Just suddenly curious, does anyone here have a good idea of whether Antarctica could be used as a colony by a nation desperately trying to be recognized on the world stage between 1600 and 1900, in a way functionally similar to claiming large swathes of worthless dessert in Africa for prestige? If so, where would the capital of this colony likely be, and what resources, scant though they might be, could be found? My first thoughts are fish and fur, as well as possibly whale oil, but are there any notable mineral or timber ressources worth exploring? Would a nomadic hunter gatherer esque lifestyle along the lines of native Siberians or Inuits be possible on the Antarctican mainland if the proper domesticates are brought in, or is there too little grazing fodder and timber to support this (or would it only be possible in certain areas)?
Plausability Check: Antarctica as a Prestige Colony?
- Thread starter Avitus
- Start date
King Leopold would probably go for it if he doesn't get the Congo.
Probably better for humanity if he gets stuck with Antarctica.
Probably better for humanity if he gets stuck with Antarctica.
I see it as beinng a medium-sized power like Norway or Sweden, but with international agreements allowing other countries to exploit certain areas, or at least be partners in exploitative operations like fishing and whaling.
Prestige colonies didn't exist until the 1800s.
And the technology to colonize Antarctica only arises a few decades into the 20th century. (Of course some pretty ancient and effective techniques can be borrowed from the Inuit on the other side of the planet, but that's only enough for an expedition)
Your best bet is to have no WWI or WWII and thus have the age of imperialism last longer. In the 30s or 40s or something you might get some presence further than claims.
And the technology to colonize Antarctica only arises a few decades into the 20th century. (Of course some pretty ancient and effective techniques can be borrowed from the Inuit on the other side of the planet, but that's only enough for an expedition)
Your best bet is to have no WWI or WWII and thus have the age of imperialism last longer. In the 30s or 40s or something you might get some presence further than claims.
Poor, poor penguins.
He'd probably try and find out.
Or try something like penguin liver stew. Like hunting buffalo for their tongues.
Thousands of one-winged penguins, just swimming in circles and reenacting the end of Final Fantasy VII.
I'd have to look it up, but I'm fairly certain that there are outlying islands and peninsulas on Antarctica that were inhabited for significant periods of time before 1900, although to get deep in the mainland then yes 20th c technology is needed. The question is, would someone be willing to set up some whaling and fishing shanty towns on those islands and lay claim to the rest of the continent just to say "look at how much map space we take up!"?
Also, Leopold failed at other peoples' lives, this we know
South Georgia had a town in the early 1900's called gyrtviken, which was inhabited by a small population of whalers and their families. The town disappeared when the lucrative The furthest south humans seem to have gotten was the subantarctic slands. whaling industry began to disappear. Other than that, there have never been any serious settlements in the subantarctic islands by any humans. For example, the large island of Kerguelen, a French posession, may have had some kind of acticity on it as wikipedia claims there was a failed attempt to set up a coal mine. I don't think settlements can sustain themselves there.I'd have to look it up, but I'm fairly certain that there are outlying islands and peninsulas on Antarctica that were inhabited for significant periods of time before 1900, although to get deep in the mainland then yes 20th c technology is needed. The question is, would someone be willing to set up some whaling and fishing shanty towns on those islands and lay claim to the rest of the continent just to say "look at how much map space we take up!"?
Also, Leopold failed at other peoples' lives, this we know
Maybe someday global warming will make it possible to put some kind of town on the Antarctic peninsula.
Last edited:
Yes. The late 19th century would be a good timing for that.
Besides those shanty towns (or rather, fishing bases... or even only one such settlement for that matter) that nation should also organize this or that scientific expedition, preferably an Antarctic circum-navigation, and it'd be set to have the balls to claim the whole thing. I doubt any other power would bother to voice any serious objection.
It's plausible, we just need to find out who both desires space-filling glory (oh wait.. that's pretty much everyone in Europe
) and was interested in Antarctic whaling.An early sprung Norway? The United States taking a step further from their Guano Islands act (well, they were on "overseas expansion mode" at that point)? The British take their OTL 1908 claim a step further and decide to claim the whole thing just because they say so?