Puerto Williams

**Puerto Williams** (Spainyie for "Port Williams") is a Chilean port, locatit on Isla Navarino facin the Beagle Channel. It is the caipital o the Chilean Antarctic Province, ane o fower provinces locatit in the Magallanes an Antártica Chilena Region an admeenisters the communes o Chilean Antarctic Territory an Cabo de Hornos. It haes a population o 2,874, includin baith naval personnel an civilians. Puerto Williams is in some contexts referred tae as the warld's soothmaist ceety.

The dounset wis namit efter John Williams Wilson, who foondit Fuerte Bulnes, the first dounset in the Strait o Magellan syne 1587. *Puerto Luisa* wis its oreeginal name. Syne its foondation in 1953 the dounset haes servit primarily as a naval base. But recently navy personnel livin in Puerto Williams hae decreased while civil population haes increased. In recent years tourism haes contributit tae an increase in economic activity at Puerto Williams. Universidad de Magallanes haes a varsity centre in Puerto Williams.

Puerto Williams is port o entry an major hub for scienteefic activity linkit tae Antarcticae an the islands sooth o Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. The Universidad de Magallanes haes a varsity centre in Puerto Williams an wather stations an lichthooses in Cape Horn an Diego Ramírez Islands are suppleed frae Puerto Williams. Puerto Williams haes been instrumental for assertin sovereignty aroond Cape Horn an supportin Chile's Antarctic bases. The port is frequently visitit bi tourists goin tae Cape Horn or Antarctica an aw an haes a tourism industrie developit aroond the concept o *"the warld's maist soothren ceety"*. The Chilean Navy runs the Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport an hospital as well as nearbi meteorological stations. Puerto Williams serves as proveesion an service centre for fishermen an aw an haes an is uised bi the Chilean navy an aw tae enforce the Chile's fishin richts in the Exclusive economic zone aroond the soothren pairt o Tierra del Fuego whaur lucrative *[[lithodes santolla]]* fishin is an important industrie.

## History

The Yahgan fowk wur the first indwallers o the region that became kent tae Europeans in the early sixteenth century, but it wis no till the 19t century that Europeans stairtit tae be interestit in the zone an its fowks. In 1890 thare war approximately 300 goldminers in the  Picton, Lennox an Nueva islands an Puerto Toro which wis foondit in 1892. Puerto Navarino, on the wast side o the Navarino island, wis foondit in Juin 1938. Puerto Williams itsel wis foondit 1953 an its naval hospital wis inauguratit in 1960 wi 463 m2 (the day 638 m2). In 2002 the electrical pouer supply wis transferred frae the Chilean Navy tae a private provide.

Accordin tae the Treaty o Peace an Friendship o 1984 atween Chile an Argentinae Puerto Williams is the stairt pynt for vessels o aw naitions in traffec atween the Straits o Magellan an Argentine ports in the Beagle Channel.

## Demografie
Based on some definitions o wha a ceety is Puerto Williams coud be the soothmaist ceety in the warld. Chilean media an Puerto Williams admeenistration report it tae be the soothmaist ceety in the warld. Atween 1982 an 2002 the population o Puerto Williams grew frae 1,059 tae 2,874. Puerto Williams, syne 1982, is considered an urban entity bi Chile's Naitional Statistics Institute (*INE*), awtho the depairtment itsel classifees a ceety tae be an urban entity wi mair nor 5,000 residents

## Local celebrations
*Glorias Navales Regata*: In the last week o Mey, thare is a sailin competeetion wi sailors frae aw pairts o the warld. The competeetion is on its 7t session an haes mair nor 300 pairticipants ivery year. The journey stairts frae the ceety's port an tak the fjords route. The regatta is pairt o the Chilean Navy's *Month o the Sea* activities that conmemorates the Naval battle o Iquique in 1879.
*Fiesta de la nieve*: Celebratin the winter saison on Julie, the ceety celebrates the winter wi snaw gemmes, caurs an rodeos, in a celebration that last 6 days.

## Climate

The climate o Puerto Williams is a subpolar oceanic climate (*Cfc*) accordin tae the Köppen climate classification. The simmers are short, ceul while the winters lang, wet, but yet moderatit. Rainfaw is aroond  a year an temperaturs are steady throuoot the year. Snawfaw can occur in simmer. The cauld an wet simmers help preserve glaciers. Exposed auries aroond Puerto Williams possess subantarctic climate teepical o tundra that maks the growthe o trees impossible. Regions in the warld wi seemilar climates tae soothren Tierra del Fuego are: Aleutian islands, Iceland, Alaska Peninsulae an Faroe Islands.

## Tourism
Tourism is ane o the main economic activities o Puerto Williams. Maist lodgins for tourists are hostels. Thare are several trails for multi-day hikes an back-packin trips in the Dientes de Navarino muntains sooth o Puerto Williams.  Remains o Indie campsteids an fishtraps can be foond alang the coast east o the ceety.  Puerto Williams is hame tae the Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum, which depicts the lifes o baith the Yamana or Yahgan an Selknam fowks who ance inhabitit Tierra del Fuego. For easy sploration o some o the subantarctic forest, the Omora Ethnobotanical Park is five kilometres doun the road tae the wast.

Thare is a five day hiking circuit aroond the jaggit pinnacles kent as the Dientes de Navarino.  The trail passes peaks kent as Cerro Clem an Montes Lindenmayer, namit in 2001 bi the Chilean Meenistry o Natural Resoorces for the author o the Lonely Planet guide.

## Transport
Access is bi daily air service providit bi Aerovías DAP or bi weekly ro-ro ferry 'Bahía Azul' frae Punta Arenas,  tae the north. Thare is nae regular link wi Argentinae an connection tae Ushuaia is restrictit.

## Naval base

Puerto Williams is ane o the principal naval bases o the Chilean Navy. The base is uised as stairt pynt for patrol, reconnaissance missions an rescues in the auries o Beagle Channel, Cape Horn, Drake's Passage an the Antarctic Peninsulae. The Chilean Navy operates Guardia Marina Zañartu Airport an the Naval Hospital of Puerto Williams in Puerto Williams. Navy personnel maks up a considerable portion o the population awtho the navy personnel population haes diminished in recent years. The follaein patrol boats an ships are stationed at Puerto Williams:
*PSG Sibbald
*PSG Isaza
*LSG Hallef
*LSG Alacalufe
*PM Puerto Williams

The bow section o the *[[Yelcho]]*, the tug uised bi Ernest Shackleton tae rescue men strandit on Elephant Island can be seen at the front o the Naval heidquairters.

## Services an facilities

*Guardia Marina Zañartu Airport
*Bank - Banco de Chile
*Fire station
*Naval Hospital o Puerto Williams
*Hostals
*Hotel - Lakataia
*Kindergarten
*Micalvi Yacht Club
*Ceety haw o Antártica an Cabo de Hornos communes
*Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum
*Police station (*Retén de [[Carabinero]]s*)
*Primar an seicontar schuil
*Restaurants
*Sea port an cruise hame port
*Tourism office
*Varsity centre o Universidad de Magallanes
*Roman Catholic Kirk

## See an aw
* Bahia Wulaia
* The soothmaist dounset in the warld
* Beagle conflict
* Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve
* 

## References

## Freemit airtins

*Information from the Chilean Tourism Service regarding activities in Puerto Williams and Cabo de Hornos National Park 
*Spaingie WP on Commune of Cabo de Hornos
*Puerto Williams and Commune of Cabo de Hornos official website 
*Official website of Puerto Williams 
*Prensa Antártica - News of the Antártica Chilena Province
*Museo Antropológico Martín Gusinde