Villa Las Estrellas


Villa Las Estrellas is a Chilean town and research station on King George Island within the Chilean Antarctic claim, the Chilean Antarctic Territory, and also within the Argentine and British Antarctic claims.
The Chilean government considers it to be in the commune of Antártica, in the province of Antártica Chilena, in the región of Magallanes and Chilean Antartica.
It is located on President Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, a military base. It is the larger and one of only two civilian settlements on Antarctica. It has a summer population of 150 and a winter population of 80.

Government

The Office of the Civil Service Registry and Identification of Chile acts as official registry office with all the responsibilities inherent in this position.
There is a Correos de Chile post office staffed in the summer by a postal worker and by the command of the base in the winter. The office receives all its mail from Punta Arenas and is the mail depot and relay station for all mail addressed to any Chilean installation on Antarctica in addition to some other foreign facilities. From here it is delivered by hand, plane, or helicopter. The post office is also an attraction for tourists and philately enthusiasts that travel to the town to send postcards and letters with an Antarctic postmark.
The town is in the Piloto Pardo census district.

Community

The people of Villa Las Estrellas live in a community that has fourteen 90 m² homes.

Education

The populace's youth study at F-50 "Villa Las Estrellas" School, a 1st–8th grade primary school staffed by two teachers that are responsible for providing education for the community's approximately 15 children. Library No. 291 has a collection of books and magazines that are available upon request.

Health care

There is a Chilean Air Force Hospital staffed with one doctor and nurse and equipped with: X-ray, laboratory, surgery, anesthesia machine, sterilizer, and pharmacy services in addition to limited emergency and surgery capabilities. Two hospital beds are available in addition to a dental clinic. Through a partnership with the Chilean Antarctic Institute and the University of Chile, in emergencies, medical images can be outsourced to specialized health centers in South America and Europe for diagnosis.
all residents, including children, are required to have their appendixes removed before coming to Villa Las Estrellas as a safety precaution as healthcare services are limited.

Business and recreation

A branch of the Bank of Credit and Investment operates throughout the year manned by a sole banker. Santa María Reina de la Paz is a Catholic chapel that attracts people from all over King George Island.
The nearest airport is the Teniente R. Marsh Airport and is the only airport in Antarctica that has an IATA code. There is no regular scheduled public service to the airport, although Aerovías DAP has some charter flights from Punta Arenas.

Climate

Villa Las Estrellas has a marine polar climate in which winter temperatures are much milder than in many well-populated wintry areas such as in Canada and Siberia. Summer temperatures however are extremely subdued; in effect narrowly above freezing, causing the climate to be hostile to human population. Sunshine levels are also extremely low. The yearly mean temperature of is still gentle for Antarctica and milder than many places with vegetation.