Antarctica may be shrinking as global warming encroaches, but its precious natural resources have led to increased interest in the seabed around it.

The foreign office has confirmed that the UK will submit a claim to the United Nations to extend its existing Antarctic territory by a million square kilometres.

It is one of five territorial requests planned by the Britain ahead of a May 2009 deadline and covers a vast area of the seabed around British Antarctica near the South Pole.

Some experts are describing it as the last big carve-up of maritime territory in history.

Around 2.7 million sq miles (7 million sq km) - the size of Australia - could be divided between nations around the world - territory which could hold unknown riches ranging from oil and gas to seabed marine organisms.

The attempt to extend British sovereignty in Antarctica could spark disputes with South American nations such as Argentina and Chile, who are likely to make overlapping claims in the region.

It also conflicts with the spirit of 1959 Antarctic Treaty, to which Britain is a signatory, which prevents all exploitation of oil gas and minerals, other than for scientific research.

But a foreign office spokeswoman said that because of the Treaty, Britain's claim would be "theoretical" for the moment.

"It's incredibly unlikely that the Antarctic Treaty would ever be abolished," she said. "But in order to safeguard our interests for the future, we are submitting a claim," she said.

Only a few claims have been made so far by the some 50 coastal states who could submit them.

Russia, Australia, France and Brazil are among those to have made claims, and Moscow boldly planted a rust-free Russian flag beneath the North Pole last month in waters more than four kilometres deep.

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