Victoria Land

Victoria Land is a large region in East Antarctica, located on the continent's coast facing the Pacific Ocean. It is a long, mountainous area that extends from the Ross Ice Shelf to the Southern Ocean.

Victoria Land is known for its tall, rugged mountains, which include the northern part of the Transantarctic Mountains. This mountain range separates Victoria Land from West Antarctica. The region has dramatic landscapes with dry valleys, glaciers, and coastal areas where the ice meets the sea.

The Dry Valleys of Victoria Land are a unique and famous feature. They are one of the driest places on Earth, with no snow or ice cover. They are often used by scientists to study how life can survive in extreme conditions and are considered the closest environment on Earth to the surface of Mars.

The area was first seen by the British explorer James Clark Ross in 1841.^[1] He named it in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Today, a large part of Victoria Land is within the Ross Dependency, a territory claimed by New Zealand. However, like all other territorial claims in Antarctica, it is not internationally recognized and is managed under the Antarctic Treaty System.

1. ↑ "Victoria Land". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-01-04.