Antártica (commune) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antártica
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region |  Magallanes Region |
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| Province | Antártica Chilena | |
| Foundation | 11 July 1961 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,250,257.6 km2 (482,727.2 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2002 Census)
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| • Total | 127 | |
| • Density | 0.00009/km2 (0.0002/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Antarctic (Antártico, -a) | |
Antártica is a special area in Chile. It is called a Chilean commune, which is like a local government district. This commune covers all the land that Chile claims in Antarctica. This area is known as the Chilean Antarctic Territory.
The Antártica commune stretches from 53° West to 90° West longitude. It goes from the South Pole up to 60° South latitude. This territory is huge! It is more than 25 times bigger than the next largest commune in Chile. It is also the least populated commune in the country.
Antártica was created on July 11, 1961. It used to be part of the Magallanes Province. Later, in 1975, the Antártica Chilena Province was formed. Since then, Antártica commune has been managed from Puerto Williams. This town is the capital of the Antártica Chilena Province. The commune is governed by the Cabo de Hornos municipality. This municipality is located on the South American mainland.
People Living in Antártica
A census is like a big count of all the people in an area. According to the 2002 census, Antártica covers about 1,250,000 square kilometers. Only 130 people lived there at that time. Most of them were men (115 men and 15 women). This means the commune is an entirely rural area, with very few people.
Between 2002 and 2012, the number of people living there went down. It dropped by 15 people, which is about an 11.5% decrease. This count does not include people from other countries who work at research stations in the area.
Main Areas in Antártica
The commune is divided into two main areas for counting people:
- Piloto Pardo: This area had 114 people in 2002. It includes the South Shetland Islands. It is named after Luis Pardo, a Chilean hero. The only civilian town here is Villa Las Estrellas.
- Tierra de O'Higgins: This is the Antarctic mainland part. It had 16 people in 2002. The main settlement here is Puerto Covadonga. This is also where the O'Higgins Station is located.
How Antártica is Governed
The Antártica commune is managed from Puerto Williams. This is in the Cabo de Hornos commune. Its main office is at O'Higgins 165. Chilean law usually means one municipality governs one commune. However, Antártica is special because one municipality governs two communes.
As a commune, Antártica is a local administrative area in Chile. It is managed by a group of people called a municipal council. The council is led by an alcalde, which is like a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by voters every four years. The alcalde for 2016-2020 was Patricio Fernández.
Antártica is also part of Chile's bigger government system. It is represented in the Chamber of Deputies. This is one part of Chile's national parliament. Juan Morano and Gabriel Boric represent this area. The commune is also represented in the Senate. This is the other part of Chile's parliament. Carlos Bianchi Chelech and Carolina Goic represent this area.
See also
In Spanish: Antártica (comuna) para niños
