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Queen Maud Land (Norwegian: Dronning Maud Land) is the part of Antarctica lying between the terminus of Stancomb-Wills Glacier, at 20°W, and Shinnan Glacier, at 44° 38'E. It has a land area of approximately 2,500,000 km², mostly covered by the Antarctic ice sheet. It was claimed by Norway on January 14, 1938, but this claim, like all others in the Antarctic, is not universally recognized and the area is subject to the terms of the Antarctic Treaty.
Queen Maud Land is divided into five coastal areas which can be thought of extending as sectors to the South Pole, from west to east (clockwise):
| No. | Sector | Area (km²) | Western Border | Eastern Border |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kronprinsesse Märtha Kyst | 970 000 | 020°00' W | 005°00' E |
| 2 | Prinsesse Astrid Kyst | 580 000 | 005°00' E | 020°00' E |
| 3 | Prinsesse Ragnhild Kyst | 540 000 | 020°00' E | 034°00' E |
| 4 | Prins Harald Kyst | 230 000 | 034°00' E | 040°00' E |
| 5 | Prins Olaf Kyst | 180 000 | 040°00' E | 044°38' E |
| DRONNING MAUD LAND | 2,500,000 | 020°00' W | 044°38' E |
The area was first visited in 1930 by Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen as part of efforts to map the Antarctic. Roald Amundsen had previously named it in honour of Queen Maud of Norway and the entire plateau surrounding the South Pole Haakon VII's Vidde in honour of King Haakon VII of Norway. The area originally identified by Amundsen as Queen Maud Land lay between 37° and 50° E.
In 1985, Norway established the Tor research station at Svarthammaren on Queen Maud Land's Princess Martha Coast; and in 2005, Queen Sonja of Norway opened another research station named Troll at Jutulsessen. It is unlike other Antarctic research stations in that it is not located on the ice but on a snow-free rock-covered slope.
Chronology
| 1832 | John Biscoe's expedition claims to sight Graham Land, although one source states it was Anvers Island. |
| 1893 | Carl Anton Larsen discovers and names Graham Land's Foyn Coast; also King Oscar Land, Mount Jason and Robertson Island. |
| Jan 24, 1895 | Carsten Borchgrevink makes what is claimed to be the first landing on Antarctica. Three years later he leads the first party to winter on the continent. |
| Dec 14, 1911 | Five Norwegians, led by Roald Amundsen, are the first to reach the South Pole. |
| 1930 | Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen flies over the area previously named Dronning Maud Land (Queen Maud Land) by Roald Amundsen. |
| Jan 14, 1938 | Dronning Maud Land, identified as the area lying from 45° to 20°E, is formally claimed by Norway. |
| Jan 19, 1939 to May 23, 1945 | The area 20°E to 10°W is claimed by Nazi Germany as "German New Swabia" (Deutsche Neuschwabenland). It is not recognized by any other nation. |
| Jan 13, 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. The German Navy subsequently uses a harbor on Kerguelen Island as a base from which to attack Allied shipping. |
| 1948 | The Norwegian Polar Institute, as part of the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, is assigned the administration of Dronning Maud Land. |
| 1957 | In Norway, Dronning Maud Land becomes subject to Norwegian sovereignty as a dependency. |
See also
- Peter I Island, the other Antarctic territory claimed by Norway.
External links
- Norwegian Polar Institute
- Climbing notes for Dronning Maud Land at Alpinist.com
- Collection of photographs, maps and documents about the geology of western Dronning Maud Land
Geography of Antarctica | Norwegian dependencies
Koningin Maudland | Königin-Maud-Land | Γη της Βασίλισσας Μάουντ | Tierra de la Reina Maud | Terre de la Reine-Maud | ארץ המלכה מוד | Dronning Maud Land | ドローニング・モード・ランド | Dronning Maud Land | Dronning Maud Land | Ziemia Królowej Maud | Kuningatar Maudin maa | Dronning Maud Land
"Queen Maud Land"