Where was the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959?

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 1 December 1959.

Twelve countries that had taken part in the International Geophysical Year negotiations signed the treaty: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. It entered into force in 1961.

The treaty reserves Antarctica for peaceful purposes and prohibits military measures such as establishing bases or testing weapons. It also protects scientific investigation and requires parties to exchange observations and research results. The treaty does not erase territorial claims, but it freezes the status of those claims while the agreement remains in force.

The Antarctic Treaty became the foundation of the wider Antarctic Treaty System. Later agreements addressed environmental protection, conservation of marine resources and other issues. The 1959 treaty itself does not ban all activity in Antarctica; instead, it establishes a framework centered on peace and science.