A view of our southernmost continent for Antarctica Day

© Jan Vermeer/Minden Picture

Greetings from way down under. A treaty for science

Twelve nations – including the UK – signed the Antarctic Treaty System on 1 December 1959, establishing the ice-covered continent as a place for scientific study open to all nations and banning any military activity. Since then, additional countries have joined the treaty – now 53 nations participate in activities at the various research stations there. Our photo shows the northernmost part of Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, south of Chile and Argentina.