What is Marie Byrd Land?
Q: What is Marie Byrd Land?
A: Marie Byrd Land is a part of Antarctica located between the Unclaimed Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea to the west, and the Pacific Ocean to the north. It stretches between 158°W and 103°24'W, including the area between the Rockefeller Plateau and Eights Coast.
Q: Who named Marie Byrd Land?
A: Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd named Marie Byrd Land in 1929 in honour of his wife.
Q: Is Marie Byrd Land its own nation?
A: No, it is not a nation itself, making it one of the largest single unclaimed territories on Earth.
Q: When was an official claim made for this territory?
A: An official claim was not made until 1959 when the Antarctic Treaty System was set up.
Q: How much land does Marie Byrd Land cover with Eights Coast included?
A: Together with Eights Coast, immediately to the east of Marie Byrd Land, it has an area of 1,610,000 km².
Q: What did US President Franklin D Roosevelt tell members of an Antarctic expedition to do in 1939?
A: In 1939 US President Franklin D Roosevelt told members of an Antarctic expedition to claim some Antarctic territory.
Q: Is there any evidence that suggests that this territory may have been claimed by a country before 1959?
A: Some maps in the United States have shown this as US territory and The Defense Department of the US Government has also said that there was a solid basis for a claim for this territory due to activities there before 1959.
