Queen Maud Land

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Queen Maud Land

Queen Maud Land is an English translation of Dronning Maud Land, the official name in use by Norwegian authorities and British Antarctic Survey

British Antarctic Survey

The British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operator and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff....
on the part of Antarctica

Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....
claimed by Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
as a dependent territory

Dependent territory

A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a Territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State....
, on 14 January 1939. This claim, like all others in the Antarctic, is not universally recognized and is subject to the terms of the Antarctic Treaty System

Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population....
.

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Encyclopedia

Queen Maud Land is an English translation of Dronning Maud Land, the official name in use by Norwegian authorities and British Antarctic Survey

British Antarctic Survey

Antarctica

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
as a dependent territory

Dependent territory

Antarctic Treaty System

Square mile

The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....
), mostly covered by the Antarctic ice sheet

Antarctic ice sheet

The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of the Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctica continent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth....
lying between the British claim

British Antarctic Territory

The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60th parallel south between longitudes 20th meridian west and 80th meridian west....
, at 20°W

20th meridian west

The meridian 20? west of Prime Meridian is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and the Australian claim

Australian Antarctic Territory

The Australian Antarctic Territory is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia and is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation....
, at 44°38'E. Norway has not officially elaborated as to the northernly and southernly extent of their claim. This explains why the Norwegian claim is illustrated differently from other claims on some maps of Antarctica. It is however generally assumed that the Norwegian claim follows the norms of the other Antarctic claims. The Norwegian claim has been officially recognised by Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The territory is named for Maud of Wales

Maud of Wales

Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of Haakon VII of Norway. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark....
(1869–1938), queen consort of King Haakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII was the first king of Norway after the Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 of the personal union with Sweden....
.

Regions

Queen Maud Land is divided into five coastal regions which can be thought of extending as sector

Circular sector

A circular sector or circle sector, is the portion of a circle enclosed by two radius and an Arc , where the smaller area is known as the minor sector and the larger being the major sector....
s to the South Pole

South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's rotation intersects the surface....
, from west to east (clockwise):

No.	Region	Area		Western Border	Eastern Border
No.	Region	km²	sq mi Square mile The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared....	Western Border	Eastern Border
1	Kronprinsesse Märtha Kyst Princess Martha Coast Princess Martha Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 05? E and the terminus of Stancomb-Wills Glacier, at 20? W....		020°00' W	005°00' E
2	Prinsesse Astrid Kyst Princess Astrid Coast Princess Astrid Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 5? and 20? E. The entire coast is bordered by ice shelves. Discovered by Capt....		005°00' E	020°00' E
3	Prinsesse Ragnhild Kyst Princess Ragnhild Coast Princess Ragnhild Coast is the portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land in Antarctica lying between 20? E and the Riiser-Larsen Peninsula, at 34? E....		020°00' E	034°00' E
4	Prins Harald Kyst Prince Harald Coast Prince Harald Coast is a portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land encompassing Lutzow-Holm Bay, lying between Riiser-Larsen Peninsula, at 34? E, and the east entrance point of Lutzow-Holm Bay, marked by the coastal angle at 40? E....		034°00' E	040°00' E
5	Prins Olav Kyst Prince Olav Coast Prince Olav Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land between the east entrance point of Lutzow-Holm Bay, marked by the coastal angle at 40? E, and Shinnan Glacier at 44? 38' E....		040°00' E	044°38' E
6	Haakon VII's Vidde Antarctic Plateau The Antarctic Plateau is a large area of East Antarctica, extending for about a thousand kilometres, and which includes the South Pole. It is at an average elevation of close to 3000 metres ....	The Polar Plateau is considered a sixth region. With an undefined northern border (approx. 80°S) its area is contained in sectors 1 through 5
	Dronning Maud Land		020°00' W	044°38' E

The area was first visited in 1930 by Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen

Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen

Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen was a Norwegians Aviator, polar explorer and businessman. Among his achievements, he is generally regarded as the founder of the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
as part of efforts to map the Antarctic. Roald Amundsen

Roald Amundsen

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen , was a Norwegian people Exploration of polar regions. He led the first Antarctica expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912....
had previously named it in honour of Queen Maud of Norway

Maud of Wales

Antarctic Plateau

The Antarctic Plateau is a large area of East Antarctica, extending for about a thousand kilometres, and which includes the South Pole. It is at an average elevation of close to 3000 metres ....
surrounding the South Pole

South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's rotation intersects the surface....
Haakon VII's Vidde in honour of King Haakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII was the first king of Norway after the Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 of the personal union with Sweden....
. The area originally identified by Amundsen as Queen Maud Land lay between 37° and 50° E.

Research stations

Norway operates two research stations in Antarctica, both in Queen Maud Land:

Troll
Troll (research station)

Troll research station is a Norwegian Antarctic research station in Queen Maud Land, in the eastern part of Princess Martha Coast, constructed during the Norwegian expedition 1989 - 1990....
,
Tor
Tor (research station)

Tor research station is a Norwegian Antarctic research station in Queen Maud Land, in the easternmost part of Princess Martha Coast at Svarthamaren, established in 1993....
(summer station),

Research Stations of other nations include:

SANAE IV
SANAE

SANAE is the South African National Antarctic Expedition. The name refers both to the overwintering bases, and the team spending the winter ....
"Vesles" (South Africa), Princess Martha Coast
Sarie Marais
Sarie Marais

Sarie Marais is a traditional Afrikaans folk song, created during either the First Boer War or the Second Boer War . The tune was taken from a song called Ellie Rhee dating from the American Civil War, and the words translated into Afrikaans....
(South Africa), Princess Martha Coast
Novolazarevskaya Station
Novolazarevskaya Station

Novolazarevskaya Station is a Russian, formerly Soviet, Antarctic research station. The station is located at Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud Land, 75 km from the Antarctic coast....
(Russia), Princess Astrid Coast
Showa Station
Showa Station

Showa Station , also sometimes spelled Syowa, is a Japanese research station located at in Antarctica. The station was built in 1957. It is named for the Japanese era name in the Japanese calendar during which it was established, the Showa period....
(Japan), Prince Harald Coast
Dome Fuji Station (Japan), Prince Harald Coast
Mizuho Station
Mizuho Station (Antarctica)

The , is a permanent Japanese Antarctic transshipment station. It is located on Atka Bay and was opened in 1970. It is operated by the Japanese National Institute of Polar Research ....
(Japan), Prince Olav Coast
Neumayer Station, Princess Martha Coast
Princess Elisabeth Base
Princess Elisabeth Base

Prinses Elisabeth Base, located on Dronning Maud Land is a Belgium polar station, taken into use on February 15, 2009. The station is the first polar base that combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use, optimization of the station's energy consumption and clever waste management techniques....
(Belgium), Princess Ragnhild Coast (interior)
Kohnen (German summer station), Princess Martha Coast (interior)
SANAE E (South African summer station), Princess Martha Coast
Svea Station (Swedish summer station) 1987/1988, Princess Astrid Coast
Nordenskiöld Base
Nordenskiöld Base

The Nordenski?ld Base is a name sometimes used for the facilities shared by the Antarctic stations Wasa and Aboa ....
, Princess Astrid Coast

Wasa Station (Swedish summer station)
Aboa Station (Finnish summer station)

Asuka Station
Asuka Station (Antarctica)

The is a permanent Japanese Antarctic unmanned observation base. It is located on Queen Maud Land and was opened in 1985....
(Japanese unmanned station) Princess Ragnhild Coast
Maitri
Maitri

Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica. It was built and finished in 1989, after the first station Dakshina Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990-91....
(India), Schirmacher Oasis
Schirmacher Oasis

The Schirmacher Oasis is a region in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. It is ice-free, about 35 km? in area.The Schirmacher Oasis contains Maitri and Novolazarevskaya Station ....

Station	type	Nation	year established	Region	Area	Elevation	km from coast
SANAE IV SANAE SANAE is the South African National Antarctic Expedition. The name refers both to the overwintering bases, and the team spending the winter .... "Vesles"	year-round	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....	1994	Princess Martha Coast Princess Martha Coast Princess Martha Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 05? E and the terminus of Stancomb-Wills Glacier, at 20? W....	Vesleskarvet Vesleskarvet Vesleskarvet is a nunatak in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Its western side consists of a series of cliffs, approximately 250 m high, while the eastern side slopes more gradually down to the icefields....	.	10
Neumayer Station	year-round	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	1992	Princess Martha Coast Princess Martha Coast Princess Martha Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 05? E and the terminus of Stancomb-Wills Glacier, at 20? W....	Atka Bay	.	8
Princess Elisabeth Base Princess Elisabeth Base Prinses Elisabeth Base, located on Dronning Maud Land is a Belgium polar station, taken into use on February 15, 2009. The station is the first polar base that combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use, optimization of the station's energy consumption and clever waste management techniques....	year-round	Belgium Belgium * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....	2009	Princess Ragnhild Coast Princess Ragnhild Coast Princess Ragnhild Coast is the portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land in Antarctica lying between 20? E and the Riiser-Larsen Peninsula, at 34? E....	Utsteinen Ridge	.	190

Chronology

1832	John Biscoe John Biscoe John Biscoe was an English people Sailor and explorer who commanded the first expedition known to have sighted the areas called Enderby Land and Graham Land along the coast of Antarctica.... 's expedition claims to sight Graham Land Graham Land Graham Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the United Kingdom UK-APC and the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, in which the name "Antarctic Peninsula" was approved for t... , although states it was Anvers Island Anvers Island Anvers Island or Antwerp Island or Antwerpen Island or Isla Amberes is a high, mountainous island 38 miles long, which is the largest feature in the Palmer Archipelago, lying Ordinal directions of Brabant Island at the Ordinal directions end of the group.... .
1893	Carl Anton Larsen Carl Anton Larsen Carl Anton Larsen was a Norway sailor and Antarctic explorer, and the founder of Grytviken, South Georgia. The Larsen Ice Shelf is named after him.... discovers and names Graham Land's Foyn Coast; also King Oscar Land, Mount Jason and Robertson Island Robertson Island Robertson Island is an ice-covered island, 13 miles long in a northwest-southeast direction and 6 miles wide, lying at the east end of the Seal Nunataks off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.... .
24 January 1895	Carsten Borchgrevink makes what is claimed to be the first landing on Antarctica. Three years later he leads the first party to winter on the continent.
14 December 1911	Five Norwegians, led by Roald Amundsen Amundsen's South Pole expedition Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition was a Norway expedition to Antarctica aiming to be the first to reach the South Pole. The expedition was a success, with five of the mission arriving at the pole on December 14, 1911, beating Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated party by thirty-four days.... , are the first to reach the South Pole South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's rotation intersects the surface.... .
1930	Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen was a Norwegians Aviator, polar explorer and businessman. Among his achievements, he is generally regarded as the founder of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.... flies over the area previously named Dronning Maud Land (Queen Maud Land) by Roald Amundsen.
14 January 1938	Dronning Maud Land, identified as the area lying from 45° to 20°E, is formally claimed by Norway.
19 January 1939 –23 May 1945	The area 20°E to 10°W is claimed by Nazi Germany Nazi Germany Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party , which established a Totalitarianism dictatorship that existed from 1933 to 1945.... as "German New Swabia New Swabia New Swabia is a section of the continent Antarctica between 20th meridian east and 10th meridian west , which was claimed by Nazi Germany between 19 January 1939 and 8 May 1945.... " (Deutsch Neuschwabenland).
13 January 1941	German commandos board and capture two Norwegian factory ships in the sea north of Queen Maud Land. By the end of the next day, the Germans had taken possession of three factory ships and eleven catchers. The German Navy subsequently uses a harbor on Kerguelen Island as a base from which to attack Allied Allies of World War II The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers of World War II during the World War II. Within the ranks of the Allies powers, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the United States of America were known as "The Big Three".... shipping.
1948	The Norwegian Polar Institute Norwegian Polar Institute The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's national institution for polar research. It is run under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Environment.... , as part of the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, is assigned the administration of Dronning Maud Land.
1957	In Norway, Dronning Maud Land becomes subject to Norwegian sovereignty Sovereignty File:Leviathan gr.jpgSovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a State, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is a supreme lawmaking authority.... as a dependency.
23 June 1961	Antarctic Treaty officially entered into force.
2005	Queen Sonja of Norway Queen Sonja of Norway Queen Sonja of Norway is the queen consort of Norway, wife of King Harald V of Norway. She is styled *HM The Queen*.A commoner, the daughter of Karl August Haraldsen , a distant relative of Andrew Volstead and Bishop Johan Christian Heuch , and wife , n?e Dagny Ulrichsen , she became engaged to then Crown Prince Harald in March 196... officially opened the research station Troll as an allyear station.
2008	Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg is the Prime Minister of Norway. He took office in October of 2005; he was previously Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001. He has also been the leader of the Norwegian Labour Party since 2002.... visits Dronning Maud Land and personally names three mountains.

External links

Alpinist Magazine Climbing Notes-First Ascents in Queen Maud Land

Queen Maud Land

Regions

Research stations

Chronology

See also

External links