According to state media, China will complete a new research station in the interior of Antarctica next year, expanding its presence on the continent. The station, located on Dome A, the highest point on the continent at 4,093 meters above sea level, will be the country's third scientific research station in Antarctica. The expedition to construct the main structure of the station will begin in November and is expected to be finished by January. Upon completion, scientists will search for ice core dating back 1.2 million years on Dome A and study geological evolution, global climate changes, and astronomy in the region. Several nations claiming parts of Antarctica are presenting their cases to the United Nations, in what some experts believe to be the last significant division of territory in history. Chile, Argentina, and Britain have conflicting claims over certain regions of the continent, as interest in mineral exploitation at the North and South Poles increases. However, these claims are currently only theoretical due to a treaty from 1959 that prohibits mineral exploitation in Antarctica, allowing only for scientific research.