December 1st is World Antarctica Day – a day that recognizes the signing of the December 1, 1959, Antarctic Treaty that conceded only peaceful and no military activities to be carried out in Antarctica; and that Antarctica belongs to all of us.
World Antarctica Day was created by the Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces (Our Spaces) to commemorate the signing of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty on December 1. The treaty concluded that Antarctica would forever be used for peaceful purposes in the interest of humanity.
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The Antarctic Treaty ensured that Antarctica would forever remain a peaceful continent and a natural reserve devoted to scientific explorations; and that no one can claim sovereignty or dominion over Antarctica.
| Antarctica Day | |
| A day that recognizes the signing of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty and honors Antarctica. | |
| When Celebrated: | December 1st |
| Upcoming Date: | December 1. |
| Significance: |
Antarctica would forever remain peaceful.
|
| Celebrations: |
Art contests, seminars, exploring Antarctica
|
| Also Called: | |
| Hashtag: | #AntarcticaDay |
When is Antarctica Day Celebrated
Celebration Ideas & Activities
Who Created Antarctica Day
Antarctica Day was inaugurated by the Foundation for the Good Governance of International Spaces in 2010 – as a day to celebrate the signing of the 1st December 1959 Antarctic Treaty and an annual holiday to build global awareness of this landmark establishment, honoring this milestone of peace in our civilization with inspiration and hope for future generations.
When Celebrated
Antarctica Day is always celebrated on December 1st. This means that the upcoming Antarctica Day will be observed on December 1. – marking the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Happy Antarctica Day!
| Holiday | Year | Date | Day |
| Antarctica Day | December 1 | Sunday | |
| Antarctica Day | December 1 | Tuesday | |
| Antarctica Day | December 1 | Wednesday | |
| Antarctica Day | 2022 | December 1 | Thursday |
| Antarctica Day | 2023 | December 1 | Friday |
| Antarctica Day | 2024 | December 1 | Sunday |
| Antarctica Day | 2025 | December 1 | Monday |
The 1959 Antarctic Treaty
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by 12 nations, in which it was agreed that the Antarctic continent should become a demilitarized zone and be preserved for scientific research. The 12 nations that signed the treaty were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the Soviet Union. As of 2022, there are 54 signatory nations of the treaty.
The treaty prohibited all sorts of military activities, nuclear explosions and the disposal of nuclear waste; promoted scientific exploration and the exchange of information; and prohibits any nation to claim dominance over the continent.
A corresponding to the 1959 Antarctic treaty was signed in 1991. The agreement prohibited oil and mineral exploration for 50 years and contained regulations for the protection of the Antarctic which includes proper waste disposal plan and prevention of marine pollution.
The 5 main points of the Antarctic Treaty:
- No Military activity in Antarctica
- Freedom of scientific investigation, research, and exploration
- Antarctica would remain a Nuclear-free zone
- Any territorial claims to be put on hold
- All treaty nations to ensure no-one carries out acts against the treaty
Significance Of The World Antarctica Day
On December 1st, 1959 the Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 countries, putting aside almost 10 percent of the Earth forever to be used only for peaceful purposes in the interests of mankind. Having a vision for young people to know about how nations can build on their mutual interests — Antarctica Day demonstrates how different countries can work together peacefully, using science as an international language of collaboration.
How Celebrated World Antarctica Day
World Antarctica Day is usually celebrated in educational institutes, where young children are read lectures and shown informative documentaries about the Antarctica continent. The documentaries usually cover details like Antarctica’s geography, geology, climate, population, biodiversity, and the amazing scientific discoveries made in the region.
Debates on topics like how global warming is warming up the continent, and what we as a whole can do to minimize the effects of global warming are also a major highlight of December 1 World Antarctica Day.
Plastic pollution is reaching every part of the oceans and the Antarctic Ocean is at the forefront of the worst effects of climate change. This ocean – home to a population of so many iconic creatures – deserves protection as well. On World Antarctica Day, different organizations shed light on the harmful effects of plastic pollution and request people to protect the fragile and amazing wildlife of Antarctica, like the penguins, whales, and seals.
Events by Our Spaces Foundation
Our Spaces (Foundation For The Good Governance Of International Spaces) – the creator of this day – organizes different worldwide events for the December 1 World Antarctica Day.
Join Live Antarctica Day Webinar
On December 4th – the Our Spaces Foundation organizes a free LIVE Antarctica Day Webinar from the Antarctica continent. You can register yourself for the webinar HERE.
Launching Virtual Balloons
Every year on Antarctica Day, people around the world launch a virtual balloon on Google Maps from their physical location and celebrate the day.
Art Contests
Art contests are organized in different schools, especially in the US – where students are asked to draw something related to Antarctica. The drawings are published online, on different Facebook groups and the Our Spaces website. The drawing with the most number of votes wins the competition and an award is given to the student.
Celebration Ideas & Activities
Visit Antarctica. Many travel agencies provide discounted deals for touring Antarctica on December 1. You can book a special vacation package for yourself, and explore the icy continent at a discounted price. Discounts on flight tickets to Antarctica are also available on December 1.
Study Antarctica. Don’t know much about Antarctica? Since this year’s Antarctica Day falls on Sunday, so it’s the best time to lay back and relax, and enjoy watching different documentaries related to this ice-covered landmass.
Spread The Word on Social Media. Use the hashtag #AntarcticaDay to take your Antarctica Day celebration on social media. Share interesting facts about the icy continent, raise awareness of the effects of global warming, and encourage people to do more to preserve Antarctica and its biodiversity.
Top Interesting Facts about Antarctica #HappyAntarcticaDaySpecial
Antarctica Day is here, so why not feed yourself with some interesting and never known facts about this continent?
There are some places in Antarctica which haven’t received rain or snow for over 2 million years.
An American scientist was the first person to find a match on Tinder in Antarctica. On one chilly December night, the American scientist who was there in Antarctica for scientific research purposes decided to log on to Tinder for fun. He searched to see if there’s any girl nearby on the lonely continent. Surprisingly, he founded another researcher, just a 45-minute away helicopter ride from his location. Both of them matched, making it Antarctica’s first Tinder match.
Approximately 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of the freshwater is in Antarctica. If all of the Antarctic’s ice melted, sea levels on the planet would climb approximately 200 feet (61 meters).
The thickness of the average ice sheet in Antarctica is 1 mile. In certain zones, it may get as thick as nearly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).
Antarctica has no official time zone.
There are some places in Antarctica where winds can reach a speed of 200 miles per hour.
The largest found iceberg in Antarctica was larger than the island of Jamaica, called the Iceberg B-15.
The world’s oldest sperm was found in Antarctica. Back in 2015, scientists in Sweden discovered a 50 million-year-old fossilized worm cocoon in the continent, which contained the world’s oldest sperm.
Husky and Sled Dogs have been banned in Antarctica, since 1994. They had been prohibited in the continent because of fear that they might escape and disturb the wildlife or may transmit diseases to the animals in Antarctica.
Due to climate change, Antarctica has lost over 3 trillion tons of ice in 25 years. As of the latest study, it’s predicted that now over 241 billion tons of ice is lost each year.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica has been 63.5 °F (17.5 °C).
There are 7 Christian churches In Antarctica.
People planning to perform research in Antarctica need to get their wisdom teeth and appendices removed. This is to reduce the risk of illness, as medical aid is restricted on the continent.
The coldest place on Earth is a top ridge in Antarctica where temperatures could dip below -133°F (-93.2°C).
Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles.
90% of meteorites are found in Antarctica.
There is a waterfall in Antarctica that runs red as blood.
Antarctica was once a tropical continent and it could become a tropical continent again due to CO2 emissions. Around 52 million years ago, Antarctica was covered in rich green forests and inhabited during one of the warmest cycles of Earth, although It’s really hard to think. At that time, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2 or the greenhouse gas) was twice as high in comparison with now and the weather was considerably hotter. According to scientists, if the CO2 emissions today continue to grow because of the burning of fossil fuels, the total amount of greenhouse gas from the atmosphere that existed millions of years is very likely to be achieved within a few hundred years!