Antártica (comuna)
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Antártica is one of the two communes of the Province of Chilean Antarctica, XII Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, and which corresponds to the Antarctic Chilean Territory.
It is the only comuna in Chile which lacks a municipality, dating from the integration in 2002 of the comuna of Cape Horn and Antarctica, whose administration is part of the municipality of the comuna of Cape Horn. As such, the comuna of Antártica lacks a mayor or elected officials.
The comuna of Antarctica was created on 11 July 1961, and was dependent on the Province of Magallanes until 1975, when the Province of Chilean Antarctica was created. It was dependent administratively only Puerto Williams, the capital of the province.
The official population figure for the area, as of the census of 2002, is given as 130 (115 male, 15 female). This does not include the staff of non-Chilean bases in the area. During summer, the population swells to 350.
The largest population centre is located on King George Island, and which consists of President Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, which has an airport, and which is connected to the village of Villa Las Escalles, which has a town town, hotel, day-care center, school, scientific equipment, hospital, post office and bank. This enclave a centre of logistical support for the other eight countries with scientific bases on King George Island. The Antarctic Institute of the Ministry of Outer Relations controls Professor Julio Escudero Base, the main scientific center of Chile in Antarctica.
