International | Diplomacy on ice

Intrigue, greed and hostility burn in the Antarctic

If you thought its freezing icescapes would escape a world on fire, think again

Almirante Brown station Argentinian summer base in the Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Polar Regions, Antarctica, Paradise Harbour aka Paradise Bay.
Photograph: Sergi Reboredo/VWPics via AP

IMAGINE A LAND untouched by war, unspoilt by humans, where all nationalities are welcome—a veritable Shangri-La. Such a place exists in Antarctica, the Earth’s southernmost region. Home to 40m penguins and a mere 1,000 people, the continent is owned by no one.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Diplomacy on ice”

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