July 30, 1923 the Antarctican landmass and ice shelf lying between 150° W longitude and 160° E longitude is formally claimed by New Zealand as the Ross Dependency.

January 14, 1938 Dronning Maud Land (Queen Maud Land) in Antarctic (45° E to 20° E) formally claimed as a Norwegian possession.

A geodesic dome that sheltered scientists and support workers at the South Pole for three decades was demolished in 2010.

The windowless dome, which is about 165 feet in diameter, was the main structure at the site, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Inside it were modular buildings for the station's residents, as many as 200 in summer, 50 or so through the harsh polar winter.

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, encapsulating the South Pole. There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people from different countries reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent. For a more detailed continent profile, see CIA World Factbook on Antarctica.

Antarctica banknotes are privately issued by the Antarctica Overseas Exchange Office for collectors. They are not legal tender. The purpose of issuing the banknotes is to raise funding for some of the research and humanitarian projects in the Antarctic region.