2829 Bathed in Moonlight

Obviously, this postcard has no relation to Antarctica. I applied that tag only because it was sent from there. I don't know who is the author of the photography or other details about the postcard. I know only that it was used by Arte Nova Classics label as cover for a CD containing Piano Works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

2822 A inuit girl with a baby seal

Not only I don't know what to say about this postcard more than I said in the title, but I have no idea what tag to assigned it. The postcard was printed in Russia, has stamps from the United States (because it's a surprise from a friend who lives there) and was sent from Antarctica, from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. I don't know neither who is the author of the drawing (Anna Lavrentieva?). In addition, it bears the slogan "Save the Arctic". In conclusion, I placed it at the theme Christmas postcards.

2512 FRANCE (TAAF) - Dumont d'Urville Station in Adélie Land

The Dumont d'Urville Station is a French scientific station in Antarctica on Petrel Island, Geology Archipelago in Adélie Land. It is named after explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville since his expedition landed on  Débarquement Rock in the Dumoulin Islands at the northeast end of the archipelogo on January 21, 1840. It is operated by the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor, a joint operation of French public and para-public agencies.

2420 ANTARCTICA - The map of the continent

Located almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, Antarctica is covered almost entirely by ice that averages 1.9km in thickness. Having nearly twice the size of Australia, is the fifth-largest continent in area. It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89.2 °C, though the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is −63 °C.

2407 UNITED KINGDOM (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) - The Antarctic fur seal

2407 Youg Bull Fur Seal on Bird Island

Part of the South Georgia islands, so located south to the Antarctic Convergence, in Antarctic waters, Bird Island is currently a Site of Special Scientific Interest and hosts a biological research station. Even if has only  4.8km long and 800m wide, it is a paradise for many species of sea birds, thing noted as early as in 1775 by its discoverer, James Cook, who named the island. However, the largest population on the island is not of a birds species, but a mammals species, namely Antarctic fur seal (65,000, which means around 1 for every 6 m2 of the island).

2342 ANTARCTICA - King Penguin

The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin (after emperor penguin), with 70 to 100cm tall and 11 to 16 kg weight. It is similar in appearance to emperor penguin, but their ranges don't usually overlap. Cheeks are dark orange, the belly is white, but the back is paler than other penguins, more of a grey than black. Ear patches are pale yellow rather than orange and the throat is grey-white. Reaches adult plumage after two years.

2259 ANTARCTICA - Polar Star on duty in Antarctic waters

Polar Star (WAGB-10) is a United States Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker commissioned in 1976 and built, along with her sister ship, Polar Sea (WAGB-11), in Seattle (Washington), which is also its homeport. It has sufficient hull strength to absorb the high-powered ice breaking common to her operations. The curved bow allows Polar Star to ride up on the ice, using the ship's weight to break the ice. It is able to break through ice up to 6.4m thick by backing and ramming, and can steam continuously through 1.8m of ice at 3 knots (5.6 km/h).

2000 FRANCE (TAAF) - Kerguelen shags gazing at the vessel Marion Dufresne from the coast of Grande Terre (Kerguelen Islands)

The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean which is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (French: Territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques françaises - TAAF). It is among the most isolated places on Earth, being located at more than 3,300km away from the nearest populated location. The main island, Grande Terre, is surrounded by a further 300 smaller islands and islets, forming an archipelago slightly smaller than Puerto Rico.

1778 AUSTRALIA (Australian Antarctic Territory) - Mawson Station vicinity

1778 Australian Antarctic Territory - Mawson Station vicinity

Mawson Station is one of three permanent Australian bases in the Australian Antarctic Territory of East Antarctica, actually Australia's oldest Antarctic station and the oldest continuously inhabited Antarctic station south of the Antarctic Circle. Named after Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, the base was established in 1954, and is managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). It houses approximately 20 personnel over winter and up to 60 in summer, being accessible by sea for only a short period each austral summer, between February and March.

1396, 1408 UNITED KINGDOM (British Antarctic Territory) - Port Lockroy Historic Site

Port Lockroy is a natural harbour on the north-western shore of Wiencke Island in Palmer Archipelago, a group of islands off the northwestern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It was discovered in 1904 and named after Edouard Lockroy, a French politician who assisted Jean-Baptiste Charcot in obtaining government support for his French Antarctic Expedition. After the harbour was used for whaling between 1911 and 1931, during WWII the British military Operation Tabarin established the Port Lockroy base (Station A) on tiny Goudier Island in the bay.

The chief reason of this operation was to establish solid British claims to various uninhabited islands and parts of Antarctica, reinforced by Argentine sympathies toward Germany. After the war, Port Lockroy base continued to operate as a British research station until 1962. The site has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 61) under the Antarctic Treaty, in 19 May 1995. In 1996 the base was renovated and is now a museum and post office operated by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Antarctica.

0363 UNITED KINGDOM (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) - Wandering Albatross

Considered Antarctic territories, because are located south to the Antarctic Convergence, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) have a polar climate, at higher elevations being permanently covered with ice and snow. In addition, most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous. As a result, they are inhospitable for humans. On the other hand, they embrace many rocks offshore and small islands that provide homes for breeding birds and mammals.

0664 AUSTRALIA (Australian Antarctic Territory) - David Range from Framnes Mountains

In 1933 United Kingdom placed the Antarctic territory situated from 60°S latitude to the South Pole and between longitudes 160°E and 45°E under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia. It became the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT), which is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation. Australia has a long historic connection with Antarctica dating back to the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (about which I wrote here) led by geologist Sir Douglas Mawson. Now, the territory is inhabited by the staff of research stations.

0366 & 0501 AUSTRALIA - Australasian Antarctic Expedition

The summer of 1911-1912 was certainly the most dramatic and perhaps the most tragic of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, due to the race between Amundsen and Scott, concluded in favor of the Norwegian, who reached the South Pole on 14 December 1911. The British reached also to the pole, but after more than a month, on 17 January 1912, and he died on the way back. During the same period were conducted another two expeditions to the continent, Second German Antarctic Expedition, led by Wilhelm Filchner, and Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), led by Douglas Mawson.

The only one of them with a substantial scientific program was that of Mawson, even if neither he wasn't lacked of national pride, as he will recognize in The Home of the Blizzard, book published in 1915: "For many reasons, besides the fact that it was the country of my home and Alma Mater, I was desirous that the Expedition should be maintained by Australia. It seemed to me that here was an opportunity to prove that the young men of a young country could rise to those traditions which have made the history of British Polar exploration one of triumphant endeavour as well as of tragic sacrifice. And so I was privileged to rally the sons of the younger son."