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Esperanza Base

Esperanza Base
Base Esperanza
All-civilian Antarctic base
View of Esperanza Base, January 2016
View of Esperanza Base, January 2016
Official Esperanza Base emblem
Emblem
Motto: Spanish: Permanencia, un acto de sacrificio
("Permanence, an act of sacrifice")
Location within Antarctica
Location within Antarctica
Esperanza Base
Location within Antarctica
Coordinates: 63°24′S 56°59′W / 63.400°S 56.983°W / -63.400; -56.983Coordinates: 63°24′S 56°59′W / 63.400°S 56.983°W / -63.400; -56.983
Country  Argentina
Region Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula
Location Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula
Established 1953 (1953)
Named for Spanish: Base Esperanza, ("Hope Base")
Government
 • Type Directorate
 • Body Argentine National Antarctic Directorate
Area
 • Urban 0.3744 ha (0.9252 acres)
Elevation 25 m (82 ft)
Population (2014) 55
Status Active and operational all year-round

Esperanza base (Spanish: Base Esperanza, "Hope Base") is a permanent, all year-round Argentine research station in Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula (Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula). It is one of only two civilian settlements on Antarctica (the other being the Chilean Villa Las Estrellas). The Base's motto is "Permanencia, un acto de sacrificio" ("Permanence, an act of sacrifice").

Built in 1953, the base houses 55 inhabitants in winter, including 10 families and 2 school teachers. Provincial school #38 Presidente Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (formerly named Julio Argentino Roca) was founded in 1978 and acquired independent status in 1997. It maintains the furthest South Scout troop. The base has an Argentine civil registry office where births and weddings are recorded.The base has tourist facilities that are visited by about 1,100 tourists each year. The LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel radio station started transmitting in 1979. A wind generator was installed in 2008, mounted by INVAP. video

The 43 buildings of the station have a combined space of 3,744 square metres (40,300 sq ft) covered; 18,000 litres (4,800 US gal) of fuel are used annually by the four generators to produce electricity for the station. Research projects include: glaciology, seismology, oceanography, coastal ecology, biology, geology, and limnology.


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