Antarctica belongs to no one. But many countries are angling for a piece

Antarctica is like no place on Earth. 

The "White Continent" has lured explorers and scientists to its stunning, ice-encrusted landscape for two centuries. Countries have tried to carve up Antarctica and lay claim, but no one owns it. 

For 65 years, Antarctica — which is one and a half times the size of Canada — has been governed by a treaty of nations. But with rising geopolitical tensions and a shifting world order, that governance system is now under pressure.

"The Antarctic Treaty is under considerable stress and strain, probably entering the worst period it's ever experienced," said Klaus Dodds, a professor at Royal Holloway College, University of London.

Forged by 12 nations at the height of the Cold War, the Antarctic Treaty froze any countries' claims to territory and preserved the continent for "science and peace."

"The Antarctic Treaty, first and foremost, is an arms control treaty," said Dodds, a political geographer with expertise in the Antarctic. He said the treaty was "incredibly important" because "it declared the Antarctic continent and surrounding ocean a nuclear weapons-free zone."

Remarkably, for more than six decades, the treaty has mainly worked. But following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and U.S. President Donald Trump's increased deference toward Moscow, consensus among the treaty members is becoming harder to forge.

"Before the full invasion of Ukraine by Russia, there was a certain amount of co-operation among key states," said Evan Bloom, formerly the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for the Arctic and Antarctica. "There is less co-operation now in both [the North and South] poles." 

"Until maybe just a few years ago, we talked about the Arctic as a place of relative stability, and the Antarctic Treaty as a framework for peace and stability. Now, both of those assumptions are being challenged," said David Hik, chief scientist at Polar Knowledge Canada, during an interview in Punta Arenas, where Canada recently signed an agreement with Chile to strengthen Antarctic collaboration.

More than 16,000 kilometres from Canada, Antarctica plays a critical role in regulating the world's climate and helping to slow global warming. Yet it is already undergoing massive change, including record-high temperatures and record-low ice levels.

The Canadian Navy's HMCS Margaret Brooke, an Arctic and offshore patrol vessel, sailed into Antarctica last weekend for an unprecedented mission, supporting a team of 15 Canadian scientists for two weeks of research.

The navy is under strict conditions on how it operates inside the 60th parallel south, a circular latitude that includes the Southern Ocean and the South Pole. The Antarctic Treaty forbids any military activity outside of assisting scientific exploration or operations at research stations.

"We don't have any aspect of sovereignty in Antarctica. That's not at all our mandate here," said Teri Share, commanding officer on HMCS Margaret Brooke.

"We've done everything possible, basically short of painting the ship white and red, to really make sure we're seen as collaborative and helping to support the science piece, and not at all down here as a quote-unquote warship."