This is a cold place. It is in Antarctica. It has ice and sea. People stay in small bases there. It is a very big area.
We can learn a lot about it. Do you like the snow?
This place is in Antarctica. It is near the South Pole. Much of it is in the cold sea.
It has big ice and many islands. There is a tall mountain called Mount Erebus.
People live in small bases there. They go there to do science. Some bases belong to New Zealand. Some belong to the US.
Many people work in these spots. They study the land and the ice. It is a very special place to learn.
The Ross Dependency is a large area in Antarctica. It starts at the South Pole. It reaches up to 60 degrees south. New Zealand claims this land. Other countries like the UK and France also have claims in Antarctica. However, a special rule called the Antarctic Treaty keeps these claims on hold. This helps all nations work together.
Much of this area is in the ocean. It includes the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf. There are also several islands. Some of these are the Ross, Balleny, Scott, and Roosevelt Islands. You can see big mountains there too. One famous mountain is Mount Erebus.
People do not live here in cities. Instead, they stay in science bases. New Zealand has Scott Base. The US has McMurdo Station. Other countries like Italy and South Korea have bases too. Scientists stay in these spots to study the Earth. They use snow runways to land planes. This helps them reach the area all year long.
The Ross Dependency is a special region in Antarctica. It is a sector that starts at the South Pole. It stretches between 160 degrees east and 150 degrees west. The area ends at 60 degrees south. New Zealand claims this territory. Other countries like the UK, France, Norway, and Australia also have claims in Antarctica. However, a rule called the Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1961. This treaty puts all these claims on hold. This means no one can use these claims to make new rights in Antarctica.
Most of this region is not actually land. Much of it is the Ross Sea or the Antarctic Ocean. It includes the huge Ross Ice Shelf and part of Victoria Land. There are also several islands in this area. These are the Ross, Balleny, Scott, and Roosevelt Islands. The area is the second-smallest of the claims made before the treaty. Scientists use the area to study the world. They use snow runways at Williams Field and Phoenix Airfield. These runways let planes land all year long.
This place is named after Sir James Clark Ross. He was an explorer who found the Ross Sea. In 1841, he discovered Victoria Land. He took possession of the land for Britain. Later, the British Government made rules in 1923 to set the borders. They appointed the governor-general of New Zealand to be the governor of the territory. New Zealand began to take more interest in the area in 1955. Over time, New Zealand began to rely more on the United States. The US has a very large presence there too.
Few people live in the Ross Dependency. There are no cities, only science bases. These bases are the only places where humans live permanently. New Zealand has Scott Base. The US has McMurdo Station nearby. There are also bases from Italy and South Korea. China is also building a research station at Inexpressible Island. The New Zealand Navy helps by patrolling the Southern Ocean. They protect a huge Marine Protected Area. This area covers about 1.12 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea.
Life in Antarctica can be difficult and sometimes dangerous. In 1979, an Air New Zealand flight crashed on Mount Erebus. This was a very sad event for New Zealand. In 1985, a British ship called the Southern Quest sank. US Coast Guard helicopters rescued the crew and took them to McMurdo Station. There have also been legal questions about rules in the area. For example, police had trouble with rules regarding American witnesses in 2006. Even with these hard times, people keep working to learn about our planet.
The Ross Dependency is a specific sector of Antarctica. It is defined by its location relative to the South Pole and specific lines of longitude. The region starts at the South Pole and follows the 160° east and 150° west longitudes. It extends outward until it reaches the latitude of 60° south. New Zealand claims this territory as its own. However, this claim is only mutually accepted by Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Norway. These are countries that also hold territorial claims in Antarctica.
Under the Antarctic Treaty of 1961, the status of these claims changed. All signatory nations, including New Zealand, agreed to hold their claims in abeyance. This means the claims are legally suspended. Article IV of the treaty is very specific about this. It states that no activities occurring while the treaty is in force can be used to support or deny a claim. It also prevents any new rights of sovereignty from being created in Antarctica. This ensures the continent remains a place for peace and science.
The region is named after the explorer Sir James Clark Ross. He discovered the Ross Sea during his travels. The Dependency includes part of Victoria Land and most of the Ross Ice Shelf. It also contains several islands, such as Ross, Balleny, Scott, and Roosevelt Islands. Most of the area defined in the claim is actually water. It consists of the Ross Sea or the Antarctic Ocean. Because of this, it is the second-smallest of the claims made before the treaty system began.
The history of the claim involves several legal steps. In 1841, James Clark Ross discovered Victoria Land. He took possession of the land and sea for Britain. On July 30, 1923, the British Government passed an Order in Council. This order defined the current borders of the Ross Dependency. It also appointed the governor-general of New Zealand as the governor of the territory. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster was passed. This eventually led to the United Kingdom relinquishing control over the government of New Zealand. However, this did not change the governor-general's duties regarding the Ross Dependency.
Human habitation in the Ross Dependency is very limited. There are no permanent cities, only scientific research stations. The only permanently occupied habitations are Scott Base for New Zealand and McMurdo Station for the United States. Other stations include Zucchelli Station from Italy and Jang Bogo Station from South Korea. China is also establishing a year-round station at Inexpressible Island. The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is partially within the territory. It relies on logistics operations based in New Zealand.
Logistics and transport are vital for survival in this frozen environment. The region has access to snow runways at Williams Field and Phoenix Airfield. These are maintained by the United States Antarctic Program. They allow wheeled and ski-equipped aircraft to land year-round. New Zealand provides support through the Royal New Zealand Air Force. They use C-130J and Boeing 757 aircraft for these tasks. In 2020, the Royal New Zealand Navy commissioned a new logistics ship. This is a Polar-class Level 6 vessel. It is designed to operate in medium first-year ice.
Environmental protection is another major part of managing the region. About 1.12 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea region is a Marine Protected Area. This is an MPA, which is a zone set aside to protect marine life. The New Zealand Navy conducts patrols in the Southern Ocean during fishing seasons. Their job is to enforce international rules and stop illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing. This helps protect the delicate ecosystem of the Antarctic waters.
Life in the dependency has seen difficult moments. In 1979, an Air New Zealand flight crashed on the slopes of Mount Erebus. This was the deadliest air crash in the history of Antarctica and New Zealand. In 1985, the British vessel Southern Quest sank in the Ross Sea. The United States Coast Guard used helicopters to rescue the crew. There have also been legal challenges regarding jurisdiction. In 2006, New Zealand police faced issues issuing warrants to American witnesses. This happened during an investigation into a death at the South Pole base.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.