None of the other continents on Earth is as cold or inaccessible like Antarctica.Not one nation has laid claim to Antarctica, as people decided that it is a region that could be shared.But now, as man consumes more and more of the resources of his globe, he is turning new eyes to this ancient continent.

What was seen as a land of penguins, whales and lots of ice is now seen as a source of oil, iron and coal. There is real concern that the region may suffer as international scientific research is replaced by more nationalistic mineral exploitation which could lead to confrontation.

There have often been many positive comments with regards to decades of peaceful cooperation and the amount of sharing between nations by the staff based at scientific research centers in the Antarctic. The cold, hostile environment is said to bring people closer and they cope with the challenges it brings together, and they all share a passion for the work they are doing. antarctica tours

There is a park dedicated to the work and vision of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd near the headquarters of the National Science Foundation which controls the activities of U.S Antarctica. Admiral Byrd led five expeditions in the Antarctica and was the first to fly over the South Pole. He saw Antarctica as a place that should set an example of international scientific cooperation and of a region where nations can live together in peace. The sentiments are noble, but can they survive in a world starved for energy and minerals?

There is a now lot more interest over the Antarctic as a region as mineral resources but its full potential is not yet known. The Antarctic has changed from being a benefit to science to more of a political benefit. Virgin oil reserves and precious mineral resources are believed to exist in large quantities under the deep frozen treacherous land and dangerous seas.antarctica vacations

The Antarctic and the surrounding areas geologically resemble other oil, gas and mineral rich continents. Small scale drilling offshore by the U.S has already hinted that hydrocarbon deposits might exist. The presence of large amounts of coal inland is already certain, along with concentrations of metal deposits which include lead, copper, nickel, uranium, gold, titanium, tin and chromium.

The hostile environment of the Antarctic has, until now, made its exploitation to expensive to consider. The rising prices of natural resources has made governments look again now that new technology is available, and Antarctic scientists and environmentalists are very worried.

With the Antarctic being one of the last regions of the Earth to remain unpolluted and untouched the concern over the mineral exploitation is a big issue to environment groups worldwide. Groups including the Sierra Club and the International Institute for Environment and Development in London can see the inevitable conflict between commercial and environmental interests.

They both realize that mineral exploration is needed but that there must also be an assessment of the environmental damage that the exploitation will cause to the environment. But they worry that the facts of the exploration will speed up the decision to exploit the region. Oil development causes the most concern because of fears about spills. A lot of the animal life present in the Antarctic, such as seals and birds, is located by the coast and may be heavily affected. There is evidence oil does not break up or degrade as fast in cold climates as in warmer ones, environmentalists say, and a spin could prove more damaging in Antarctica than elsewhere.

The landmark 1959 treaty set Antarctica aside as a scientific preserve and controls a lot of the activity that goes on there. Thanks to the 12 nations who signed the treaty and Poland which joined later, the region has remained free from militarization and nuclear weapons testing. The treaty has side stepped the various overlapping territory claims but countries including Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Chile, and Argentina.