World View

Antarctica, fifth largest of Earth’s seven continents. Antarctica surrounds the South Pole and is a place of extremes. It is the southernmost, coldest, iciest, driest, windiest, most remote, and most recently discovered continent. Nearly the entire landmass lies within the Antarctic Circle. Air temperatures of the high inland regions fall below -80°C (-110°F) in winter and rise only to -30°C (-20°F) in summer. Massive ice sheets built up from snow over millions of years cover almost all of the continent and float in huge ice shelves on coastal waters. In winter frozen sea water (sea ice) more than doubles the size of the Antarctic ice cap. Antarctica's vast areas of ice on land and on sea play a major role in Earth’s climate and could be strongly affected by global warming. The melting of Antarctic ice could dramatically raise global sea level.

Antarctica means “opposite to the Arctic,” Earth’s northernmost region. Antarctica is completely encircled by the Southern Ocean. The entire area south of the Antarctic Convergence zone where cold Antarctic waters sink below warmer waters on the northern boundary of the Southern Ocean is referred to as the Antarctic region.

The small human presence on Antarctica is made up of visiting scientists, support staff, and tourists. The last continent to be discovered, Antarctica remained hidden behind barriers of fog, storm, and sea ice until it was first sighted in the early 19th century (see Polar Exploration). Because of the extreme cold and the lack of native peoples, forests, land animals, and obvious natural resources, the continent remained largely neglected for decades after discovery. Scientific expeditions and seal hunters had explored only fragments of its coasts by the end of the 19th century, while the interior remained unknown. Explorers first reached the South Pole in 1911, and the first permanent settlements—scientific stations—were established in the early 1940s. From that time the pace of exploration and scientific research has accelerated rapidly. In the mid- to late 20th century, the region’s majestic scenery and wildlife began to attract increasing numbers of tourists.

Seven nations—Argentina, Australia, the United Kingdom, Chile, France, New Zealand, and Norway—claim territory in Antarctica. Other nations, including the United States and Russia, do not acknowledge these claims and make no claims of their own, but reserve rights to claim territory in the future. Since 1961 the continent has been administered under the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific study.


KING GEORGE ISLAND
Hostería "Estrella Polar" hotel Polestar. - It is located in King George III Island near the Airport and sleeps about 85 to 90 people very basic but clean and warm dormitory style rooms. It is used by personnel of the Chilean Air Force who run the place, but can be used by national or foreign visits and scientists.

View of a penguin This is the guest House you stay at if you fly down with DAP airlines and over night -- cost $2,700 for the package (room only not sold separately) see transportation this section for more details on how to get here. In addition to the Hostería "Estrella Polar" you get to have in the Small Chilean town of Las Estrellas Villa (Village the Stars) schools, banks, post office, runway, gift shop, telephones, Radio 90.5 on the FN dial, television, telephone and even an Internet to VT on. In fact it has 147 people in summer, 83 in winter .

The Town has 35 buildings in all 14 houses for school, hospital, pharmacy, dental, post office, bank, church, gym, market, library, hotel "estrella polar" (where you stay with researchers).

It also has 1 doctor, 2 paramedics, 2 beds, X-ray facilities, anesthetist equipment, lab.