The history of Antarctica emerges from early Western theories of a vast continent, known as Terra Australis, believed to exist in the far south of the globe. The term Antarctic, referring to the opposite of the Arctic Circle, was coined by Marinus of Tyre in the 2nd century AD. The rounding of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn in the 15th and 16th centuries proved that Terra Australis Incognita ("Unknown Southern Land"), if it existed, was a continent in its own right. In 1773, James Cook and his crew crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time; however, although they discovered nearby islands, they did not catch sight of Antarctica itself. It is believed he was as close as from the mainland. On 27 January 1820, a Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discovered an ice shelf at Princess Martha Coast that later became known as the Fimbul Ice Shelf. Bellingshausen and Lazarev became the first explorers to see and officially discover the land of the
La historia de la Antártida surge de las primeras teorías occidentales de un vasto continente, conocido como Terra Australis, que se creía que existía en el extremo sur del globo. El término Antártida, que se refiere al opuesto del Círculo Ártico, fue acuñado por Marinus de Tyre en el siglo II d.C. El redondeo del Cabo de la Buena Esperanza y el Cabo de Horno en los siglos XV y XVI demostró que Terra Australis Incognita ("Tierra del Sur Desconocida"), si existía, era un continente en su propio derecho. En 1773, James Cook y su tripulación cruzaron el Círculo Antártico por primera vez; sin embargo, aunque descubrieron islas cercanas, no capturaron la vista de la Antártida misma. Se cree que estaba tan cerca como del continente. El 27 de enero de 1820, una expedición rusa liderada por Fabian Gottliebings von Bellhausen y Mikhail Lazvare descubri descubrió un hielo en la costa de la Princesa