Argentine Antarctica (
Spanish Antártida Argentina) is a sector of
Antarctica claimed by
Argentina as part of its
national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the
Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the
South Pole, is delimited by the meridians 25° West and 74° West and the parallel 60° South latitude. Administratively, Argentine Antarctica is a
department of the
province of
Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands. The provincial authorities reside in
Ushuaia and the Governor annually designates his or her delegate for the Antarctica region, which thus represents the civil power of the zone. There are overlapping claims on this territory by
Chile and the
UK, so the "civil power" of any of the administrators extends no further than that nation's own bases.
The Argentine exploration to the continent started early in the 20th century. José María Sobral was the first Argentine to set foot on Antarctica in 1901, where he spent 2 seasons with the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of Doctor Otto Nordenskiöld. Shortly afterwards, in 1904, the Orcadas permanent base was already fully operational. Years later other bases would be created, some permanent and others seasonal. The first Argentine expedition to reach the South Pole was the 1965 Operación 90.
The bases are supplied by the following ships Puerto Deseado, Suboficial Castillo, and Almirante Irizar, and by C-130 Hercules and DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.
(64 in all)
