Última Esperanza Province

Última Esperanza Province
Provincia de Última Esperanza
—  Province  —
Location in the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region
Última Esperanza Province
Location in Chile
Coordinates:
Country Chile
Region Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region
Capital Puerto Natales
Communes Puerto Natales
Torres del Paine
Government[1]
 • Type Provincial
 • Governor Max Salas Illanes
Area
 • Total 55,443.9 km2 (21,407 sq mi)
Population (2002 Census)[2]
 • Total 19,855
 • Rank 2
 • Density 0.4/km2 (0.9/sq mi)
 • Urban 16,978
 • Rural 2,877
Sex[2]
 • Men 10611
 • Women 9244
Time zone CLT [3] (UTC-4)
 • Summer (DST) CLST [4] (UTC-3)
Area code(s) 56 + 61
Website Government of Última Esperanza

Última Esperanza Province (Spanish: Provincia de Magallanes, meaning "Last Hope Province") is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena (XII). The capital is Puerto Natales. A section of its border with Argentina in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is under dispute.[5]

Administration

As a province, Última Esperanza is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further divided into two communes (comunas): Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine. The province is administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Max Salas Illanes was appointed governor by president Sebastián Piñera.[1]

Noted features

Within this province, the noted Torres del Paine National Park, Cerro Torre and Cerro Chaltén is located, comprising some of the most spectacular mountain peaks of South America. Also part of the biggest non-polar glacier, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is within Última Esperanza province. Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument, where prehistoric human occupation has been documented,[6] is also within this province.

References

  1. ^ a b (Spanish) "Gobierno de Chile: Gobernadores". Government of Chile. http://www.subdere.gov.cl/1510/w3-article-67516.html. Retrieved 18 March 2011. 
  2. ^ a b (Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
  3. ^ "Chile Time". WorldTimeZones.org. http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  4. ^ "Chile Summer Time". WorldTimeZones.org. http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  5. ^ "Border agreement between Chile and Argentina". Archived from 1998 the original on 2007-01-17. http://web.archive.org/web/20070117021516/http://www.difrol.cl/acuerdo_de_hielos.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-27. 
  6. ^ C. Michael Hogan, Cueva del Milodon, Megalithic Portal, 13 April 2008 [1]