British Antarctic Territory

British Antarctic Territory

Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Research and Discovery
Anthem: God Save the King
Status	British overseas territory
Official language(s)	English (de facto)
Commissioner	Leigh Turner
Administrator	Michael Richardson
Area	1.709.400 km² [1]
Population	c. 200
Currency	Pound Sterling

The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom and is a British overseas territory. It is a triangle in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60° S latitude between longitudes 20° W and 80° W. The Territory was formed on March 3, 1962, although the UK first claimed this part of the Antarctic in 1908. Before 1962, the area now covered by the Territory comprised three separate dependencies of the Falkland Islands;

• Graham Land
• the South Orkney Islands and
• the South Shetland Islands.

The Territory overlaps other claims on Antarctica by Argentina and Chile

The Territory is inhabited largely by the staff of research and support stations operated and maintained by the British Antarctic Survey and other organisations.

1. ↑ "British Foreign Office - Country Profiles - British Antarctic Territory". Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2008-12-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)