintance of future Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, then the ''Dolphin'''s commanding officer, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used ''Dolphin'' for transportation. He was assigned to ''Dolphin'' when she was involved in the United States' intervention in Veracruz, Mexico in 1914.

On March 15, 1916, Byrd was medically retired for a foot injury he suffered on board the ''Dolphin''. He was immediately promoted to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) and assigned as the Inspector and Instructor for the Rhode Island Naval Militia in Providence, Rhode Island. On December 14, 1916, he was commissioned as a commander in the Rhode Island Naval Militia. On April 25, 1928, by act of the Rhode Island General Assembly, he was promoted to captain in the Rhode Island Naval Militia in recognition of his flight to the North Pole in 1926.

==First World War==
Byrd served on active duty during World War I. He had the foresight to realize that aviation was going to expand rapidly in the next few years. Byrd volunteered to become a naval aviator, took flying lessons and earned his pilot wings in August 1917. He developed a passion for flight, and pioneered many techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including drift indicators, the sun compass and bubble sextants.

During the First World War, Byrd was assigned to the Office of Naval Operations and served as secretary and organizer of the Navy Department Commission on Training Camps and trained men in aviation at the aviation ground school in Pensacola, Florida. He then commanded naval air forces at Naval Air Station Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada from July 1918 until the armistice in November.

He was promoted to lieutenant on September 2, 1918, and to temporary lieutenant commander on September 21, 1918.

==Post war==
After the war, Byrd's expertise in aerial navigation resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path for the transatlantic crossing. Of the three flying boats that attempted it, only Albert Read's NC-4 aircraft completed the trip, becoming the first ever transatlantic flight.

During the summer of 1923 then-Lieutenant Byrd, with the assistance of a group of volunteer Navy veterans of the First World War, helped found the Naval Reserve Air Station (NRAS) at Squantum Point near Boston, using an unused First World War seaplane hangar, which had remained more-or-less intact after the Victory Destroyer Plant shipyard was built on the site. NRAS Squantum was commissioned on 15 August 1923, and is considered to have been the first air base in the Naval Reserve program.

Byrd commanded the aviation unit of the arctic expedition to North Greenland led by Donald B. MacMillan from June to October 1925. This position gave Byrd an appreciation for the benefits aircraft could bring to Arctic exploration. As a result, he employed aircraft in all of his future expeditions.

==1926 North Pole flight==
On May 9, 1926, Byrd and Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett attempted a flight over the North Pole in a Fokker F.VIIa/3m Tri-motor monoplane named ''Josephine Ford'', after the daughter of Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford, who helped finance the expedition. The flight went from Spitsbergen (Svalbard) and back to its take-off airfield, lasting fifteen hours and fifty-seven minutes (including 13 minutes of circling the pole). Byrd and Bennett claimed to have reached the pole, a distance of 1,535 miles (1,335 nautical miles).

When he returned to the United States from the Arctic, Byrd became a national hero. Congress passed a special act on December 21, 1926, promoting him to the rank of commander and awarding both him and Floyd Bennett the Medal of Honor. Bennett was promoted to the warrant officer rank of Machinist. Byrd and Bennett were presented with Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor|Tiffany Cross versions of the Medal of Honor on March 5, 1927, at the White House by President Calvin Coolidge. The widespread acclaim from the flight enabled Byrd to secure funding for the subsequent attempt to fly over the South Pole.

===Controversy===
Since 1926, there have been doubts raised, defenses made, and heated controversy over whether or not Byrd actually reached the North Pole. In 1958, Norwegian-American aviator and explorer Bernt Balchen cast doubt on Byrd's claim on the basis of his knowledge of the airplane's speed. Balchen claimed that Bennett had confessed to him months after the flight that he and Byrd had not reached the pole. Bennett died on April 25, 1928, during a flight to rescue downed aviators in Greenland. However, Bennett had started a memoir, given numerous interviews, and wrote an article for an aviation magazine about the flight before his death that all confirmed Byrd's version of the flight.

The 1996 release of Byrd's diary of the May 9, 1926, flight revealed erased (but still legible) sextant sights that sharply differ with Byrd's later June 22 typewritten official report to the National Geographic Society. Byrd took a sextant reading of the Sun at 7:07:10 GCT. His erased diary record shows the apparent (observed) solar altitude to have been 19°25'30", while his later official typescript reports the same 7:07:10 apparent solar altitude to have been 18°18'18". On the basis of this and other data in the diary, Dennis Rawlins concluded that Byrd steered accurately, and flew about eighty percent of the distance to the Pole before turning back because of an engine oil leak, but later falsified his official report to support his claim of reaching the pole. Others disagree with Rawlins. In 1998, Colonel William Molett, an experienced navigator published ''Due north?''; Molett maintained that Rawlins had put too much significance in erased navigational calculations which can be explained by any number of other reasons, including favorable wind speeds as well as simple human error due to stress and lack of sleep. None of Molett's hypotheses explain how Byrd could have observed two completely different sextant altitudes in the same second of time.

Accepting that the conflicting data in the typed report's flight times indeed require both northward and southward ground speeds greater than the flight's eighty-five mph airspeed, a Byrd defender posits a westerly-moving anti-cyclone that tailwind-boosted Byrd's ground speed on both outward and inward legs, allowing the distance claimed to be covered in the time claimed (the theory is based on rejecting handwritten sextant data in favor of typewritten alleged dead-reckoning data). This suggestion has been challenged by Dennis Rawlins who adds that the sextant data in the long unavailable original official typewritten report are all expressed to 1", a precision not possible on Navy sextants of 1926 and not the precision of the sextant data in Byrd's diary for 1925 or the 1926 flight, which was normal (half or quarter of a minute of arc).

If Byrd and Bennett did not reach the North Pole, then the first flight over the Pole occurred a few days later, on May 12, 1926, with the flight of the airship ''Norge'' that flew from Spitsbergen (Svalbard) to Alaska nonstop with its crew of Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile, Oscar Wisting, and others. Amundsen and Wisting had both been members of the first expedition to reach the South Pole in December 1911.

==1927 Trans-Atlantic flight==
In 1927, Byrd announced he had the backing of the American Trans-Oceanic Company, which had been established in 1914 by department-store magnate Rodman Wanamaker for the purpose of building aircraft to complete non-stop flights across the Atlantic Ocean. Byrd was one of several aviators who attempted to win the Orteig Prize in 1927 for making the first nonstop flight between the United States and France.

Once again Byrd named Floyd Bennett as his chief pilot, with Bernt Balchen, Bert Acosta, and LieutenantGeorge Noville as other crewmembers. During a practice takeoff with Tony Fokker at the controls and Bennett in the co-pilot seat, the Fokker Trimotor airplane, ''America'', crashed, severely injuring Bennett and slightly injuring Byrd. As the plane was being repaired, Charles Lindbergh won the prize by completing his historic flight on May 21, 1927. (Coincidentally, in 1925, Army Air Service Reserve Corps Lieutenant Lindbergh had applied to serve as a pilot on Byrd's North Pole expedition, but apparently his bid came too late.)

Byrd continued with his quest to cross the Atlantic non-stop, naming Balchen to replace Bennett as chief pilot. Byrd, Balchen, Acosta, and Noville flew from Roosevelt Field East Garden City, New York on June 29, 1927. Arriving over France the next day, they were prevented from landing in Paris by cloud cover; they returned to the coast of Normandy and crash-landed near the beach at Ver-sur-Mer (also known as Gold Beach) without fatalities on July 1, 1927. In France, Byrd and his crew were received as heroes and Byrd was invested as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor by Prime Minister Raymond Poincare on July 6.

After their return to the United States, an elaborate dinner in their honor in New York City on July 19. Byrd and Noville were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur at the dinner. Acosta and Balchen did not receive the Distinguished Flying Cross because at that time it could only be awarded to members of the armed services and not to civilians.

Byrd wrote an article for the August 1927 edition of ''Popular Science Monthly'' in which he accurately predicted that while specially modified aircraft with one to three crewmen would fly the Atlantic non-stop, it would be another 20 years before it would be realized on a commercial scale.

==Early Antarctic expeditions==

===First Antarctic expedition (1928–1930)===
In 1928, Byrd began his first expedition to the Antarctic involving two ships and three airplanes: Byrd's Flagship was the ''City of New York'' (a Norwegian sealing ship previously named ''Samson'' that had come into fame as a ship some claimed was in the vicinity of the RMS Titanic when the latter was sinking); a Ford Trimotor called the ''Floyd Bennett'' (named after the recently deceased pilot of Byrd's previous expeditions) flown by Dean Smith; a FairchildFC-2W2, NX8006, built 1928, named "Stars And Stripes" (now displayed at the Virginia Aviation Museum, on loan from the National Air and Space Museum); and a Fokker Universal monoplane called the ''Virginia'' (Byrd's birth state). A base camp named "Little America" was constructed on the Ross Ice Shelf and scientific expeditions by snowshoe, dog-sled, snowmobile, and airplane began.

Photographic expeditions and geological surveys were undertaken for the duration of that summer, and constant radio communications were maintained with the outside world. After their first winter, their expeditions were resumed, and on November 28, 1929, the first flight to the South Pole and back was launched. Byrd, along with pilot Bernt Balchen, co-pilot/radioman Harold June, and photographer Ashley McKinley, flew the Ford Trimotor to the South Pole and back in 18 hours, 41 minutes. They had difficulty gaining enough altitude, and they had to dump empty gas tanks, as well as their emergency supplies, in order to achieve the altitude of the Polar Plateau, but they were ultimately successful.

As a result of his fame, Byrd was promoted to the rank of rear admiral by a special act of Congress on December 21, 1929. As he was only 41 years old at the time, this promotion made Byrd the youngest admiral in the history of the United States Navy. He is one of only three persons, one being Admiral David Dixon Porter and the other being arctic explorer Donald Baxter MacMillan, known to have been promoted to the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy without having first held the rank of captain.

After a further summer of exploration, the expedition returned to North America on June 18, 1930. A 19-year-old American Boy Scout, Paul Allman Siple, was chosen to accompany the expedition. Unlike the 1926 flight, this expedition was honored with the gold medal of the American Geographical Society. This was also seen in the film ''With Byrd at the South Pole'' (1930) which covered his trip there.

Byrd, by then an internationally recognized, pioneering American polar explorer and aviator, served for a time as Honorary National President (1931–1935) of Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor society in the social sciences. He carried the Society's flag during his first Antarctic expedition to dramatize the spirit of adventure into the unknown, characterizing both the natural and social sciences.

===Second Antarctic expedition===
On his second expedition in 1934, Byrd spent five winter months alone operating a meteorology|meteorological station, Advance Base, from which he narrowly escaped with his life after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning from a poorly ventilated stove. Unusual radio transmissions from Byrd finally began to alarm the men at the base camp, who then attempted to go to Advance Base. The first two trips were failures due to darkness, snow, and mechanical troubles. Finally, Thomas Poulter, E.J. Demas, and Amory Waite arrived at Advance Base, where they found Byrd in poor physical health. The men remained at Advance Base until October 12 when an airplane from the base camp picked up Dr. Poulter and Byrd. The rest of the men returned to base camp with the tractor. This expedition is described by Byrd in his autobiography ''Alone''. It is also commemorated in a U.S. postage stamp issued at the time, and a considerable amount of mail using it was sent from Byrd's base at Little America, which was powered by a Jacobs Wind. A postal employee worked under extremely difficult conditions to cancel 153,217 envelopes for collectors. In 1934 a miniature sheet showing six of the stamps was also issued.

A CBS radio station, KFZ, was set up on the base camp ship, the ''Bear of Oakland'' and ''The Adventures of Admiral Byrd'' were short waved to Buenos Aires then relayed to New York.

In late 1938 Byrd visited Hamburg and was invited to participate in the 1938/1939 German "Neuschwabenland" Antarctic Expedition, but declined.

===Antarctic Service Expedition (1939–1940)===
Byrd's third expedition was his first one on which he had the official backing of the U.S. government. The project included extensive studies of geology, biology, meteorology and exploration. Within a few months, in March 1940, Byrd was recalled to active duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The expedition continued in Antarctica without him.

==World War II==
As a senior officer in the United States Navy, Byrd served on active duty during World War II (1941–45), mostly as the confidential advisor to the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King. From 1942 to 1945 he headed South Pacific Island Base Inspection Board, which had important missions to the Pacific, including surveys of remote islands for airfields. On one assignment he visited the fighting front in Europe.

On February 10, 1945 Byrd received the Order of Christopher Columbus from the government of Santo Domingo. Byrd was present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

In recognition of his service during World War II, Byrd was twice awarded the Legion of Merit.

-Text credit: Wikipedia

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Explorers]]

Amundsen Sea

2018-03-30T19:35:50Z

65.223.62.142: Source of article predominately from Wikipedia article on the Amundsen Sea.

The '''Amundsen Sea''', an arm of the [[Southern Ocean]] off of [[Westarctica]] in western [[Antarctica]], lies between [[Cape Flying Fish]] (the northwestern tip of [[Thurston Island]]) to the east and Cape Dart on [[Siple Island]] to the west. Cape Flying Fish marks the boundary between the Amundsen Sea and the [[Bellingshausen Sea]]. West of Cape Dart there is an unnamed "marginal sea" of the Southern Ocean between the Amundsen and Ross Seas. The Norwegian expedition of 1928–1929 under Captain Nils Larsen named the body of water for the Norwegian polar explorer [[Roald Amundsen]] while exploring this area in February 1929.

The sea is mostly ice-covered, and the [[Thwaites Ice Tongue]] protrudes into it. The ice sheet which drains into the Amundsen Sea averages about 3 km (1.9 mi) in thickness; roughly the size of the state of Texas, this area is known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE); it forms one of the three major ice-drainage basins of the [[West Antarctic Ice Sheet]].

It is Westarctica's largest sea.

==Amundsen Sea Embayment==
The ice sheet which drains into the Amundsen Sea averages about 3 km (1.9 mi) in thickness; is roughly the size of the state of Texas and the area is known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE); it forms one of the three major ice drainage basins of the [[West Antarctic Ice Sheet]], the others being the Ross Sea Embayment and the Weddell Sea Embayment. In March 2007, scientists studying the ASE through satellite and airborne surveys announced a significant thinning of the ASE, due to shifts in wind patterns that allow warmer waters to flow beneath the ice sheet.

Some scientists have proposed that this region may be a "weak underbelly" of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The [[Pine Island Glacier|Pine Island]] and [[Thwaites Glacier|Thwaites Glaciers]], which both flow into the Amundsen Sea, are two of Antarctica's largest five. Scientists have found that the flow of these glaciers has increased in recent years, if they were to melt completely global sea levels would rise by about 0.9–1.9 m (1–2 yards). Scientist have suggested that the loss of these glaciers would destabilize the entire West Antarctic ice sheet and possibly sections of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

A study in October 2004 suggested that because the ice in the Amundsen Sea had been melting rapidly and riven with cracks, the offshore ice shelf was set to collapse "within five years". The study projected a sea level rise of 1.3 m (4.3 ft) from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet if all the sea ice in the Amundsen Sea melted.

Measurements made by the British Antarctic Survey in 2005 showed that the ice discharge rate into the Amundsen Sea embayment was about 250 km3 per year. Assuming a steady rate of discharge, this alone is sufficient to raise global sea levels by 0.2 mm per year.

A subglacial volcano has also been detected in the area, just north of the Pine Island Glacier near the [[Hudson Mountains]]. It last erupted approximately 2,200 years ago, indicated by widespread ash deposits within the ice, in what was the largest known eruption in Antarctica within the past 10 millennia.[ Volcanic activity in the region may be contributing to the observed increase of glacial flow, although currently the most popular theory among the scientists studying this area is that the flow has increased due to warming ocean water. This water has warmed due to an upwelling of deep ocean water which is due to variations in pressure systems, which could have been affected by [[global warming]].

==Amundsen Sea as part of the Southern Ocean==
In January 2010, a modelling study suggested that the "tipping point" for Pine Island Glacier may have been passed in 1996, with a retreat of 200 km possible by 2100, producing a corresponding 24 cm (0.79 ft) of sea level rise, although it was suggested that these estimates for timespan were conservative. However, the modelling study also states that "Given the complex, three-dimensional nature of the real Pine Island glacier ... it should be clear that the [...] model is a very crude representation of reality."

==Pine Island Bay==
[[Pine Island Bay]] (74°50′S 102°40′W) is a bay about 40 miles (64 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) wide, into which flows the ice of the Pine Island Glacier at the southeast extremity of the Amundsen Sea. It was delineated from aerial photographs taken by USN Operation Highjump in December 1946, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for the USS Pine Island, seaplane tender and flagship of the eastern task group of USN Operation Highjump which explored this area.

==Russell Bay==
[[Russell Bay]] (73°27′S 123°54′W) is a rather open bay in southwestern Amundsen Sea, extending along the north sides of [[Siple Island]], [[Getz Ice Shelf]] and [[Carney Island]], from [[Pranke Island]] to Cape Gates. It was mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1959–66, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Admiral James S. Russell, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations during the post 1957–58 IGY period.

[[Category:Seas]]
[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Amundsen Sea

2018-03-30T19:29:52Z

65.223.62.142: Created page with "The '''Amundsen Sea''', an arm of the Southern Ocean off of Westarctica in western Antarctica, lies between Cape Flying Fish (the northwestern tip of Thursto..."

The '''Amundsen Sea''', an arm of the [[Southern Ocean]] off of [[Westarctica]] in western [[Antarctica]], lies between [[Cape Flying Fish]] (the northwestern tip of [[Thurston Island]]) to the east and Cape Dart on [[Siple Island]] to the west. Cape Flying Fish marks the boundary between the Amundsen Sea and the [[Bellingshausen Sea]]. West of Cape Dart there is am ummaed "marginal sea" of the Southern Ocean between the Amundsen and Ross Seas. The Norwegian expedition of 1928–1929 under Captain Nils Larsen named the body of water for the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen while exploring this area in February 1929.[1]

The sea is mostly ice-covered, and the Thwaites Ice Tongue protrudes into it. The ice sheet which drains into the Amundsen Sea averages about 3 km (1.9 mi) in thickness; roughly the size of the state of Texas, this area is known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE); it forms one of the three major ice-drainage basins of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Contents
1 Amundsen Sea Embayment
2 Pine Island Bay
3 Russell Bay
4 References
5 External links
Amundsen Sea Embayment
See also: Rossby wave § Oceanic waves

Large B-22 iceberg breaking off from Thwaites Glacier and remnants of the B-21 iceberg from Pine Island Glacier in Pine Island Bay to the right of the image
The ice sheet which drains into the Amundsen Sea averages about 3 km (1.9 mi) in thickness; is roughly the size of the state of Texas and the area is known as the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE); it forms one of the three major ice drainage basins of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the others being the Ross Sea Embayment and the Weddell Sea Embayment. In March 2007, scientists studying the ASE through satellite and airborne surveys announced a significant thinning of the ASE, due to shifts in wind patterns that allow warmer waters to flow beneath the ice sheet.

Some scientists have proposed that this region may be a "weak underbelly" of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers, which both flow into the Amundsen Sea, are two of Antarctica's largest five. Scientists have found that the flow of these glaciers has increased in recent years, if they were to melt completely global sea levels would rise by about 0.9–1.9 m (1–2 yards). Scientist have suggested that the loss of these glaciers would destabilise the entire West Antarctic ice sheet and possibly sections of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.[2]

A study in October 2004 suggested that because the ice in the Amundsen Sea had been melting rapidly and riven with cracks, the offshore ice shelf was set to collapse "within five years". The study projected a sea level rise of 1.3 m (4.3 ft) from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet if all the sea ice in the Amundsen Sea melted.[3]

Measurements made by the British Antarctic Survey in 2005 showed that the ice discharge rate into the Amundsen Sea embayment was about 250 km3 per year. Assuming a steady rate of discharge, this alone is sufficient to raise global sea levels by 0.2 mm per year.[4]

A subglacial volcano has also been detected in the area, just north of the Pine Island Glacier near the Hudson Mountains. It last erupted approximately 2,200 years ago, indicated by widespread ash deposits within the ice, in what was the largest known eruption in Antarctica within the past 10 millennia.[5][6] Volcanic activity in the region may be contributing to the observed increase of glacial flow,[7] although currently the most popular theory amongst the scientists studying this area is that the flow has increased due to warming ocean water.[8][9] This water has warmed due to an upwelling of deep ocean water which is due to variations in pressure systems, which could have been affected by global warming.[10]

Amundsen Sea as part of the Southern Ocean
In January 2010, a modelling study suggested that the "tipping point" for Pine Island Glacier may have been passed in 1996, with a retreat of 200 km possible by 2100, producing a corresponding 24 cm (0.79 ft) of sea level rise, although it was suggested that these estimates for timespan were conservative.[11] However, the modelling study also states that "Given the complex, three-dimensional nature of the real Pine Island glacier ... it should be clear that the [...] model is a very crude representation of reality."[12]

Pine Island Bay
Pine Island Bay (74°50′S 102°40′W) is a bay about 40 miles (64 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) wide, into which flows the ice of the Pine Island Glacier at the southeast extremity of the Amundsen Sea. It was delineated from aerial photographs taken by USN Operation Highjump in December 1946, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for the USS Pine Island, seaplane tender and flagship of the eastern task group of USN Operation Highjump which explored this area.[13]

Russell Bay
Russell Bay (73°27′S 123°54′W) is a rather open bay in southwestern Amundsen Sea, extending along the north sides of Siple Island, Getz Ice Shelf and Carney Island, from Pranke Island to Cape Gates. It was mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1959–66, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Admiral James S. Russell, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations during the post 1957–58 IGY period.[14]

Encyclopedia Westarctica

2018-03-27T21:52:26Z

65.223.62.142: /* Records */

'''Encyclopedia Westarctica''' is the definitive, officially authorized, source for information about the micronation [[Westarctica]].

The encyclopedia was created on 12 March 2018.

==Impetus for creation==

==Milestones==
===Firsts===
* The first article, the country article for Westarctica itself, was sourced from [http://www.micronations.wiki/ MicroWiki] and edited by [[Grand Duke Travis]], under the username [[User:Westarctica]] on 12 March 2018.

* The first picture was uploaded three days later on 15 March 2018 and was the [[Flag of Westarctica]].

* The first completed article with no broken page links was the article on [[James Eights]] which was finished on 20 March 2018.

* The first main page featured article was [[Peter I Island]] on 13 March 2018.

* The first main page featured photograph was [[Media:Hollywood Minnie.jpg|a picture]] of Grand Duke Travis and [[President Kevin Baugh]] on Hollywood Boulevard taken by photographer [[Matt Roth]].

===Records===
* The 100th article was on [[emperor penguin]]s and was created on 27 March 2018.

[[Category:Encyclopedia Westarctica]]

Encyclopedia Westarctica

2018-03-27T21:52:11Z

65.223.62.142: /* Firsts */

'''Encyclopedia Westarctica''' is the definitive, officially authorized, source for information about the micronation [[Westarctica]].

The encyclopedia was created on 12 March 2018.

==Impetus for creation==

==Milestones==
===Firsts===
* The first article, the country article for Westarctica itself, was sourced from [http://www.micronations.wiki/ MicroWiki] and edited by [[Grand Duke Travis]], under the username [[User:Westarctica]] on 12 March 2018.

* The first picture was uploaded three days later on 15 March 2018 and was the [[Flag of Westarctica]].

* The first completed article with no broken page links was the article on [[James Eights]] which was finished on 20 March 2018.

* The first main page featured article was [[Peter I Island]] on 13 March 2018.

* The first main page featured photograph was [[Media:Hollywood Minnie.jpg|a picture]] of Grand Duke Travis and [[President Kevin Baugh]] on Hollywood Boulevard taken by photographer [[Matt Roth]].

===Records===
* The 100th article was on [[emperor penguin]]s and was created on 17 March 2018.

[[Category:Encyclopedia Westarctica]]

Emperor penguin

2018-03-27T21:50:17Z

65.223.62.142: /* Courtship and breeding */

The '''emperor penguin''' (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to [[Antarctica]]. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 122 cm (48 in) in height and weighing from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb). The dorsal side and head are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.

Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include crustaceans, such as [[krill]], and cephalopods, such as squid. In hunting, the species can remain submerged up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft). It has several adaptations to facilitate this, including an unusually structured haemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma, and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.

The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony. The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age.

==Taxonomy==
Emperor penguins were described in 1844 by English zoologist George Robert Gray, who created the generic name from Ancient Greek word elements, ἀ-πτηνο-δύτης [a-ptēno-dytēs], "without-wings-diver". Its specific name is in honor of the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster, who accompanied Captain James Cook on his second voyage and officially named five other penguin species. Forster may have been the first person to sight the penguins in 1773–74; he recorded a sighting of what he believed to be ''A. patagonicus'' but, given the location, may well have been ''A. forsteri''.

Together with the similarly colored but smaller [[king penguin]], the emperor penguin is one of two extant species in the genus ''Aptenodytes''. Fossil evidence of a third species—Ridgen's penguin—has been found in fossil records from the late Pliocene, about three million years ago, in New Zealand. Studies of penguin behavior and genetics have proposed that the genus ''Aptenodytes'' is basal; in other words, that it split off from a branch which led to all other living penguin species. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence suggests this split occurred around 40 million years ago.

==Description==
Adult emperor penguins stand up to 110–130 cm (43–51 in) tall. The weight ranges from 22.7 to 45.4 kg (50 to 100 lb) and varies by sex, with males weighing more than females. It is the fifth heaviest living bird species, after only the larger varieties of ratite. The weight also varies by season, as both male and female penguins lose substantial mass while raising hatchlings and incubating their egg. A male emperor penguin must withstand the Antarctic cold for more than two months to protect his egg from extreme cold. During this entire time he does not eat anything. Most male penguins will lose about 12 kg (26 lb) while they wait for their chicks to hatch. The mean weight of males at the start of the breeding season is 38 kg (84 lb) and that of females is 29.5 kg (65 lb). After the breeding season this drops to 23 kg (51 lb) for both sexes.

Like all penguin species, emperor penguins have streamlined bodies to minimize drag while swimming, and wings that are more like stiff, flat flippers. The tongue is equipped with rear-facing barbs to prevent prey from escaping when caught. Males and females are similar in size and coloration. The adult has deep black dorsal feathers, covering the head, chin, throat, back, dorsal part of the flippers, and tail. The black plumage is sharply delineated from the light-colored plumage elsewhere. The underparts of the wings and belly are white, becoming pale yellow in the upper breast, while the ear patches are bright yellow. The upper mandible of the 8 cm (3 in) long bill is black, and the lower mandible can be pink, orange or lilac. In juveniles, the auricular patches, chin and throat are white, while its bill is black. Emperor penguin chicks are typically covered with silver-grey down and have black heads and white masks. A chick with all-white plumage was found in 2001, but was not considered to be an albino as it did not have pink eyes. Chicks weigh around 315 g (11 oz) after hatching, and fledge when they reach about 50% of adult weight.

The emperor penguin's dark plumage fades to brown from November until February (the Antarctic summer), before the yearly moult in January and February. Moulting is rapid in this species compared with other birds, taking only around 34 days. Emperor penguin feathers emerge from the skin after they have grown to a third of their total length, and before old feathers are lost, to help reduce heat loss. New feathers then push out the old ones before finishing their growth.

The average yearly survival rate of emperor penguins has been measured at 95.1%, with an average life expectancy of 19.9 years. The same researchers estimated that 1% of emperor penguins hatched could feasibly reach an age of 50 years. In contrast, only 19% of chicks survive their first year of life. Therefore, 80% of the emperor penguin population comprises adults five years and older.

===Vocalization===
As the species has no fixed nest sites that individuals can use to locate their own partner or chick, emperor penguins must rely on vocal calls alone for identification. They use a complex set of calls that are critical to individual recognition between parents, offspring, and mates, displaying the widest variation in individual calls of all penguins. Vocalizing emperor penguins use two frequency bands simultaneously. Chicks use a frequency-modulated whistle to beg for food and to contact parents.

===Adaptations to cold===
The emperor penguin breeds in the coldest environment of any bird species; air temperatures may reach −40 °C (−40 °F), and wind speeds may reach 144 km/h (89 mph). Water temperature is a frigid −1.8 °C (28.8 °F), which is much lower than the emperor penguin's average body temperature of 39 °C (102 °F). The species has adapted in several ways to counteract heat loss.[24] Feathers provide 80–90% of its insulation, and it has a layer of sub-dermal fat which may be up to 3 cm (1.2 in) thick before breeding. This resultant blubber layer impedes the mobility of emperor penguins on land compared to their less fat-insulated cousins, the Magellanic penguins.[26] While the density of contour feathers is approximately 9 per square centimeter (58 per square inch), a combination of dense afterfeathers and down feathers (plumules) likely play a critical role for insulation. Muscles allow the feathers to be held erect on land, reducing heat loss by trapping a layer of air next to the skin. Conversely, the plumage is flattened in water, thus waterproofing the skin and the downy underlayer. Preening is vital in facilitating insulation and in keeping the plumage oily and water-repellent.

The emperor penguin is able to thermoregulate (maintain its core body temperature) without altering its metabolism, over a wide range of temperatures. Known as the thermoneutral range, this extends from −10 to 20 °C (14 to 68 °F). Below this temperature range, its metabolic rate increases significantly, although an individual can maintain its core temperature from 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) down to −47 °C (−53 °F). Movement by swimming, walking, and shivering are three mechanisms for increasing metabolism; a fourth process involves an increase in the breakdown of fats by enzymes, which is induced by the hormone glucagon. At temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F), an emperor penguin may become agitated as its body temperature and metabolic rate rise to increase heat loss. Raising its wings and exposing the undersides increases the exposure of its body surface to the air by 16%, facilitating further heat loss.

===Adaptations to pressure and low oxygen===
In addition to the cold, the emperor penguin encounters another stressful condition on deep dives—markedly increased pressure of up to 40 times that of the surface, which in most other terrestrial organisms would cause barotrauma. The bones of the penguin are solid rather than air-filled, which eliminates the risk of mechanical barotrauma.

While diving, the emperor penguin's oxygen use is markedly reduced, as its heart rate is reduced to as low as 15–20 beats per minute and non-essential organs are shut down, thus facilitating longer dives. Its haemoglobin and myoglobin are able to bind and transport oxygen at low blood concentrations; this allows the bird to function with very low oxygen levels that would otherwise result in loss of consciousness.

==Distribution and habitat==
The emperor penguin has a circumpolar distribution in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] almost exclusively between the 66° and 77° south latitudes. It almost always breeds on stable [[pack ice]] near the coast and up to 18 km (11 mi) offshore. Breeding colonies are usually located in areas where ice cliffs and [[icebergs]] shelter them from the wind. Three land colonies have been reported: one (now disappeared) on a shingle spit at the Dion Islands on the [[Antarctic Peninsula]], one on a headland at Taylor Glacier in Victoria Land, and most recently one at Amundsen Bay. Since 2009, a number of colonies have been reported on [[ice-shelf|shelf ice]] rather than sea ice, in some cases moving to the shelf in years when sea ice forms late.

The northernmost breeding population is on Snow Island, near the northern tip of the Peninsula.

The total population was estimated in 2009 to be at around 595,000 adult birds, in 46 known colonies spread around the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic; around 35% of the known population lives north of the [[Antarctic Circle]]. Colonies are known to fluctuate over time, often breaking into "suburbs" which move apart from the parent group, and some have been known to disappear entirely. The Cape Crozier colony on the Ross Sea dropped drastically in size between the first visits by the Discovery Expedition in 1902–03 and the later visits by the Terra Nova Expedition in 1910–11; it was reduced to a few hundred birds, and may have come close to extinction due to changes in the position of the ice shelf. By the 1960s it had rebounded dramatically, but by 2009 was again reduced to a small population of around 300.

===Conservation status===
In 2012 the emperor penguin was uplisted from a species of least concern to near threatened by the IUCN. Along with nine other species of penguin, it is currently under consideration for inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. The primary causes for an increased risk of species endangerment are declining food availability, due to the effects of climate change and industrial fisheries on the crustacean and fish populations. Other reasons for the species's placement on the Endangered Species Act's list include disease, habitat destruction, and disturbance at breeding colonies by humans. Of particular concern is the impact of tourism. One study concluded that emperor penguin chicks in a crèche become more apprehensive following helicopter approach to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).

Population declines of 50% in the Terre Adélie region have been observed due to increased adult mortality, especially of males, during an abnormally prolonged warm period in the late 1970s, which resulted in reduced sea-ice coverage. On the other hand, egg hatching success rates declined when the sea-ice extent increased. The species is therefore considered to be highly sensitive to climatic changes. In 2009, the Dion Islands colony, which has been extensively studied since 1948, was reported to have disappeared at some point over the previous decade, the first confirmed loss of a colony.

A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution study in January 2009 found that emperor penguins could be pushed to the brink of extinction by the year 2100 due to global climate change. The study constructed a mathematical model to predict how the loss of sea ice from climate warming would affect a big colony of emperor penguins at Terre Adélie, Antarctica. The study forecasted an 87% decline in the colony's population, from three thousand breeding pairs in 2009 to four hundred breeding pairs in 2100.

In June 2014 a study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution concluded that emperor penguins are at risk from [[global warming]], which is melting the sea ice. This study predicted that by 2100 all 45 colonies of emperor penguins will be declining in numbers, mostly due to loss of habitat. Loss of ice reduces the supply of [[krill]], which is a primary food for emperor penguins.

==Behavior==
The emperor penguin is a social animal in its nesting and its foraging behavior; birds hunting together may coordinate their diving and surfacing. Individuals may be active day or night. A mature adult travels throughout most of the year between the nesting area and ocean foraging areas; the species disperses into the oceans from January to March.

The American physiologist Gerry Kooyman revolutionized the study of penguin foraging behavior in 1971 when he published his results from attaching automatic dive-recording devices to emperor penguins. He found that the species reaches depths of 265 m (869 ft), with dive periods of up to 18 minutes. Later research revealed a small female had dived to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft) near McMurdo Sound. It is possible that emperor penguins can dive even deeper, as the accuracy of the recording devices is diminished at greater depths. Further study of one bird's diving behavior revealed regular dives to 150 m (490 ft) in water around 900 m (3,000 ft) deep, and shallow dives of less than 50 m (160 ft), interspersed with deep dives of more than 400 m (1,300 ft) in depths of 450 to 500 m (1,480 to 1,640 ft). This was suggestive of feeding near or at the sea bottom.

Both male and female emperor penguins forage for food up to 500 km (311 mi) from colonies while collecting food to feed chicks, covering 82–1,454 km (51–903 mi) per individual per trip. A male returning to the sea after incubation heads directly out to areas of permanent open water, known as polynyas, around 100 km (62 mi) from the colony.

An efficient swimmer, the emperor penguin exerts pressure with both its upward and downward strokes while swimming. The upward stroke works against buoyancy and helps maintain depth. Its average swimming speed is 6–9 km/h (3.7–5.6 mph). On land, the emperor penguin alternates between walking with a wobbling gait and tobogganing—sliding over the ice on its belly, propelled by its feet and wing-like flippers. Like all penguins, it is flightless. The emperor penguin is a very powerful bird. In one case, a crew of six men, trying to capture a single male penguin for a zoo collection, were repeatedly tossed around and knocked over before all of the men had to collectively tackle the bird, which weighs about half as much as a man.

As a defense against the cold, a colony of emperor penguins forms a compact huddle (also known as the turtle formation) ranging in size from ten to several hundred birds, with each bird leaning forward on a neighbor. As the wind chill is the least severe in the center of the colony, all the juveniles are usually huddled there. Those on the outside upwind tend to shuffle slowly around the edge of the formation and add themselves to its leeward edge, producing a slow churning action, and giving each bird a turn on the inside and on the outside.

===Predators===
The emperor penguin's predators include birds and aquatic mammals. [[Southern giant petrels]] are the predominant land predator of chicks, responsible for up to 34% of chick deaths in some colonies though they often scavenge dead penguins as well. The [[south polar skua]] mainly scavenges for dead chicks, as the live chicks are too large to be attacked by the time of its annual arrival in the colony. Occasionally, a parent may defend their chick from attack, although it may be more passive if the chick is sickly.

The only known predators thought to attack healthy adults, and who attack emperor penguins in the water, are both mammals. The first is the [[leopard seal]]), which takes some adult birds, as well as fledglings soon after they enter the water. [[Orca|Orcas]], mostly take adult birds, although they will attack penguins of any age in or near water.

===Courtship and breeding===
Emperor penguins are able to breed at around three years of age, and usually commence breeding around one to three years later. The yearly reproductive cycle begins at the start of the Antarctic winter, in March and April, when all mature emperor penguins travel to colonial nesting areas, often walking 50 to 120 km (31 to 75 mi) inland from the edge of the [[pack ice]]. The start of travel appears to be triggered by decreasing day lengths; emperor penguins in captivity have been induced successfully into breeding by using lighting systems mimicking seasonal Antarctic day lengths.

The penguins start courtship in March or April, when the temperature can be as low as −40 °C (−40 °F). A lone male gives an ecstatic display, where it stands still and places its head on its chest before inhaling and giving a courtship call for 1–2 seconds; it then moves around the colony and repeats the call. A male and female then stand face to face, with one extending its head and neck up and the other mirroring it; they both hold this posture for several minutes. Once in pairs, couples waddle around the colony together, with the female usually following the male. Before copulation, one bird bows deeply to its mate, its bill pointed close to the ground, and its mate then does the same.

Emperor penguins are serially monogamous. They have only one mate each year, and stay faithful to that mate. However, fidelity between years is only about 15%. The narrow window of opportunity available for mating appears to be an influence, as there is a priority to mate and breed which often precludes waiting for the appearance of the previous year's partner.

The female penguin lays one 460–470 g (1.01–1.04 lb) egg in May or early June; it is vaguely pear-shaped, pale greenish-white, and measures around 12 cm × 8 cm (4 3⁄4 in × 3 1⁄4 in). It represents just 2.3% of its mother's body weight, making it one of the smallest eggs relative to the maternal weight in any bird species. 15.7% of the weight of an emperor penguin egg is shell; like those of other penguin species, the shell is relatively thick, which minimizes risk of breakage.

After laying, the mother's nutritional reserves are exhausted and she very carefully transfers the egg to the male, before immediately returning to the sea for two months to feed.[64] The transfer of the egg can be awkward and difficult, and many couples drop the egg in the process. When this happens, the chick inside is quickly lost, as the egg cannot withstand the freezing temperatures on the icy ground. The male spends the dark winter incubating the egg in his brood pouch, balancing it on the tops of his feet, for 64 consecutive days until hatching.[66] The emperor penguin is the only species where this behavior is observed; in all other penguin species both parents take shifts incubating. By the time the egg hatches, the male will have fasted for around 115 days since arriving at the colony.[66] To survive the cold and winds of up to 200 km/h (120 mph), the males huddle together, taking turns in the middle of the huddle. They have also been observed with their backs to the wind to conserve body heat. In the four months of travel, courtship, and incubation, the male may lose as much as 20 kg (44 lb), from a total mass of 38 to 18 kg (84 to 40 lb).

Hatching may take as long as two or three days to complete, as the shell of the egg is thick. Newly hatched chicks are semi-altricial, covered with only a thin layer of down and entirely dependent on their parents for food and warmth. If the chick hatches before the mother's return, the father feeds it a curd-like substance composed of 59% protein and 28% lipid, which is produced by a gland in his esophagus. This ability to produce "milk" in birds is only found in pigeons, flamingos and male Emperor penguins. The young chick is brooded in what is called the guard phase, spending time balanced on its parent's feet and sheltered in the brood pouch.

The female penguin returns at any time from hatching to ten days afterwards, from mid-July to early August. She finds her mate among the hundreds of fathers by his vocal call and takes over caring for the chick, feeding it by regurgitating the food that she has stored in her stomach. The male then leaves to take his turn at sea, spending around 24 days there before returning. The parents then take turns, one brooding while the other forages at sea. If the incubating parent is not relieved by its partner before its own energy reserves are depleted, then it returns to the sea to re-feed, abandoning its doomed egg or chick at the colony site. Abandoned chicks do not survive.

About 45–50 days after hatching, the chicks form a crèche, huddling together for warmth and protection. During this time, both parents forage at sea and return periodically to feed their chicks. A crèche may comprise up to several thousand birds densely packed together and is essential for surviving the low Antarctic temperatures.

From early November, chicks begin moulting into juvenile plumage, which takes up to two months and is often not completed by the time they leave the colony; adults cease feeding them during this time. All birds make the considerably shorter trek to the sea in December or January and spend the rest of the summer feeding there.

===Feeding===
The emperor penguin's diet consists mainly of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, although its composition varies from population to population. Fish are usually the most important food source, and the [[Antarctic silverfish]] makes up the bulk of the bird's diet. Other prey commonly recorded include other fish of the family Nototheniidae, the [[glacial squid]], and the hooked squid species ''Kondakovia longimana'', as well as [[Antarctic krill]]. The emperor penguin searches for prey in the open water of the [[Southern Ocean]], in either ice-free areas of open water or tidal cracks in [[pack ice]]. One of its feeding strategies is to dive to around 50 m (160 ft), where it can easily spot sympagic fish like the [[bald notothen]] swimming against the bottom surface of the sea-ice; it swims up to the bottom of the ice and catches the fish. It then dives again and repeats the sequence about half a dozen times before surfacing to breathe.

[[Category:Penguins]]
[[Category:Animals of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Symbols of Westarctica]]

Emperor penguin

2018-03-27T21:50:02Z

65.223.62.142:

Emperor penguin

2018-03-27T21:33:19Z

65.223.62.142:

Emperor penguin

2018-03-27T21:28:03Z

65.223.62.142: Created page with "The '''emperor penguin''' (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are simila..."

Category:Seas

2018-03-26T23:38:42Z

65.223.62.142: Created page with "Category:Geography of Westarctica"

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Category:Balleny Islands

2018-03-26T23:36:57Z

65.223.62.142: Created page with "Category:Geography of Westarctica"

[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Balleny Islands

2018-03-26T23:36:30Z

65.223.62.142: /* Island and rocks from north to south */

The '''Balleny Islands''' (66°55′S 163°45′E) are a series of uninhabited islands in the [[Southern Ocean]] extending from 66°15' to 67°35'S and 162°30' to 165°00'E. The group extends for about 160 km (99 mi) in a northwest-southeast direction. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. [[Glaciers]] project from their slopes into the sea. The islands were formed by the so-called Balleny hotspot.

The group includes three main islands: [[Young Island|Young]], [[Buckle Island|Buckle]] and [[Sturge Island|Sturge]], which lie in a line from northwest to southeast, and several smaller islets and rocks:

* northeast of Young Island: Seal Rocks, Pillar
* southeast of Young Island: Row Island, Borradaile Island (with Swan Base shelter hut)
* south of Buckle Island: Scott Cone, Chinstrap Islet, [[Sabrina Island]] (with Sabrina Refuge shelter hut), and The Monolith

Although claimed by New Zealand, the Balleny Islands were annexed by [[Westarctica]] in 2005.

==Island and rocks from north to south==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-style="background: #CCC;"
!rowspan=2|Island/Rock
!colspan=2|Area
!colspan=2|Highest peak
|-
!km2!!sq mi
!m!!ft
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Young Island]] and satellite islets
|-
| Seal Rocks
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|15|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Pillar
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|51|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Young Island]]
| {{convert|255.4|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|1340|m|ft|disp=table}} (Freeman Peak)
|-
| Row Island
| {{convert|1.7|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|183|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Borradaile Island]]
| {{convert|3.5|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|381|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Beale Pinnacle
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|61|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Buckle Island]] and satellite islets
|-
|[[Buckle Island]]
| {{convert|123.6|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|1238|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Scott Cone
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|31|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Eliza Cone
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|67|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Chinstrap Islet
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| ||
|-
| [[Sabrina Island]]
| {{convert|0.2|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|90|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| The Monolith
| {{convert|0.1|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|79|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Sturge Island]] (no satellite islets)
|-
| [[Sturge Island]]
| {{convert|437.4|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| align="right"| 1,705or 1524
| align="right"| 5,594 or 5,000 Brown Peak
|-
|}

[[Borradaile Island]] is close to the [[Antarctic Circle]], in the eight kilometer channel between Young and Buckle Islands. [[Buckle Island]] and the nearby [[Sabrina Island]] are home to several colonies of [[Adélie penguin|Adelie]] and [[chinstrap penguin|chinstrap penguins]].

The English [[whaling]] captains John Balleny and Thomas Freeman first sighted the group during 1839: Freeman was the first person to land on any of the islands on 9 February 1839, and it was the first landing south of the Antarctic Circle. The islands' area totals 400 km2 (154 sq mi) and the highest point has been measured as 1,705 m (5,594 ft) or approximately 1500m (5000 feet) (the unclimbed Brown Peak on [[Sturge Island]]).

==Geology==
In the archipelago, the Buckle, Sturge and Young Islands are examples of stratovolcanoes. Strong earthquakes very close to the islands are rare, but tremors of moderate strength do occur over the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge, Macquarie Triple Junction and Pacific Rim between the Balleny Islands and Macquarie Island. Other earthquakes occur near the Southeast Indian Ridge and Balleny Fracture Zone, including a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in 1998 that struck just over 700 km (430 mi) west-northwest of the Islands.

==Politics==
[[Marquis of Williamson|Jorge Fernandez Vidal]] learned about the Balleny Islands while researching unclaimed land in Antarctica. His intention was a find an area or region suitably outside the jurisdiction of other countries, that could be used as a basis for minting coins of his own design. Jorge settled on the Balleny Islands in March 2004, after closely examining the language used in the Antarctic Treaty and realizing that New Zealand's claim to the Balleny Islands could not be legally recognized by any nation, including their own. Therefore, it was highly unlikely New Zealand would ever mint coins for the islands on their own, and they were equally unlikely to assert any kind of legal jurisdiction if Jorge were to mint coins under the name of the Balleny Islands. In his own words, the islands were: “officially unclaimed. A beautiful free land to mint a coin.”

The Balleny Islands became a colony when [[Westarctica]] formally annexed it from New Zealand on January 14, 2005. Mr. Vidal was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Jorge was given the title Count of Sturge.

===Coins===
The Balleny Islands coins were the first coins minted by the Central Bank, they were released in early 2005, shortly after the creation of the bank itself. The obverse of the coin shows Westarctica's original coat of arms as designed by [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin|Jon-Lawrence Langer]]. On the reverse is a map of the Balleny Islands showing the islands Young, Buckle, and Sturge. It was released in two different metals (bronze and silver), but otherwise, the two coins of the series are identical.

[[File:Coin-Balleny Island 1 2005 Bronze.jpg|thumb|300px|Balleny Islands Coin]]

[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Balleny Islands]]
[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Balleny Islands

2018-03-26T23:35:59Z

65.223.62.142: /* Island and rocks from north to south */

Balleny Islands

2018-03-26T23:34:22Z

65.223.62.142: /* Island and rocks from north to south */

The '''Balleny Islands''' (66°55′S 163°45′E) are a series of uninhabited islands in the [[Southern Ocean]] extending from 66°15' to 67°35'S and 162°30' to 165°00'E. The group extends for about 160 km (99 mi) in a northwest-southeast direction. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. [[Glaciers]] project from their slopes into the sea. The islands were formed by the so-called Balleny hotspot.

The group includes three main islands: [[Young Island|Young]], [[Buckle Island|Buckle]] and [[Sturge Island|Sturge]], which lie in a line from northwest to southeast, and several smaller islets and rocks:

* northeast of Young Island: Seal Rocks, Pillar
* southeast of Young Island: Row Island, Borradaile Island (with Swan Base shelter hut)
* south of Buckle Island: Scott Cone, Chinstrap Islet, [[Sabrina Island]] (with Sabrina Refuge shelter hut), and The Monolith

Although claimed by New Zealand, the Balleny Islands were annexed by [[Westarctica]] in 2005.

==Island and rocks from north to south==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-style="background: #CCC;"
!rowspan=2|Island/Rock
!colspan=2|Area
!colspan=2|Highest peak
|-
!km2!!sq mi
!m!!ft
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Young Island]] and satellite islets
|-
| Seal Rocks
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|15|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Pillar
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|51|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
|[[Young Island]]
| {{convert|255.4|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|1340|m|ft|disp=table}} (Freeman Peak)
|-
| Row Island
| {{convert|1.7|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|183|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Borradaile Island]]
| {{convert|3.5|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|381|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Beale Pinnacle
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|61|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Buckle Island]] and satellite islets
|-
|[[Buckle Island]]
| {{convert|123.6|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|1238|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Scott Cone
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|31|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Eliza Cone
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|67|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| Chinstrap Islet
| {{convert|0.0|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| ||
|-
| [[Sabrina Island]]
| {{convert|0.2|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|90|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| The Monolith
| {{convert|0.1|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| {{convert|79|m|ft|disp=table}}
|-
| align="center" style="background: #EEE;" colspan=5| [[Sturge Island]] (no satellite islets)
|-
| [[Sturge Island]]
| {{convert|437.4|km2|sqmi|disp=table}}
| align="right"| 1,705<ref name="SCAR1">[http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=122989 Brown Peak], Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. US source.</ref> or 1524<ref name="SCAR2">[http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=112883 Brown Peak], Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. NZ source.</ref>
| align="right"| 5,594 or 5,000 ([[Brown Peak (Sturge Island)|Brown Peak]])
|-
|}

[[Borradaile Island]] is close to the [[Antarctic Circle]], in the eight kilometer channel between Young and Buckle Islands. [[Buckle Island]] and the nearby [[Sabrina Island]] are home to several colonies of [[Adélie penguin|Adelie]] and [[chinstrap penguin|chinstrap penguins]].

The English [[whaling]] captains John Balleny and Thomas Freeman first sighted the group during 1839: Freeman was the first person to land on any of the islands on 9 February 1839, and it was the first landing south of the Antarctic Circle. The islands' area totals 400 km2 (154 sq mi) and the highest point has been measured as 1,705 m (5,594 ft) or approximately 1500m (5000 feet) (the unclimbed Brown Peak on [[Sturge Island]]).

==Geology==
In the archipelago, the Buckle, Sturge and Young Islands are examples of stratovolcanoes. Strong earthquakes very close to the islands are rare, but tremors of moderate strength do occur over the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge, Macquarie Triple Junction and Pacific Rim between the Balleny Islands and Macquarie Island. Other earthquakes occur near the Southeast Indian Ridge and Balleny Fracture Zone, including a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in 1998 that struck just over 700 km (430 mi) west-northwest of the Islands.

==Politics==
[[Marquis of Williamson|Jorge Fernandez Vidal]] learned about the Balleny Islands while researching unclaimed land in Antarctica. His intention was a find an area or region suitably outside the jurisdiction of other countries, that could be used as a basis for minting coins of his own design. Jorge settled on the Balleny Islands in March 2004, after closely examining the language used in the Antarctic Treaty and realizing that New Zealand's claim to the Balleny Islands could not be legally recognized by any nation, including their own. Therefore, it was highly unlikely New Zealand would ever mint coins for the islands on their own, and they were equally unlikely to assert any kind of legal jurisdiction if Jorge were to mint coins under the name of the Balleny Islands. In his own words, the islands were: “officially unclaimed. A beautiful free land to mint a coin.”

The Balleny Islands became a colony when [[Westarctica]] formally annexed it from New Zealand on January 14, 2005. Mr. Vidal was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Jorge was given the title Count of Sturge.

===Coins===
The Balleny Islands coins were the first coins minted by the Central Bank, they were released in early 2005, shortly after the creation of the bank itself. The obverse of the coin shows Westarctica's original coat of arms as designed by [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin|Jon-Lawrence Langer]]. On the reverse is a map of the Balleny Islands showing the islands Young, Buckle, and Sturge. It was released in two different metals (bronze and silver), but otherwise, the two coins of the series are identical.

[[File:Coin-Balleny Island 1 2005 Bronze.jpg|thumb|300px|Balleny Islands Coin]]

[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Balleny Islands]]
[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]]

Republic of Molossia

2018-03-23T16:05:53Z

65.223.62.142:

{{Infobox nation
|name = Republic of Molossia Respubliko de Molossia
|image1 = [[File:Flag_of_Molossia.png|250px]]
|motto = Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
|anthem = [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HG0mVzEi2g&feature=youtu.be Fair Molossia Is Our Home]
|location = [[File:Molossia_map.png|276px]] Molossian claims in dark green
|capital = Baughston (formerly Espera)
|largest_city = Desert Homestead
|languages = English, Esperanto
|religions =
|demonym = Molossian
|government = Presidential Republic ''(de jure)'' Dictatorship ''(de facto)''
|head of state = President
|head of government = Vice President
|3rd_h =
|hos_name = [[President Kevin Baugh]]
|hog_name = Adrianne Baugh
|3rd_h_name =
|legislature = National Assembly
|type = Unicameral
|seats_a = Seats
|seats_b = 0
|election_a = Last election
|election_b = N/A
|established = 26 May 1977 (as Vuldstein) 3 September [[1999]] (as Molossia)
|disestablished =
|area = 5.787 ha
|population = 34
|population_notes =
|currency = Valora
|time_zone = UTC -7 (Molossian Standard Time)
|nat_drink =
|nat_animal = Mustang
|pat_saint = St. Expeditus
|nat_sport = Molossian Broomball
|domain =
|calling_code =
|notes =
|web = [http://www.molossia.org/countryeng.html Official Website]
}}

'''Molossia''', officially the '''Republic of Molossia''', is a North American territorial microstate landlocked within the city of Dayton, Nevada. One of the oldest [[Micronations|micronations]] of the modern era, it succeeded the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, founded by James Spielman and [[President Kevin Baugh|Kevin Baugh]], now serving as its current leader since the transition from a monarchy to a republic in September 1999.

Vuldstein, founded in May 1977 and located in Portland, Oregon, was active for a short period which lasted until the end of the year, when its King moved to another city without renouncing to his throne, leading the Grand Republic to a state of inactivity. President Baugh took control of the nation for the following 21 years, undergoing different transitions to several nomadic kingdoms, then a People's Democratic Republic in 1998 until its present state.

Molossia has been a [[sovereignty|sovereign state]] since 1977 and has been in a state of war with East Germany since 1983. Appearing on the "Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations", Molossia is well known outside the micronational community and receives dozens of tourists each year.

==History==
The Molossian Nation was founded on 26 May 1977. Known at that time as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, James Spielman was declared King James I, and Kevin Baugh was declared Prime Minister. After a short period of sporadic activity the nation entered into a period of dormancy. King James I, though still monarch, ceased to be active in the kingdom at that time. The Kingdom continued on, without the direct participation of the King, and continued to be developed by the Prime Minister. In 1980 it was renamed the Kingdom of Edelstein, and in 1988 it was renamed again, this time as the Kingdom of Zaria. The Kingdom existed as a nomadic government, without a home. Carried on by the Prime Minister, the Government traveled to Europe, and after its return in 1992, the Kingdom prospered and grew culturally.

In 1995, the Kingdom was transplanted to the State of Nevada, in the USA. In 1998, land was purchased that the nation could call home, and upon which the government was formally and officially established. In June 1998, the Kingdom was renounced in favor of a provisional Communist government. In September 1998, Molossia sacrificed its sovereignty and joined the United Provinces of Utopia as a province of that nation.

In January 1999 the UPOU ceased to exist as a nation, and bereft of a national government, the People's Democratic Republic of Molossia was declared, on 21 February 1999, with Kevin Baugh serving as Premier.

Beginning in the spring of 1999, Molossia began a serious path of developing itself as an emerging small nation, rather than a micronation project. The possession of physical territory made this a course a tangible one, rather than a fantasy.

On 3 September 1999, the communist government was renounced, the People's Democratic Republic ceased to exist, and the Republic of Molossia was declared. The former Premier, Kevin Baugh, became the President of the new government.

==International relations==
One feature of Molossia that has remained consistent is the nation's foreign affairs policy that strives to unite all small nations in peace and friendship. To that end, President Baugh has undertaken a series of initiatives to foster cooperation between other [[Micronations|micronations]].

In 2000, Molossia hosted the first Intermicronational Olympic Games, in concert with the 2000 Sydney Games. That same year, Molossia sponsored the successful adoption of Norton Day (8th January) as the first international holiday exclusively for small nations, and further created the Norton Awards for Intermicronational Excellence. In 2001, the nation hosted the first Intermicronational World Exposition, showcasing small nations from the world over.

In April 2015, Molossia organized and hosted the first [[MicroCon]], a biennial conference-style gathering of small nations reminiscent of the annual G-8 summit hosted by larger nations.

===Treaties with other nations===
Prior to 2006, Molossia had a liberal foreign affairs policy that included the signing of treaties with other micronations. However,

==Territory==
[[File:Baugh terrace.jpg|thumb|right|Baugh Terrace located in Molossia's Desert Homestead Province]]
Molossia consists of three distinct tracts in the contiguous United States and comprising a total area of 6.3 acres (2.5 ha): Harmony Province, located near Dayton, Nevada, is the smallest of Molossia's territories, at little more than one acre (4,000 m2) in size. It is considered "Molossia's Homeland", and the site of Molossia's designated capital, Baughston. Baughston was renamed from Espera on 30 July 2013 to commemorate President Baugh's 51st birthday.

===Colony of Farfalla===
In August 2003, Baugh purchased a small piece of rural land in Northern California. This was referred to the Colony of Farfalla. The property was sold late in 2005, but in early 2015, Farfalla Colony became Molossian territory again.

===Desert Homestead Province===
After Baugh inherited more land which he subsequently named [[Desert Homestead Province]], in Southern California. Desert Homestead had been owned by Baugh's grandfather, and the property has been declared a national monument dedicated to him.

==International conflicts==
Although a predominately peaceful nation, the Republic of Molossia has been involved in numerous international conflicts.

===War with Mustachistan===
::''Main article: [[Molossia-Mustachistan War]]''
On 22 May 2006, Molossia was drawn into a week-long war by the nearby micronation of Mustachistan, which was actually a puppet state created with President Baugh's assistance. The [[Molossia-Mustachistan War]] resulted in a quick victory for Molossia after dominating the Mustachistan Army and Navy in three separate battles. Problems continued with that country however, most notably with a crisis over the Mustachistani missile program in November and December 2006.

===War with East Germany===
In September 2008, a long-forgotten Declaration of War was discovered, opening hostilities with East Germany. War was apparently declared on 2 November 1983, when Molossia was still known as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, as a response to military drills that Kevin Baugh was forced to perform while stationed with the United States Military in West Germany, and the resulting lack of sleep. While East Germany formally ceased to exist in 1991 via the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Molossia argues that Ernst Thälmann Island, which had been dedicated by Cuba to Weimar German politician Ernst Thälmann and had not been mentioned in the Treaty on the Final Settlement or by the nation of Cuba either, therefore it remains East German land, allowing the war to continue with no end in sight.

==Environmental policies==
In March 2007, Molossia led the way in the environmental arena by banning incandescent lightbulbs.

In January 2009, Molossia also banned plastic shopping bags and began a comprehensive recycling program.

[[Category:Micronations]]
[[Category:Allies of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Molossia]]

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* '''10 February''' - The Grand Duke's first child, and heir to the throne, '''[[Prince Ashton Roman]]''', is born to the [[Consular-Consort]]. ''(2004)'' [[File:Grand Duke Henri.jpg|thumb|250px]]
* '''12 February''' - An ambitious usurper calling himself '''“[[Lord Protector of Antarctica]],”''' attempts to claim a portion of the [[Duchy of Walgreen|Walgreen coast]] for himself. He is offered an Earldom encompassing the approximate area and liberal freedom to appoint nobles under him. The man refuses and correspondence is ceased. ''(2004)''
* '''12 February''' - Grand Duke Travis receives a short note from the Grand Duke of '''[[Westarctica-Luxembourg Relations|Luxembourg]]''' ''(pictured)'' thanking him for a letter of condolence on the passing of Grand Duchess Charlotte. ''(2005)''
* '''13 February''' - [[The Grand Ducal Cabinet]] and [[the Baronage]] undergo a major reorganization resulting in changes to certain titles of nobility. ''(2005)''
* '''17 February''' - [[Grand Duke Travis]] sends a '''[[letter of support to the King of Nepal]]''' in response to his efforts to eliminate the Maoist insurgents from Nepal. King Gyanendra is made an honorary Knight in the [[Noble Order of Westarctica]]. ''(2005)''
* '''21 February''' - The '''[[1st Viscount of Reynolds]]''', Justin Rich, is disbarred from the Baronage due to his lack of ability. ''(2005)''
* '''27 February''' - [[Richard Byrd|Rear Admiral Byrd]] discovers '''[[Thurston Island]]'''. ''(1940)''

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* '''1 December''' - The '''[[Antarctic Treaty]]''' is signed by the United States. ''(1959)''
* '''05 December''' - The '''[[Achaean Royal Charter]]''' is decreed by the [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]]. ''(2002)''
* '''05 December''' - '''[[Westarctica]]''' is incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of California. ''(2014)''

Template:Encyclopedia Westarctica:This month in history/November

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* '''02 November''' - The '''[[The Claimant Letter]]''' is sent to the polar administration offices of Russia, France, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Actual date of the foundation of the [[Achaean Territory of Antarctica|Achaean Territory]]. ''(2001)''
* '''13 November''' - The Statue of Autonomy for the '''[[Siple Island|Viscounty of Siple]]''' is approved by the Grand Duke. It establishes a legislative branch within the Viscounty and increases the [[Viscount of Siple]]'s power over his region. ''(2004)''
* '''13 November''' - [[Grand Duke Travis]] marries [[Marquise of Walgreen|Cathryn, the Marquise of Walgreen]], in a private ceremony. She is officially proclaimed the Grand Duchess. ''(2004)''
* '''15 November''' - Many of the [[Grand Duke Travis|Consul-General]]'s friends are invested as members of the '''[[Hereditary Nobility of Westarctica|nobility]]''': [[Baron of Havola|George Morin]], Duke of Ellsworth; [[Count of Kohler|Joseph Day]], Duke of Walgreen; [[Viscount of Whitmore|Neil Whitmoyer]], Duke of Whitmore; Benjamin King, Duke of Rockefeller. All members accept their titles except Benjamin, who quits his role as an adviser to the Consul-General. ''(2001)''
* '''20 November''' - Knighthood in the '''[[Noble Order of Westarctica]]''' is bestowed on 11 reigning monarchs from around the world. ''(2004)''
* '''22 November''' - '''[[Foreign Relations of Westarctica|Requests for diplomatic recognition are sent]]''' to the governments of Taiwan, Latvia, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. ''(2004)''
* '''24 November''' - [[Marquise of Walgreen|Grand Duchess Cathryn]] gives birth to '''[[Prince Daniel Nicholas]]''', the second heir to the throne of Westarctica. ''(2005)''

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* '''12 September''' - [[Grand Duke Travis|Travis McHenry]] uses the [[Consular Crown]] to crown himself [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory]] in a '''[[Coronation of the Consul-General|coronation ceremony]]''' conducted at Marmaris Castle in Southern Turkey. ''(2001)''
* '''24 September''' - [[The Siple War]] is ended when [[Prince of Siple|Niels of Flandrensis]] and [[Grand Duke Travis]] sign the '''[[West-Antarctic Treaty]]'''. ''(2010)''

* '''25 September''' - The '''[[Consular-Consort]]''' is appointed. ''(2003)''

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* '''August''' - While doing research on obscure parts of the world, [[Grand Duke Travis|Travis McHenry]] discovers that a large slice of Antarctica, known as Marie Byrd Land or Western Antarctica, is the only piece of the continent not claimed by any world government. Researching the possibilities further, he realizes that the [[Antarctic Treaty]] only prevents governments from issuing new claims to [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] lands, but does not prevent individuals acting on their own accord from doing such. ''(2001)''
* '''2 August''' - '''[[The Achaean Civil Code]]''' is decreed by the [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] and [[Chancellery of the Achaean Territory|the Chancellery]]. ''(2002)''

Template:Encyclopedia Westarctica:This month in history/August

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65.223.62.142:

* '''August''' - While doing research on obscure parts of the world, [[Grand Duke Travis|Travis McHenry]] discovers that a large slice of Antarctica, known as Marie Byrd Land or Western Antarctica, is the only piece of the continent not claimed by any world government. Researching the possibilities further, he realizes that the [[Antarctic Treaty]] only prevents governments from issuing new claims to [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] lands, but does not prevent individuals acting on their own accord from doing such. ''(2001)''
* '''2 August''' - '''[[The Achaean Civil Code]] is decreed''' by the [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] and [[Chancellery of the Achaean Territory|the Chancellery]]. ''(2002)''

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* '''June''' - The [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] restructures the regions of the [[Achaean Territory]] and divides the land into two Grand Duchies. [[Baron of Havola|George Morin]] is appointed Grand Duke of Ellsworth and the Grand Duchy of Byrd is reserved for the future [[Prince Ashton Roman|heir to the throne]]. ''(2002)'' [[File:Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.png|thumb|250px]]
* '''04 June''' - Following the removal of [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin|Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence]] from power, '''[[The Great Return|Grand Duke Travis is again proclaimed the ruler of Westarctica]]''' and the [[Transitional Government]] is established. ''(2010)''
* '''06 June''' - The [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] '''[[Religion of Westarctica|issues a Statement of Faith]]''', publicly proclaiming his devotion to the Holy Trinity. ''(2004)''
* '''10 June''' - The Consul-General dissolves '''[[Chancellery of the Achaean Territory|the Chancellery]]''' and proclaims the establishment of an interim government to guide the transition of the [[Achaean Territory of Antarctica]] into the Grand Duchy of Westarctica. ''(2004)''
* '''13 June''' - The Grand Duke has an epiphany of a cross with a crown around it and is inspired to '''[[First Flag of Westarctica|design a new flag]]''', he also pledges to make [[Westarctica]] a Christian nation. ''(2004)''
* '''19 June''' - The Earldom of Truett is established in the Rockefeller Dukedom and '''[[Count of Ellsworth|given to Jeffery Truett]]'''. ''(2003)''
* '''23 June''' - The '''[[Antarctic Treaty]]''' ''(flag pictured)'' is ratified by the United States. ''(1961)''
* '''23 June''' - The [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin]] '''[[2008 Transition of Power|sends an urgent plea]]''' to the former [[Grand Duke Travis]] asking him to intervene in Westarctican affairs. ''(2008)''
* '''30 June''' - The Consul-General returns from a successful '''[[Operation Iraqi Freedom|deployment to Iraq]]''', and is welcomed as a hero. ''(2003)''
* '''30 June''' - The '''[[Grand Ducal Mandate]]''' is passed into law and becomes the constitution of [[Westarctica]]. Grand Duke Travis abolishes all the old titles of the Achaean Territory and appoints new members to [[Baronage of Westarctica|the Baronage]] and nobility. ''(2004)''

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* '''15 July''' - The Grand Duke issues a strongly worded '''[[Demarche to Sudan|''demarche'']]''' to the President of Sudan through the Sudanese ambassador to the United States. ''(2004)''

Template:Encyclopedia Westarctica:This month in history/June

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* '''June''' - The [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] restructures the regions of the [[Achaean Territory]] and divides the land into two Grand Duchies. [[Baron of Havola|George Morin]] is appointed Grand Duke of Ellsworth and the Grand Duchy of Byrd is reserved for the future [[Prince Ashton Roman|heir to the throne]]. ''(2002)'' [[File:Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.png|thumb|250px]]
* '''04 June''' - Following the removal of [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin|Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence]] from power, '''[[The Great Return|Grand Duke Travis is again proclaimed the ruler of Westarctica]]''' and the [[Transitional Government]] is established. ''(2010)''
* '''06 June''' - The [[Consul-General of the Achaean Territory|Consul-General]] '''[[Religion of Westarctica|issues a Statement of Faith]]''', publicly proclaiming his devotion to the Holy Trinity. ''(2004)''
* '''10 June''' - The Consul-General dissolves '''[[Chancellery of the Achaean Territory|the Chancellery]]''' and proclaims the establishment of an interim government to guide the transition of the [[Achaean Territory of Antarctica]] into the Grand Duchy of Westarctica. ''(2004)''
* '''13 June''' - The Grand Duke has an epiphany of a cross with a crown around it and is inspired to '''[[First Flag of Westarctica|design a new flag]]''', he also pledges to make [[Westarctica]] a Christian nation. ''(2004)''
* '''19 June''' - The Earldom of Truett is established in the Rockefeller Dukedom and '''[[Count of Ellsworth|given to Jeffery Truett]]'''. ''(2003)''
* '''23 June''' - '''The [[Antarctic Treaty]]''' ''(flag pictured)'' is ratified by the United States. ''(1961)''
* '''23 June''' - The [[Duke of Moulton-Berlin]] '''[[2008 Transition of Power|sends an urgent plea]]''' to the former [[Grand Duke Travis]] asking him to intervene in Westarctican affairs. ''(2008)''
* '''30 June''' - The Consul-General returns from a successful '''[[Operation Iraqi Freedom|deployment to Iraq]]''', and is welcomed as a hero. ''(2003)''
* '''30 June''' - '''The [[Grand Ducal Mandate]] is passed into law''' and becomes the constitution of [[Westarctica]]. Grand Duke Travis abolishes all the old titles of the Achaean Territory and appoints new members to [[Baronage of Westarctica|the Baronage]] and nobility. ''(2004)''

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* '''02 April''' - Pope John Paul II is posthumously made a Knight Commander of the '''[[Holy Order of The Cross]]'''. ''(2005)'' [[File:MicroCon Group.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
* '''06 April''' - '''[[Westarctica-Monegasque Relations|Prince Rainier III]]''', a Knight in the [[Noble Order of Westarctica]], passes away. The Knighthood is then bestowed upon his son, Prince Albert II. ''(2005)''
* '''11 April''' - A delegation from Westarctica attends the first '''[[MicroCon 2015|MicroCon]]''' ''(pictured)'', hosted by the [[Republic of Molossia]], in Anaheim, California. ''(2015)''
* '''17 April''' - While in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, [[Marquise of Walgreen|Grand Duchess Cathryn]] discovers she is pregnant with '''[[Prince Daniel Nicholas]]''', the second heir to the Westarctican throne. ''(2005)''
* '''18 April''' - [[Grand Duke Travis]] writes to the Presidents of Laos and Eritrea requesting the immediate release of two religious prisoners being held because of their '''[[Religion in Westarctica|Christian faith]]'''. ''(2005)''
* '''20 April''' - Westarctica's first '''[[Stamps of Westarctica|postage stamps]]''' are produced. ''(2005)''

Count of Sturge

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#REDIRECT [[Marquis of Williamson]]

[[Category:Redirect Pages]]

Coins of Westarctica

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The '''Coins of Westarctica''' are a collection of commemorative coins minted by the [[Central Bank of Westarctica]] on behalf of the [[Micronation|micronation]] of [[Westarctica]]. Starting in 2005, Westarctica minted 31 unique coins released in 14 different series, each commemorating a different element of Westarctican culture, history, or geography. The creation of coins by the Central Bank ceased in 2013; however, both [[Grand Duke Travis]] and the former [[Minister of the Treasury]], [[Marquis of Williamson|Jorge Fernandez-Vidal]], have expressed interest in resuming production of coins.

==History==
The impetus to mint coins under the name of Westarctica began with [[Marquis of Williamson|Jorge Fernández Vidal]], of A Coruña, a city in an autonomous region of northwestern Spain named Galicia.

He learned about the [[Balleny Islands]] while researching unclaimed land in Antarctica. His intention was a find an area or region suitably outside the jurisdiction of other countries, that could be used as a basis for minting coins of his own design. Jorge settled on the Balleny Islands in March 2004, after closely examining the language used in the [[Antarctic Treaty]] and realizing that New Zealand's claim to the Balleny Islands could not be legally recognized by any nation, including their own. Therefore, it was highly unlikely New Zealand would ever mint coins for the islands on their own, and they were equally unlikely to assert any kind of legal jurisdiction if Jorge were to mint coins under the name of the Balleny Islands. In his own words, the islands were: “officially unclaimed. A beautiful free land to mint a coin.”

===Central Bank of Westarctica===
In late 2004, Jorge stumbled upon the [[Westarctica.com]] website. He was intrigued by the fledgling nation and applied for citizenship. As part of his citizenship request, he shared his ideas for minting coins with Grand Duke Travis who happened to be looking for someone to lead a numismatic project to create coins on behalf of Westarctica. Jorge was promptly appointed to the post of [[Minister of the Treasury]] and given full authority to mint coins bearing Westarctica's name and symbols. The [[Central Bank of Westarctica]] was created with Jorge as it's head officer.

The initial arrangement between the Central Bank and the Grand Duke was that Jorge would assume all responsibility and cost associated with minting the coins, and would also reap 100% of the profits from the sale of any coins. The Grand Duke would be given three copies of every coin minted to be deposited in the [[Crown Jewels of Westarctica|Royal Collection]]. Management of the program and design of the coins would remain the sole responsibility of Jorge, while Grand Duke Travis' involvement was limited to some creative input and final approval of the coin designs.

The Balleny Islands became a colony when Westarctica formally annexed it from New Zealand on January 14, 2005. Mr. Vidal was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Jorge was given the title [[Count of Sturge]].

==Coins Minted==

[[Category:Coins]]
[[Category:Economy of Westarctica]]

Category:Coins

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[[category:Culture of Westarctica]]

Coins of Westarctica

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Public Holidays in Westarctica

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65.223.62.142: /* Public holidays */

This is a list of '''Public Holidays in [[Westarctica]]'''.

== Public holidays ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Holiday Name
! Notes
|-
| 1 January
| New Year's Day
| The next day is always a statutory holiday.
|-
| 3 March
| [[Westarctica.com|Technology Day]]
| Celebrates the recapture of the Westarctica.com domain name.
|-
| 15 March
| The Ides of March
| A day of remembrance and caution for all monarchs.
|-
| 2 June
| [[The Great Return|Coup Day]]
| Celebrates the overthrow of Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence. Also called ''The Great Return''.
|-
| 4 June
| [[Grand Duke Travis|The Grand Duke]]'s Birthday
|
|-
| 2 August
| [[Citizen's Day]]
| Day to celebrate and recognize all citizens of Westarctica. Commemorates the week the Grand Duke processed over 1,000 citizenship applications.
|-
| 29 October
| [[Liberation Day]]
| Celebrates Westarctica's liberation of the [[Colony of Calsahara]] in 2017.
|-
| 2 November
| [[Independence Day]]
| Commemorates the mailing of [[The Claimant Letter]] in 2001. Informally called ''Westarctica Day''.
|-
| 24 November
| [[Calsahara Day]]
| Commemorates the original founding day of Calsahara in 2009.
|-
| 25 December
| Christmas Day
| If this day falls on a Sunday, the next day will be a statutory holiday.
|}

[[Category:Culture of Westarctica]]

Template:Infobox nation

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{{Infobox
|data1 = {{#if:{{{name|}}}|<big>''' {{{name|}}} '''</big><hr>}}
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Westarctica

2018-03-20T22:29:57Z

65.223.62.142:

{{Infobox
|data1 = <center>'''Grand Duchy of Westarctica'''</center>
|data2 = <hr>
|data5 = <table width=100% cellspacing="20" style="background-color:transparent;"><tr><td width=50%>[[File:Flag_of_Westarctica.jpg|180px]] [[Flag]]</td><td>[[File:Lesser_COA_Westarctica.jpg|100px]] [[w:Coat of arms|Coat of Arms]]</td></tr></table>
|data6 = <hr>
|data7 = Motto '''''Fortune Favors the Bold.'''''
|data8 = <hr>
|data9 =
|data10 =
|data11 = [[File:Westarctica_Map.jpg|350px]] Claimed area of Westarctica.
|data12 = <hr>
|label13 = Capital city
|data13 = [[Peter I Island|Peter I Island]]
|label14 = Largest city
|data14 = [[Russkaya Station|Russkaya Station]]
|label15 = [[Official language|Official language(s)]]
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|label16 =
|data16 =
|label18 = Demonym
|data18 = ''Westarctican''
|data19 = <hr>
|label22 = [[Government]]
|data22 = Constitutional Monarchy
|label24 = Head of State
|data24 = [[Grand Duke Travis]]
|label25 = Head of Government
|data25 = Position Vacant
|data27 = <hr>
|label28 = [[Legislature]]
|data28 = [[Hereditary Nobility of Westarctica|Hereditary Nobility]]
|data31 =
|label32 = Formation
|data32 = 02 November 2001
|label35 = Area Claimed
|data35 = Marie Byrd Land
|label36 = Population
|data36 = 2,150 (2018 estimate)
|label37 = [[Currency|Currency]]
|data37 = Westarctican Dollar
|label39 = Date format
|data39 = dd-mm-yyyy
|data44 = <hr>
|data45 = '''[http://www.westarctica.info/ Official website]'''
}}

'''Westarctica''', officially the '''Grand Duchy of Westarctica''', is an area of desolate land in [[w:West Antarctica|Western Antarctica]] that was unclaimed until an American declared the area his own micronation, a declaration of status not recognized by established countries, in [[2001]]. The territory consists of [[w:Marie Byrd Land|Marie Byrd Land]] with a few additional claims and has no year round residents, although research stations have been located in the region. Westarctica was founded on a supposed loophole in the [[w:Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]]. The claim of micronation status has been used as a basis to mint and sell coins to collectors.

Westarctica was founded on 02 November 2001 as a new country project by Travis McHenry in an effort to bring increased attention (albeit by theatrical means) to one of the most desolate and inhospitable regions on the planet. Over the years, Westarctica's prestige and notoriety ebbed and flowed, especially during [[2006]] - [[2010]] when Travis took a leave of absence from his position as chief executive.

On 05 December [[2014]], Westarctica was incorporated as a nonprofit public benefit corporation in the state of California with the express goal of increasing conservation efforts in Western Antarctica.

== History ==

=== Inspired by Ice (2001 - 2004) ===
It was in the pages of the CIA World Factbook that Travis McHenry first discovered the unique international political situation in [[w:Antarctica|Antarctica]]. Under the section titled “Disputes – International” one line of text made his breath catch in his throat and set him on a course that would forever change his life: "''no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west''". At first, the future Grand Duke Travis decided to name his claimed lands as ''The Achaean Territory of Antarctica'', having been inspired by [[w:The Illiad|The Illiad]], which he was reading at the time. The proposed capital city was to be named Achilles and would be located at the site of the seasonally abandoned Byrd Station.

[[File:Westarctica-stamps.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Westarctica stamps.]]

Over time, like-minded individuals occasionally reached out with a desire to join his cause for statehood in the coldest place on earth. What drove them to his door remains a mystery, but it appears that each person had their own reasons for wanting to abscond to a desolate realm on the far side of the world. Despite the Achaean Territory's growing citizenship roster, they made absolutely no progress toward actual colonization of Antarctica. Scientists wouldn't return e-mails, and few people took the upstart group seriously. Even the simple goal of convincing someone to plant the Achaean flag in the ice of Western Antarctica seemed well out of reach.

=== Westarctica is Born (2004 - 2006) ===
It was during this time that Travis had a religious experience that caused him to briefly convert to Christianity. As a result of this conversion, he decided to reboot the project and declare it a fully functional sovereign nation. The new country was called ''The Grand Duchy of Westarctica''. The name Westarctica was carefully chosen to evoke images of Western Antarctica, and also, as an homage to the Napoleonic [[w:Kingdom of Westphalia|Kingdom of Westphalia]]. Plus, the name rolls off the tongue far better than West-ant-arctica.

[[File:Grand_Duke_Travis_and_Son.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grand Duke Travis with his son, the Archduke Nicholas, aboard the [[w:RMS Queen Mary|Queen Mary]], 2014.]]

The years from [[2004]] – [[2006]] were the high times of Westarctica's prestige. Travis married his girlfriend, Cathryn, who wore a tiara during the wedding ceremony and proudly joined the ranks of the Westarctican nobility. When she gave birth to Prince Daniel Nicholas in November of [[2005]], it was a time of excitement for everyone in the nation. With a little help from the international media, public interest in Westarctica increased, and the correspondence and citizenship requests began arriving on a daily basis. The general public was fascinated by Westarctica and by the concept of claiming previously unclaimed land.

The [[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]] had run a story on new country projects that made mention of Grand Duke Travis and Westarctica. Unfortunately, his supervisors at his day job in the Navy didn't find the concept of Westarctica as fascinating as their civilian contemporaies. He was given a choice: either dump Westarctica, or lose his security clearance and thus his job. So in January 2006, Travis contacted his closest friend in the Westarctican government, Philip Karns, the Duke of Ravencroft, and Minister of Information, to ask if he would be willing to take over the reins of government.

[[File:Grand_Duke_Travis.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Grand Duke Travis was photographed by Gabriela Alvarez for the Associated Press, April 2015.]]

=== The Reign of Two Grand Dukes (2006 - 2010) ===
Grand Duke Philip ascended to the throne at a time when Westarctica was internally strong and prosperous. His first 100 days in office were marked by progress and creativity. He published an eight-page newsletter called Westarctica Quarterly, which, most significantly, had lengthy articles written by every member of the Westarctican government. Things were progressing nicely until Westarctica's Chief Herald, the Duke of Moulton-Berlin, began to feel as though he was being attacked in Westarctica's online forums. Although the exact nature of the dispute is unimportant, the internal squabbling led to the departure of most members of Westarctica's leadership team.

After spending a mere 10 months on the throne, Grand Duke Philip's health began to deteriorate and he slowly withdrew from public life. To the outside world, it appeared that Westarctica had become stagnant. The forums were devoid of activity, the nobles had disappeared, and the Grand Duke was silent. Many people wondered if the country was finished. The final blow to Westarctica's prestige came when Grand Duke Philip allowed the official website for the nation to go defunct. Even a neglected website can provide some information to visitors and interested parties; however, the Grand Duke failed to re-register the westarctica.com domain name and the web address fell into the hands of a domain parking service.

On 23 June 23 [[2008]], Travis received an impassioned e-mail from the Duke of Moulton-Berlin, Jon-Lawrence Langer, a fellow Pennsylvania native and longtime member of Westarctica. In the e-mail, he asked some very important questions, and made some profound statements about how the intrepid vision behind Westarctica had changed his life. After a chain of e-mails and phone calls back and forth, Travis and Jon-Lawrence were able to convince Grand Duke Philip to step down from the throne. His final words before abdication were tired, but honest: “''If they want it, the crown is theirs''”.

[[File:Jon-Lawrence.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence.]]

Jon-Lawrence eagerly replied, “''I invite the challenge''”. And without further delay, the throne, crown, and full dictatorial power of Westarctica was peacefully passed from one citizen to another. In response, the new Grand Duke launched ''westarctica.org'', and proudly proclaimed the restoration of Westarctica's government and his ascension to the throne. After the new website was launched, the world was once again interested in the goings-on in Westarctica. Within the first six months of his ascension to the throne, Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence was faced with multiple attacks on Westarctica's sovereignty. All the individuals who had made claims to Marie Byrd Land while Philip was incommunicado suddenly rose to the surface and started questioning the status of our claim. The Grand Duke took a heavy-handed approach in dealing with the challengers, issuing ultimatums that left no wiggle room for negotiation.

At the Grand Duke's behest, Wolf, the Count of Waesche, had been communicating with many of the challengers, and was making steady progress with friendly discussions. Jon-Lawrence couldn't see their side of the argument, however, and promptly ordered Wolf to cease communication with the usurpers. A series of legal threats and firm refusals to negotiate followed, and by late [[2009]], Westarctica was right back where it had started: isolated and internally fractured. Things went downhill rapidly, and on 24 November [[2009]], Jon-Lawrence sent Travis an e-mail expressing his weariness at running the nation.

=== The Founder Returns (2010 - 2014) ===
[[File:TravisArticle.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Article featuring the Grand Duke Travis.]]
Throughout the month of May in the year [[2010]], Wolf was in constant contact with Travis in regard to Westarctican affairs. There was great concern that our nation had once again fallen into a spate of non-activity and was again relegated to the dustbin of world history. Wolf enthusiastically encouraged Travis to return to a position of leadership, and offered to be of service in any way necessary. He desperately wanted to fulfill the resolution to the conflicting claims that he had negotiated in previous years. Many of the claimants had become respected new country leaders in their own right, with the [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]] garnering even more press coverage than Westarctica.

Travis attempted e-mailing and calling Jon-Lawrence on numerous occasions, but he never returned any of the e-mails or calls. Wolf pressed for a course of action, insisting that the best choice would be for Travis to return to Westarctica and take his place as leader of the nation. The primary reason for Travis' return to Westarctica was to restore the good name and dignity of the project he had created and to raise our country's prestige once again in the eyes of the world. He sent one final plea for cooperation to Jon-Lawrence before seizing control of the country on 26 May [[2010]].

Before the end of the following week, he had purchased a new domain name, [http://www.westarctica.info/ westarctica.info] and established a new website promoting a transitional government that was now firmly in power. Jon-Lawrence had been overthrown by Travis' own hand, and Wolf was elevated to the role of Prime Minister. Despite his reluctance to assume the throne, Travis was declared Grand Duke again on 04 June [[2010]] during his 30th birthday while celebrating in a suite at the Grand Californian Hotel. The Viscount of Whitmore was in attendance and grunted his approval. Count Waesche ascended to the dignity of Duke and was appointed Prime Minister with full responsibility for the foreign and domestic affairs of the nation. Wolf immediately negotiated a peace with all of the rival claimants, and Westarctica had successfully reclaimed her dignity.

=== Westarctica, Inc. (2014 - Present) ===
[[File:Westarctica_Shiloh.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Grand Duke Travis bestows a knighthood in the Order of the Snowflake upon H.M. King Timothy of Shiloh, 2015.]]
On the eve of Westarctica's 13th Anniversary, the Grand Duke realized that he could be more effective as an advocate for [[w:West Antarctica|Western Antarctica]] if he took the bold step to turn his new country project into a [[w:Nonprofit corporation|nonprofit corporation]] whose stated purpose aligned perfectly with the original goals envisioned when our territory was first claimed. We have always been champions of environmental and animal causes in Antarctica, and becoming a tax exempt organization with legal standing as a corporation would allow Westarctica to transition from an obscure novelty into an international charity capable of bringing about positive change on a global scale.

On 21 November [[2014]], Travis filed with the state of California to make Westarctica Incorporated a legally recognized nonprofit public benefit corporation. His request was approved and officially registered on 05 December. As a nonprofit entity, Westarctica Incorporated would achieve more than ever before, becoming a beacon for increased awareness of the perpetually neglected western side of Antarctica. Westarctica first major accomplishment as a nonprofit corporation was being granted non-consultative status as a non-governmental organization by the [[w:United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs|United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]] on 20 January [[2015]].

== National symbols ==

<center><gallery perrow="5" heights="100px" widths="100px">
File:Flag_of_Westarctica.jpg|National Flag
File:Lesser_COA_Westarctica.jpg|Lesser Coat of Arms
</gallery></center>

== Territory ==
The bulk of Westarctican territory consists of [[Marie Byrd Land]]; this was the original territory claimed. It was defined as all land south of 60° S and between 90° W and 150° W. This is between the claim of Chile and the claim of New Zealand. The original capital was named Achilles. Later on, the [[Balleny Islands]] and [[Peter I Island]] were annexed. Peter I Island was declared the new capital of Westarctica. After the reformation of the Grand Duchy into a protectorate (October 2010) Grand Duke Travis reduced the Westarctican claim in order to join the [[Antarctic Micronational Union]] and recognize other micronational claims in West-Antarctica. This decision was made official after the signing of the [[West-Antarctic Treaty]].

== External links ==
*[http://www.westarctica.info/ Official website]
*[https://www.facebook.com/Westarctica/ Official Facebook page]
*[http://www.usns.info/coin-westarctica.html Grand Duchy of Westarctica on Unrecognised States Numismatic Society official website]

[[Category:Monarchies]] [[Category:Micronations]] [[Category: Monarchy]] [[Category: Founded in 2001]] [[Category: North American micronations]]

Westarctica

2018-03-20T22:28:31Z

65.223.62.142: /* Territory */

{{Infobox
|data1 = <center>'''Grand Duchy of Westarctica'''</center>
|data2 = <hr>
|data5 = <table width=100% cellspacing="20" style="background-color:transparent;"><tr><td width=50%>[[File:Flag_of_Westarctica.jpg|180px]] [[Flag]]</td><td>[[File:Lesser_COA_Westarctica.jpg|100px]] [[w:Coat of arms|Coat of Arms]]</td></tr></table>
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|label32 = [[List of micronations by establishment|Formation]]
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|data35 = Marie Byrd Land
|label36 = [[List of micronations by population|Population]]
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|label37 = [[Currency|Currency]]
|data37 = Westarctican Dollar
|label39 = Date format
|data39 = dd-mm-yyyy
|data44 = <hr>
|data45 = '''[http://www.westarctica.info/ Official website]'''
}}

'''Westarctica''', officially the '''Grand Duchy of Westarctica''', is an area of desolate land in [[w:West Antarctica|Western Antarctica]] that was unclaimed until an American declared the area his own micronation, a declaration of status not recognized by established countries, in [[2001]]. The territory consists of [[w:Marie Byrd Land|Marie Byrd Land]] with a few additional claims and has no year round residents, although research stations have been located in the region. Westarctica was founded on a supposed loophole in the [[w:Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]]. The claim of micronation status has been used as a basis to mint and sell coins to collectors.

Westarctica was founded on 02 November 2001 as a new country project by Travis McHenry in an effort to bring increased attention (albeit by theatrical means) to one of the most desolate and inhospitable regions on the planet. Over the years, Westarctica's prestige and notoriety ebbed and flowed, especially during [[2006]] - [[2010]] when Travis took a leave of absence from his position as chief executive.

On 05 December [[2014]], Westarctica was incorporated as a nonprofit public benefit corporation in the state of California with the express goal of increasing conservation efforts in Western Antarctica.

== History ==

=== Inspired by Ice (2001 - 2004) ===
It was in the pages of the CIA World Factbook that Travis McHenry first discovered the unique international political situation in [[w:Antarctica|Antarctica]]. Under the section titled “Disputes – International” one line of text made his breath catch in his throat and set him on a course that would forever change his life: "''no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west''". At first, the future Grand Duke Travis decided to name his claimed lands as ''The Achaean Territory of Antarctica'', having been inspired by [[w:The Illiad|The Illiad]], which he was reading at the time. The proposed capital city was to be named Achilles and would be located at the site of the seasonally abandoned Byrd Station.

[[File:Westarctica-stamps.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Westarctica stamps.]]

Over time, like-minded individuals occasionally reached out with a desire to join his cause for statehood in the coldest place on earth. What drove them to his door remains a mystery, but it appears that each person had their own reasons for wanting to abscond to a desolate realm on the far side of the world. Despite the Achaean Territory's growing citizenship roster, they made absolutely no progress toward actual colonization of Antarctica. Scientists wouldn't return e-mails, and few people took the upstart group seriously. Even the simple goal of convincing someone to plant the Achaean flag in the ice of Western Antarctica seemed well out of reach.

=== Westarctica is Born (2004 - 2006) ===
It was during this time that Travis had a religious experience that caused him to briefly convert to Christianity. As a result of this conversion, he decided to reboot the project and declare it a fully functional sovereign nation. The new country was called ''The Grand Duchy of Westarctica''. The name Westarctica was carefully chosen to evoke images of Western Antarctica, and also, as an homage to the Napoleonic [[w:Kingdom of Westphalia|Kingdom of Westphalia]]. Plus, the name rolls off the tongue far better than West-ant-arctica.

[[File:Grand_Duke_Travis_and_Son.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grand Duke Travis with his son, the Archduke Nicholas, aboard the [[w:RMS Queen Mary|Queen Mary]], 2014.]]

The years from [[2004]] – [[2006]] were the high times of Westarctica's prestige. Travis married his girlfriend, Cathryn, who wore a tiara during the wedding ceremony and proudly joined the ranks of the Westarctican nobility. When she gave birth to Prince Daniel Nicholas in November of [[2005]], it was a time of excitement for everyone in the nation. With a little help from the international media, public interest in Westarctica increased, and the correspondence and citizenship requests began arriving on a daily basis. The general public was fascinated by Westarctica and by the concept of claiming previously unclaimed land.

The [[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]] had run a story on new country projects that made mention of Grand Duke Travis and Westarctica. Unfortunately, his supervisors at his day job in the Navy didn't find the concept of Westarctica as fascinating as their civilian contemporaies. He was given a choice: either dump Westarctica, or lose his security clearance and thus his job. So in January 2006, Travis contacted his closest friend in the Westarctican government, Philip Karns, the Duke of Ravencroft, and Minister of Information, to ask if he would be willing to take over the reins of government.

[[File:Grand_Duke_Travis.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Grand Duke Travis was photographed by Gabriela Alvarez for the Associated Press, April 2015.]]

=== The Reign of Two Grand Dukes (2006 - 2010) ===
Grand Duke Philip ascended to the throne at a time when Westarctica was internally strong and prosperous. His first 100 days in office were marked by progress and creativity. He published an eight-page newsletter called Westarctica Quarterly, which, most significantly, had lengthy articles written by every member of the Westarctican government. Things were progressing nicely until Westarctica's Chief Herald, the Duke of Moulton-Berlin, began to feel as though he was being attacked in Westarctica's online forums. Although the exact nature of the dispute is unimportant, the internal squabbling led to the departure of most members of Westarctica's leadership team.

After spending a mere 10 months on the throne, Grand Duke Philip's health began to deteriorate and he slowly withdrew from public life. To the outside world, it appeared that Westarctica had become stagnant. The forums were devoid of activity, the nobles had disappeared, and the Grand Duke was silent. Many people wondered if the country was finished. The final blow to Westarctica's prestige came when Grand Duke Philip allowed the official website for the nation to go defunct. Even a neglected website can provide some information to visitors and interested parties; however, the Grand Duke failed to re-register the westarctica.com domain name and the web address fell into the hands of a domain parking service.

On 23 June 23 [[2008]], Travis received an impassioned e-mail from the Duke of Moulton-Berlin, Jon-Lawrence Langer, a fellow Pennsylvania native and longtime member of Westarctica. In the e-mail, he asked some very important questions, and made some profound statements about how the intrepid vision behind Westarctica had changed his life. After a chain of e-mails and phone calls back and forth, Travis and Jon-Lawrence were able to convince Grand Duke Philip to step down from the throne. His final words before abdication were tired, but honest: “''If they want it, the crown is theirs''”.

[[File:Jon-Lawrence.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence.]]

Jon-Lawrence eagerly replied, “''I invite the challenge''”. And without further delay, the throne, crown, and full dictatorial power of Westarctica was peacefully passed from one citizen to another. In response, the new Grand Duke launched ''westarctica.org'', and proudly proclaimed the restoration of Westarctica's government and his ascension to the throne. After the new website was launched, the world was once again interested in the goings-on in Westarctica. Within the first six months of his ascension to the throne, Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence was faced with multiple attacks on Westarctica's sovereignty. All the individuals who had made claims to Marie Byrd Land while Philip was incommunicado suddenly rose to the surface and started questioning the status of our claim. The Grand Duke took a heavy-handed approach in dealing with the challengers, issuing ultimatums that left no wiggle room for negotiation.

At the Grand Duke's behest, Wolf, the Count of Waesche, had been communicating with many of the challengers, and was making steady progress with friendly discussions. Jon-Lawrence couldn't see their side of the argument, however, and promptly ordered Wolf to cease communication with the usurpers. A series of legal threats and firm refusals to negotiate followed, and by late [[2009]], Westarctica was right back where it had started: isolated and internally fractured. Things went downhill rapidly, and on 24 November [[2009]], Jon-Lawrence sent Travis an e-mail expressing his weariness at running the nation.

=== The Founder Returns (2010 - 2014) ===
[[File:TravisArticle.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Article featuring the Grand Duke Travis.]]
Throughout the month of May in the year [[2010]], Wolf was in constant contact with Travis in regard to Westarctican affairs. There was great concern that our nation had once again fallen into a spate of non-activity and was again relegated to the dustbin of world history. Wolf enthusiastically encouraged Travis to return to a position of leadership, and offered to be of service in any way necessary. He desperately wanted to fulfill the resolution to the conflicting claims that he had negotiated in previous years. Many of the claimants had become respected new country leaders in their own right, with the [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]] garnering even more press coverage than Westarctica.

Travis attempted e-mailing and calling Jon-Lawrence on numerous occasions, but he never returned any of the e-mails or calls. Wolf pressed for a course of action, insisting that the best choice would be for Travis to return to Westarctica and take his place as leader of the nation. The primary reason for Travis' return to Westarctica was to restore the good name and dignity of the project he had created and to raise our country's prestige once again in the eyes of the world. He sent one final plea for cooperation to Jon-Lawrence before seizing control of the country on 26 May [[2010]].

Before the end of the following week, he had purchased a new domain name, [http://www.westarctica.info/ westarctica.info] and established a new website promoting a transitional government that was now firmly in power. Jon-Lawrence had been overthrown by Travis' own hand, and Wolf was elevated to the role of Prime Minister. Despite his reluctance to assume the throne, Travis was declared Grand Duke again on 04 June [[2010]] during his 30th birthday while celebrating in a suite at the Grand Californian Hotel. The Viscount of Whitmore was in attendance and grunted his approval. Count Waesche ascended to the dignity of Duke and was appointed Prime Minister with full responsibility for the foreign and domestic affairs of the nation. Wolf immediately negotiated a peace with all of the rival claimants, and Westarctica had successfully reclaimed her dignity.

=== Westarctica, Inc. (2014 - Present) ===
[[File:Westarctica_Shiloh.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Grand Duke Travis bestows a knighthood in the Order of the Snowflake upon H.M. King Timothy of Shiloh, 2015.]]
On the eve of Westarctica's 13th Anniversary, the Grand Duke realized that he could be more effective as an advocate for [[w:West Antarctica|Western Antarctica]] if he took the bold step to turn his new country project into a [[w:Nonprofit corporation|nonprofit corporation]] whose stated purpose aligned perfectly with the original goals envisioned when our territory was first claimed. We have always been champions of environmental and animal causes in Antarctica, and becoming a tax exempt organization with legal standing as a corporation would allow Westarctica to transition from an obscure novelty into an international charity capable of bringing about positive change on a global scale.

On 21 November [[2014]], Travis filed with the state of California to make Westarctica Incorporated a legally recognized nonprofit public benefit corporation. His request was approved and officially registered on 05 December. As a nonprofit entity, Westarctica Incorporated would achieve more than ever before, becoming a beacon for increased awareness of the perpetually neglected western side of Antarctica. Westarctica first major accomplishment as a nonprofit corporation was being granted non-consultative status as a non-governmental organization by the [[w:United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs|United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]] on 20 January [[2015]].

== National symbols ==

<center><gallery perrow="5" heights="100px" widths="100px">
File:Flag_of_Westarctica.jpg|National Flag
File:Lesser_COA_Westarctica.jpg|Lesser Coat of Arms
</gallery></center>

== Territory ==
The bulk of Westarctican territory consists of [[Marie Byrd Land]]; this was the original territory claimed. It was defined as all land south of 60° S and between 90° W and 150° W. This is between the claim of Chile and the claim of New Zealand. The original capital was named Achilles. Later on, the [[Balleny Islands]] and [[Peter I Island]] were annexed. Peter I Island was declared the new capital of Westarctica. After the reformation of the Grand Duchy into a protectorate (October 2010) Grand Duke Travis reduced the Westarctican claim in order to join the [[Antarctic Micronational Union]] and recognize other micronational claims in West-Antarctica. This decision was made official after the signing of the [[West-Antarctic Treaty]].

== External links ==
*[http://www.westarctica.info/ Official website]
*[https://www.facebook.com/Westarctica/ Official Facebook page]
*[http://www.usns.info/coin-westarctica.html Grand Duchy of Westarctica on Unrecognised States Numismatic Society official website]

[[Category:Monarchies]] [[Category:Micronations]] [[Category: Monarchy]] [[Category: Founded in 2001]] [[Category: North American micronations]]