What is Australian Antarctic Territory?
[[File:Davis Station November 2005.jpg|thumb|Davis Station]] The '''Australian Antarctic Territory''' ('''AAT''') is the part of [[Antarctica]] claimed by [[Australia]] and is the largest part of Antarctica claimed by any nation. The area is about 6.119.818&nbsp;km². Only the staff of research stations live in the territory. == History == [[Victoria Land]] was first claimed for [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] on [[9 January]] [[1841]] and Britain claimed [[Enderby Land]] in [[1930]]. In [[1933]], a British imperial order transferred territory south of 60° S and between [[meridian (geography)|meridians]] 160 E and 45 E to Australia. On [[13 February]] [[1954]] [http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7041] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727085111/http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7041 |date=2008-07-27 }}, Mawson Station was set up. It was the first Australian station on the continent proper. Australia's claim to sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory is recognised by the United Kingdom, New Zealand, [[France]] and Norway [http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ncet/communication/report/chapter6.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000526121849/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ncet/communication/report/chapter6.pdf |date=2000-05-26 }}. As Australia is part of the [[Antarctic Treaty System]], which accommodates differences of opinions over the status of Antarctic territorial claims which pre-dated the 1959 Antarctic Treaty - effectively placing claims in abeyance - Australia only exercises its [[sovereignty]] in ways that in its view are consistent with good relations under the Antarctic Treaty. == Postage stamps == [[File:Cover AAT 1959.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This 1959 cover commemorated the opening of the Wilkes post office.]] Australia issues [[postage stamp]]s for the Australian Antarctic Territory. The first issues came in [[1957]], and sporadically thereafter, settling into a pattern of an annual issue by the [[1990s]]. All h