The flag of the British Antarctic Territory was granted on 1 August 1963, a year after the British Antarctic Territory, a British Overseas Territory, was created. Previously, the Territory was a part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies and used the same flag. Interestingly present on the flag is The crest of the coat of arms is the RRS Discovery, which first took Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica as part of the British National Antarctic Expedition in 1901.
The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories, of which it is by far the largest by area. The Territory was formed on 3 March 1962, although the UK's claim to this portion of the Antarctic dates back 1908 and 1917. The area now covered by the Territory includes three regions which, before 1962, were administered by the British as separate dependencies of the Falkland Islands: Graham Land, the South Orkney Islands, and the South Shetland Islands.
Alternative Flags:
The flag flies over the British research stations in the Territory
and at the headquarters of the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. Vessels of
the British Antarctic Survey use a blue ensign defaced with the shield from the coat
of arms. This ensign was introduced by Royal Warrant on 30 May 1969. The flag of
the Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory, a position currently held by
Ben Merrick, is also another flag used.