The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the islands’ sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military purposes.
The islands have been claimed by the United Kingdom since 1908 and formed part of the Falkland Island Dependencies in the period between 1917 and 1962. From 1962 they became part of the British Antarctic Territory.
They are also claimed by the governments of Chile (since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province) and by Argentina (since 1943, as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province).
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