How many countries are in Antarctica?
Most people say that Antarctica is just a frozen continent with no existing countries in it, but a few others say that it belongs to some of the countries that lay claim to it which I’d be listing in this article.
A little Bio of Antarctica
Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.
Truly, Antarctica is the coldest region in the planet and has about 87% of the world’s ice. It is a home to numerous marine animals which have adapted extremely well to the cold environment.
In Antarctica, there are no permanent human residents. There are about 4,000 seasonal visitors to Antarctica and most times visits to the continent are due to scientific expeditions. This is what makes antarctica a continent devoid of countries of its own as there won’t be a country without inhabitants.
Countries With Territorial Claim in Antarctica
Countries that lay claim to Antarctica are countries that are part of a treaty put in place in 1959.
According to the Antarctic Treaty System, no country may claim land in Antarctica or use Antarctica for military operations. Some countries made claims to Antarctica before the Treaty entered force.
Countries that Made Claim To Antarctica
The claims are not recognized by any countries that don’t have claims in Antarctica.
Let’s look at how many countries In Antarctica, no, how many countries that have claimed territory in Antarctica. These countries are part of the Treaty and are as listed below:
- Argentina;
- Australia;
- Chile;
- France;
- New Zealand;
- Norway and;
- United Kingdom.
Later after the countries above, the following countries joined:
- Russia and;
- United States of America.
Table Showing Antarctic Territories, Their Countries, and Year Claimed
We have drafted a table to show Antarctic Territories, and the year when they were claimed.
| Country | Territory | Date |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
 Argentine Antarctica |
1943 |
 Australia |
Australian Antarctic Territory |
1933 |
 Chile |
 Chilean Antarctic Territory |
1940 |
 France |
 Adélie Land |
1840 |
 New Zealand |
Ross Dependency |
1923 |
 Norway |
Peter I Island |
1929 |
 United Kingdom |
 British Antarctic Territory |
1908 |
| Norway |
Peter I Island |
1929 |