Orkney and Shetland belonged to the king of Norway as late as 1469.

A reduction in penguin nests in Admiralty Bay, South Shetland Island, was also reported.

They lost 27 ships, 18 fishing boats (of the Shetland bus ) and 933 men in World War II.

However, the region is visited by more than 40,000 tourists annually, the most popular destinations being the Antarctic Peninsula area (especially the South Shetland Islands) and South Georgia Island.

The South Orkney Islands fall within the territory claimed by Argentina and the United Kingdom, and the South Shetland Islands fall within the areas claimed by Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom.

Bearing in mind that the Shetland coastline represents only a fraction of the European total, the costs could run into billions of dollars if this approximation was extended to cover coastal communities throughout Europe.

In a report published by the Kommunenes Internasjonale Miljoorganisasjon, Local Authorities International Environmental Organisation (KIMO) based in Shetland, United Kingdom, it was estimated that the annual cleaning cost to 56 local communities in the United Kingdom was US 3.9 million.

According to a KIMO report, the total cost of marine litter in Shetland (the islands in the extreme north east of the United Kingdom), assuming that all parties affected were hit equally badly, could be in the range of 9.9 million per year.

See also Argentine actions in Antarctica Argentina Chile relations Border issues Bransfield Strait Geology of the Antarctic Peninsula References External links Of Ice and Men Account of a tourist visit to the Antarctic Peninsula by Roderick Eime Biodiversity at Ardley Island, South Shetland archipelago, Antarctic Peninsula 89 photos of the Antarctic Peninsula