Villa Las Estrellas
Encyclopedia
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an town in Antártica
Antártica
The Chilean Antarctic Territory is the territory in Antarctica claimed by Chile. The Chilean Antarctic Territory ranges from 53°W to 90°W and from the South Pole to 60°S, partially overlapping Argentine and British Antarctic claims...
Commune, Antártica Province, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region. It is located on President Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, a military base, on King George Island. It is the biggest and one of only two civilian settlements on Antarctica (the other being Argentina's Esperanza Base
Esperanza Base
-References:*Antarctica. Sydney: Reader's Digest, 1985, p. 156-157.*Child, Jack. Antarctica and South American Geopolitics: Frozen Lebensraum. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1988, p. 73....
). It has a summer population of 120 and 80 in the winter.
Community
The people of Villa Las Estrellas live in a community that offers fourteen 90 m² (970 sq. ft.) homes.Education
The populace's youth study at F-50 "Villa Las Estrellas" School, a 1st-8th gradeElementary Middle School
Elementary Middle schools, K-8 centers, or just simply, schools or EMs, are schools that enroll students from Kindergarten/Pre-K through 8th Grade, therefore combining both the typical Elementary School and Junior High or Middle School...
primary school staffed by two teachers that are responsible for providing education for the community's approximately 15 children. Furthermore there is a separate Kindergarten with six students and one instructor for the youngest Estrelleros. Library No. 291 has a collection of books and magazines that are available upon request.
Health care
There is a FACHChilean Air Force
The Chilean Air Force is the air force of Chile, a branch of the Chilean military.-History:The first step towards the current FACh was taken by Teniente Coronel Pedro Pablo Dartnell, when he founded the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile on December 20, 1910, being trained as a pilot in France...
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.
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
Correos de Chile
Correos de Chile, also known as CorreosChile , is the institution in charge of the postal system of the Republic of Chile. It was founded in 1750.- External links :* * * *...
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
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
that travel to the town to send postcards and letters with an Antarctic postmark.
The town is in the Piloto Pardo census district.
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.- HostelHostelHostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
: There is a small hostel capable of holding a maximum occupancy of 20 guests.
- SouvenirSouvenirA souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
shop: There is a small souvenir shop in town to sell to tourists and staff returning to the continent. It is run by the women of the town.
- Gymnasium: Is the main community hub, in which a lot of activity takes place. Tennis practice, babyfútbolTable footballTable football, also known as gitoni or foosball, is a table-top game and sport that is loosely based on association football.-Names:...
, basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. There are exercise machines, ping pong tables, dressing rooms and saunaSaunaA sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
. It is also used for cultural activities and scientific talks.
Transportation and communication
- Airstrip: Used for Tourists, trips back to the continent and delivery of supplies in the autumnAutumnAutumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
and winterWinterWinter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
. - Telephones: Telephones for the base and their airfield via satellite telephone and, for the inhabitants of the sector there is a coin-operated pay phone and prepaid cards.
- InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
: There are three computers at the school that have internet access. - RadioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
: FM Radio "Sovereignty" broadcast on the frequency of 90.5 MHz works during the day providing music and information to all the bases in the sector. Disseminated also certain cultural and entertainment programs made by staff and their families. - TelevisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
: The town has a fixed dish of 2.5 meters in diameter, which allows reception of live, from Santiago, the signal of the main television channels in the country. You can also receive two broadcastTerrestrial televisionTerrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
stations. These are Televisión Nacional and Universidad CatólicaCanal 13 (Chile)Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959...
Television. - Mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
: Since 2005 there is an antenna belonging to the Chilean company Entel PCS. - AirportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
: The nearest airport is the Teniente R. Marsh AirportTeniente R. Marsh AirportThe Teniente R. Marsh Airport is the northernmost airport in the continent of Antarctica. It mainly serves the nearby village, Villa Las Estrellas and the Teniente R. Marsh Martin Base...
.