Search

This article analyzes how the United Kingdom managed to establish a territorial claim in Antarctica and the Southern Seas, without having a solid historical and legal background to do it. Some of the factors to be considered are; the fragile international law of the time; implementation of imperialist policies previously applied in other regions of the globe; control of the whaling business; and disinterest of other actors involved in Antarctica. It is suggested that criticism from academic and legal spheres would have lead to the rectification of the British claim in 1917. The main research sources are specialized bibliography and press materials of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]