ABSTRACT
Of the seven great land masses on the planet earth, Antarctica is unique. Except for a few coastal areas, all of Antarctica is subject to sub-freezing weather all year round. The United States has invested far more of its resources than any other state in the twentieth century in exploration and scientific research in Antarctica. Moreover, Antarctica has become a global political issue, first placed on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly in 1983, and its legal status has become increasingly contentious. Far more controversial is the effort of the consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty to establish a legal regime for the exploration and exploitation of minerals within the treaty area. Moreover, as the consultative states turned their attention to conservation of the living resources in Antarctica, especially seals and fish, they were limited in measures to enforce their good intentions without boundaries of national jurisdiction.
