Australian Antarctic Territory

Australian Antarctic Territory
Map of Antarctica indicating Australian territorial claim (red area)
Map of Antarctica indicating Australian territorial claim (red area)
Sovereign state Australia
British claim1841
Claim transferred to Australia1933
Main base
and administrative centre
Davis Station
68°34′36″S 77°58′03″E / 68.576667°S 77.9675°E / -68.576667; 77.9675
Official languagesEnglish
GovernmentDependency under a constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Charles III
Sam Mostyn
• Australian government minister
Tanya Plibersek
• Chief Scientist
Nicole Webster
Area
• Total
5,896,500 km2 (2,276,700 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
less than 1,000
CurrencyAustralian dollar (AU$) (AUD)
Calling code+672 1x
Internet TLD

The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of East Antarctica claimed by Australia as an external territory. It is administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The territory's history dates to a claim on Enderby Land made by the United Kingdom in 1841, which was subsequently expanded and eventually transferred to Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation by area. In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty came into force. Article 4 deals with territorial claims, and although it does not renounce or diminish any pre-existing claims to sovereignty, it also does not prejudice the position of Contracting Parties in their recognition or non-recognition of territorial sovereignty. As a result, only four other countries — New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, and Norway — recognise Australia's claim to sovereignty in Antarctica.[1]