… negotiations on 4 October 1991 in Madrid. The Protocol establishes the toughest and most comprehensive environmental regulations ever drawn up for any region of the world in an international agreement. Devoted to peace and science Upon its entry into force, the Protocol prohibits all commercial … bound to preserve the Antarctic as a natural reserve which is "devoted to peace and science" and which it will protect as such for future generations. The legal …

… considered 'individual'. This includes onshore tourism in particular – adventure and sport activities or a flight to the South Pole. last update on 23.03.2016 … take advantage of a number of tour operators’ activities on the Antarctic mainland or its offshore islands, and their numbers are rising steadily. Travellers have their choice of diverse …

… Resource conservation in the manufacturing and consumption domain Manufacturers … it comes to resource conservation Source: erikdegraaf / Fotolia.com Raw materials and energy are key resources when it comes to product manufacturing as well as …

… tourism is a significant aspect of human activities on the continent. Tens of thousands of people now travel to the icy region every year, mainly by ship but increasingly by plane. last update on 11.03.2016 Possibilities and limits of Antarctic travel The first touristic journeys to Antarctica were in the late 1950s and originated in Argentina. Paying travellers accompanied researchers to the South …

… Research and logistics in the perpetual ice German researchers have been present in … since 1981. Source: M. Müller/UBA Antarctica is a nature reserve dedicated to peace and scientific research. 29 signatory states to the Antarctic Treaty, including … traffic and seismic testing add to the sound emissions in the Antarctic Ocean. … Research and logistics in the perpetual ice …

… is relatively small. Their habitat is limited to the narrow, ice-free coastal areas and the ocean, on which they depend for their food. The most important link in the … measuring four to six cm in length. It feeds mainly on planktonic diatoms and zooplankton. With an estimated total incidence of one billion tonnes in the … basic food resource for many living creatures such as squid, bony fish, penguins and sea birds, seals and whales. Some 208 species of fish live in the coastal region …

… in fact grow in the Antarctic! A few species have adapted to the austere conditions and have colonised areas which are ice-free. However, these highly specialised … Antarctic which promote vegetation in light of thick ice cover, little light, dry and very saline soil, and extremely short vegetation periods. A few plants have nevertheless found a way …

… the coldest continent on Earth. Source: M. Müller/UBA Antarctica is the driest and coldest continent on Earth. Only in the west temperatures reach the freezing … wintertime in the northern hemisphere – the South Pole is inclined towards the sun and there are 24 hours of daylight. Because of the ecliptic plane, that is the tilt … even in summertime. Furthermore, the snow has very high reflective power (albedo), and therefore most of the sun's energy cannot be absorbed and heat radiation is …

… continent today, it is hard to imagine that Antarctica used to be fertile land and completely free of ice. Some 170 million years ago Antarctica was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent - until it broke up and Antarctica drifted south and slowly began to freeze over. last update on …

… Environmental monitoring on King George Island The Fildes Region is subject to high … helps to show its effects Source: Christina Braun/FSU Jena King George Island is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, and because of its accessibility …

… Antarctica Man has been fascinated by this vast ice landscape ever since its discovery. Source: Dorling Kindersley RF / Thinkstock "Imagine a country as large as Australia and Europe together, sunnier than California but colder than the icebox of a refrigerator, dryer than Arabia and higher than Switzerland, emptier than the Sahara. There is only one place in the …