Peter S:

> I wonder whether all countries have ratified
> and/or adhere to the Antarctic treaty. I remember seeing maps of
> overlapping claims by the UK, Chile, and Argentina. Fairly big
> chunks! Are these claims still standing tall? Or are the penguins
> (or "every man") the real winners for a change?

There are only ~44 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty, of whom ~27
maintain bases in the Antarctic. I suspect places like the Central
African Republic feel the whole thing's irrelevant!
The Treaty seems to be an agreement to disagree - claims are neither
formally contested nor formally affirmed. So the UK, Argentine and
Chilean claims are still out there, waiting in the wings, but they've
all agreed to play together quietly at present (though muttering "is
so" and "is not" under their breaths). The USA is also hovering in a
different way - not making a claim, but not agreeing to *never* make
a claim.
The Chileans certainly take their claim very seriously, and are
obviously working hard to integrate their wedge of Antarctica as part
of Chile: TV weather forecasts in Chile include the Antarctic
peninsula, there are stories of pregnant women having been flown *in*
to give birth (to "native Antarcticans"), and there was certainly a
small school building in the middle of Presidente Eduardo Frei
Montalva Base on King George Island when I visited a few years back.
(No kids evident, but then it was midnight on a school-day!)

Grant