Norwegian Antarctic Territory
 

Adopted 14 Jan 1938 Map of Queen Maude Land  Hear National Anthem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country) Text of National Anthem  Constitution   (17 May 1814) Chief  Stations: Troll (from 17 Feb 1990), and  Tor (from 1992); (Norway Station 1956-1960, Maudheim 1949-1952) Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)  National Holiday: 17 May (1814) Constitution Day Population: Uninhabited Seasonal Research Staff Summer (Dec.-Feb.): 60 Winter (Jun.-Aug.):  7 (2024) Total Armed Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of Norway Merchant marine: None (2024) Number of Year-round Stations: 1 Summer-only Stations: 1 (2024) GDP: $N/A International Organizations/Treaties: None Norwegian Antarctic Territory Chronology  1 Jan 1739                Bouvet Island discovered by French Capt. Jean-                              Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier (b. 1705 -                              d. 1785). 21 Jan 1821                Peter I Island discovered by Russian explorer                              Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (Faddey                              Faddeyevich Bellinsgauzen (b. 1778 - d. 1852). 10 Dec 1825                Bouvet Island claimed for Britain by Capt. George                              Norris and renamed Liverpool Island (claim                              waived in favor of Norway 29 Nov 1929). Nov 1893 - Mar 1894        Carl Anton Larsen (b. 1860 - d. 1924) discovered                              and named Foyn Coast in Graham Land, King Oscar II                              Coast, Mount Jason, and Robertson Island. 24 Jan 1895                Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (b. 1864 - d. 1934)                              made the first landing on Antarctica. Three years                              later he led the first party to winter on the                              continent. 14 Dec 1911                Five Norwegians, under the leadership of Roald                              Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (b. 1872 - d. 1928),                              are the first to reach the South Pole.  1 Dec 1927                Bouvet Island (Bouvetøya) claimed for Norway by Lars                              Christensen (b. 1884 - d. 1964)(formally annexed                              23 Jan 1928).  1 Mar 1928                Norwegian Svalbard and Arctic Ocean Survey (Norges                              Svalbard- og Ishavsundersøkelser) founded.  2 Feb 1929                Peter I Island claimed (Peter I Øy formally annexed                              27 Feb 1930) by Norway. 14 Jan 1939                Queen Maud Land (Dronning Maud Land) in Antarctica                              (45°E to 20°E) formally claimed as a possession                              of Norway. 19 Jan - 15 Feb 1939       The area 20°E to 10°W is explored by a German                              expedition led by Alfred Ritscher (b. 1879 - d.                              1963) and named New Swabia (Neu-Schwabenland), but                              not formally claimed.  13 Jan 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. German                               Navy subsequently used the waters of the                               Peninsula and the sub-Antarctic islands as a                               haven from which they could venture forth to                              attack allied shipping.  1 Mar 1948                Norwegian Polar Institute founded (part of Ministry                              of Trade and Industry, from 1978 the Ministry                               of the Environment) assigned to administer                              Queen Maud Land. 21 Jun 1957                Norway declares Dronning Maud Land, Bouvet and                               Peter I Islands subject to Norwegian sovereignty                              as a dependency (Norwegian Antarctic Territory). 12 Jun 2015                Norway formally annexes the area between Queen Maud                              Land's borders of 1939 and the South Pole.

Heads of the Norwegian Svalbard and Arctic Ocean Survey
 1 Mar 1928 - 1945         Adolf Hoel                         (b. 1879 - d. 1964)
1945 - 1948                Anders Kristian Orvin              (b. 1889 - d. 1980)
Directors, Norwegian Polar Institute (Norsk Polarinstitutt)
(in Oslo; from 1998 Tromsø, Norway)
1948 - 21 Aug 1957         Harald Ulrik Sverdrup              (b. 1888 - d. 1957)
1957 - 1960                Anders Kristian Orvin              (s.a.)
1960 - 1983                Tore Gjelsvik                      (b. 1917 - d. 2006)
 1 Nov 1983 - Mar 1991     Odd Reidar Rogne                   (b. 1942)
1991 - 1993                Nils Are Øritsland (acting)        (b. 1939 - d. 2006)
1993 - 2005                Olav Orheim                        (b. 1942)
2005 - 2017                Jan-Gunnar Winther                 (b. 1962)
 1 Sep 2017 - 2023         Ole Arve Misund                    (b. 1957)
Aug/Sep 2023 -             Camilla Brekke (f)                 (b. 1977)

Territorial Dispute: Norwegian Antarctic claim is recognized by Australia, France, New Zealand, and U.K., but it is not recognized by the United Nations, U.S., Russia or by most other countries.