Esperanza Base Base Esperanza |
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All-civilian Antarctic base | ||
View of Esperanza Base, January 2016
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Motto: Spanish: Permanencia, un acto de sacrificio ("Permanence, an act of sacrifice") |
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Location within Antarctica | ||
Coordinates: 63°24′S 56°59′W / 63.400°S 56.983°WCoordinates: 63°24′S 56°59′W / 63.400°S 56.983°W | ||
Country | Argentina | |
Region | Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula | |
Location | Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula | |
Established | 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.