Ushuaia

Ushuaia () is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and arguably the world's southernmost city. It is located on the southern coast of the island of Tierra del Fuego in a wide bay, guarded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel. Its population is estimated today at about 60 000 inhabitants. (2001: 45 430 inhabitants) ^[1]

The city was originally named by early British colonists after the name that the native Yámana people had for the area. Much of the early history of the city and its hinterland is described in great detail in Lucas Bridges?s book Uttermost Part of the Earth (1948). For most of the first half of the 20th century, the city was centered around a prison for serious criminals. The Argentine government set up this prison following the example of the British with Australia or the French with Devil's Island: escape from a prison on Tierra del Fuego was similarly impossible. The prisoners thus became forced colonists and spent much of their time cutting wood in the forest around the prison and building the town. They also built a railway to the settlement, now a tourist attraction known as the End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo), the southernmost railway in the world.

Tourism

The tourist attractions include the Tierra del Fuego National Park to see Lapataia Bay; the park can be reached on the End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo) from Ushuaia. The city has a museum of Yamana, English, and Argentine settlement, including its years as a prison colony. Wildlife attractions include local birds, penguins and orcas as seen on the islands in the Beagle Channel. There are daily bus tours to Harberton, the estancia of the Bridges family. Some tours also visit the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, known as the Lighthouse at the End of the World (Faro del fin del mundo) — although it is not the same lighthouse as the one made famous by Jules Verne in the novel of the same name.

There are a number of ski areas nearby, like Cerro Castor and Glaciar Martial. The glacier is also a tourist destination during the summer months, when the chairlift operates in both directions. Hiking trails lead from the city's edge to the base of the glacier, which has shrunk dramatically over the past century, as shown in photographs on display. Cerro Castor is a mount located 27 km (17 miles) north of Ushuaia; it is possible to ski hardly 200 m (660 ft) above sea level reaching the summit at 1057 meters (3468 ft) above sea level. Constant temperatures allow the longest skiing season in South America: in winters temperatures fluctuate between 0º and -5°C (32 to 23°F). On its lowest slopes forests can be appreciated.

Tourists can also visit Cape Horn island (in Chilean waters) by boat or helicopter.

Climate

Despite receiving only of precipitation yearly on average, Ushuaia's climate is very wet. On average, the city experiences 160 days of rain or snow a year, and there are many cloudy and foggy days. Because temperatures are cool throughout the year, there is little evaporation. Snowfalls are common in winter and regularly happen in any season, including summer.

It belongs to the subpolar oceanic climate. And advancing to the southern outer islands the southwestern winds makes them wetter, achieving at Isla de los Estados (Staten Island). Averages temperatures coldest month: 1°C (33°F) and warmest month: 9°C (48°F). Record low -20 °C (-4°F) (July), record high 31 °C (87.8°F) (December) and record low ever recorded in summer -6 °C (21°F) (February).

Very strong winds whip the town. Trees that grow in Ushuaia tend to follow the wind direction, and therefore they are called "flag-trees", named after the bend that they are forced to take.

TV programme

"Ushuaïa, le magazine de l'Extrême" was the name of a television program, presented by Nicolas Hulot and broadcast on the French TV channel TF1 from September 1987 to June 1995. The show is known in English as Ushuaia: The Ultimate Adventure, and this language's version was hosted by Perri Peltz and was shown on NBC, CNBC, and international affiliates of the Discovery Channel.

References

External links

Municipality of Ushuaia (official website)
Online community of residents
Ushuaia Travel Guide
Tourist information
''Ushuaïa, le magazine de l'Extrême'' (TV programme website)
Virtual Tour of Ushuaia waterfront

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