By Eve Sampson
Last week, the president of Chile made a visit to the South Pole to strengthen his nation’s territorial claims over parts of Antarctica, as rivalries in the region are gradually increasing.
Gabriel Boric, along with a group of officials, toured the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, a United States research facility. According to his office, this marked the first occasion that an incumbent Latin American president has visited the icy continent.
Boric characterized the journey as “a landmark” and “a confirmation of our sovereignty in this area.”
On the opposite side of the globe, climate change has increased attention on the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly significant for international trade, greater access to natural resources, and escalating military competition. In contrast, Antarctica has remained relatively overlooked.
However, more than a century after explorers hurried to plant their flags in the icy polar desert, nations are once again starting to openly compete for influence in this region.
The Antarctic Treaty System governs the area, stipulating that “Antarctica shall be used solely for peaceful endeavors.” This Cold-War agreement and its subsequent treaties were designed to establish Antarctica as a demilitarized zone and address conflicting territorial claims.
For decades, this system successfully fostered international consensus regarding the region, as noted in a 2023 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research organization based in Washington.
Numerous countries operate long-standing or newly constructed facilities on Antarctica to conduct scientific studies, some of which could be utilized to tap into the region’s strategic and commercial prospects. Over recent years, competition in this area has been quietly escalating and is expected to continue, according to the report.
The severe conditions of Antarctica and the treaty system have limited access to its resources, but the region boasts a rich marine ecosystem and potential reserves of oil, gas, and minerals. The desolate terrain also serves as a suitable location for nations to deploy technologies with military applications.
Russia has stepped up its efforts to establish monitoring stations for GLONASS, its own GPS system, which experts acknowledge has military implications as well. By 2015, at least three Russian stations were functioning in Antarctica.
In 2023, China announced intentions to construct new satellite stations in Antarctica, a project that may also have military applications.
While the treaty prohibits mining activities in the region, thereby safeguarding small deposits of iron ore, coal, and chromium, estimates of the potential oil and natural gas reserves differ widely. Environmentalists are concerned as China and Russia seek to relax restrictions on krill fishing.
Aspects of the treaty concerning environmental protection will be reviewed in 2048 but may face challenges before that time.
Some countries that are signatories of the Antarctic treaty have made territorial claims, some of which overlap with others, while certain nations do not recognize the claims made by their counterparts. Chile stands as one of the few nations asserting territory, having established a permanent settlement known as Villa Las Estrellas.
In May 2024, Chile aimed to reinforce its territorial claims by conducting a meeting with defense officials in Antarctica as a demonstration of sovereignty amidst concerns over Russia’s alleged geological activities in the Weddell Sea, located in the Antarctic region near the southern tip of South America.
