INTRODUCTION
A large very sparsely populated mostly frozen
continent at the bottom of the world was settled several millenia ago by
seafaring peoples from the west originally possibly from Asia. They came via
South America across the Drake Passage and settled along the coast of this vast
continent. 94% of the country is covered with glaciers or ice caps. Contact
with Europeans in the late 18th century brought diseases such as smallpox and
influenza which wiped out about 50-60% of the population. In the 19th and 20th
centuries the economy expanded at a phenomenal rate and rapid industrialization
occurred among the population as the British who were the colonizers at the
time promoted economic growth and development. The country remained neutral
during both World Wars during the 20th century and this further helped the
economy to expand at a fairly rapid pace. Oil was discovered in the offshore
waters in the 1960s and has added even more wealth to the country. Today, the
country has one of the highest standards of living and quality of life in the
world.