Southernmost settlements

Southernmost settlements are cities, towns, weather stations or permanent military bases which are farther south than latitude 45°S. They are closely related to the Southern Ocean or either the Roaring Forties or Furious Fifties. Antarctic bases are excluded due to not having a permanent population.

Location of Punta Arenas, Ushuaia and Puerto Williams in the southern tip of South America.

Southernmost city

The southernmost city in the world is mainly a slogan used for tourism to attract visitors to a city as well as the tourists headed for Antarctica. Currently three places use this slogan: Ushuaia in Argentina as well as Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] in Chile, with the last being the absolute southernmost town by latitude (see table below). There are several more settlements further south but none are considered to be large enough to be classified as a 'city'. The three contending cities are from north to south:

• Punta Arenas (53°10′S 70°56′W, population: 130,136), literally in Spanish: "Sands Point", is the oldest and largest city in Southern Patagonia, at the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region. It is the largest of the three contenders with around 130,000 permanent residents[9] and it is called the southernmost city by some media outlets. The basis of its claim to be the southernmost city rests on it being larger than Ushuaia, Río Grande (Argentina), and Puerto Williams, all of which are farther south.
• Ushuaia (54°48′S 68°18′W, population: 71,000), the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, is more commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world due to its large population, 71,000,[10][11] its infrastructure and its accepted classification as a city.[11][12][13] Ushuaia is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of the island of Tierra del Fuego, on the northern shore of the Beagle Channel; hence, it is further north than Puerto Williams.

• Puerto Williams (54°56′S 67°37′W, population: 2,874) located on Isla Navarino, is the southernmost city in the world[14][15][16] on the southern shore of the Beagle Channel. It is the capital of the Antártica Chilena Province, one of four provinces located in the Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region.[17] Puerto Williams is sometimes considered the southernmost city in the world by Chilean media and some large media international organisations,[18][2][3][4][5][6][7] although it promotes itself with the slogan Puerto Williams, the southernmost town in the world[8] in its tourism campaigns. It has a Naval Hospital of Puerto Williams, the Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum, the Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport and a university campus and it is a naval base of the Chilean Navy.

• 
  Ushuaia
• 
  Punta Arenas city view
• 
  Puerto Williams, Micalvi yacht club

Settlements of more than 1,000 inhabitants south of 45°S

45°

45th parallel south

This is a list of the all settlements south of the 45th parallel south with over 1,000 permanent inhabitants.

Rank	Settlement name	Country	Population	Latitude/longitude	Köppen climate classification
1	Puerto Williams	Chile	2,874[17]	54°56′S 67°37′W	Cfc
2	Ushuaia	Argentina	56,956	54°48′S 68°18′W	ET
3	Tolhuin	Argentina	3,004	54°32′S 67°12′W	ET
4	Río Grande	Argentina	55,231	53°47′S 67°42′W	Cfc/Dfc
5	Porvenir	Chile	4,807	53°17′S 70°22′W	Cfc
6	Punta Arenas	Chile	130,136	53°10′S 70°56′W	Cfc
7	Puerto Natales	Chile	19,116	51°44′S 72°31′W	Csb
8	Stanley	Falkland Islands (UK)	2,115	51°41′S 57°51′W	Cfc
9	Veintiocho de Noviembre	Argentina	4,686	51°39′S 69°13′W	Cfc
10	Río Gallegos	Argentina	110,435	51°38′S 69°13′W	BSk
11	Río Turbio	Argentina	6,650	51°31′S 72°17′W	Cfc
11	El Calafate	Argentina	6,410	50°19′S 72°17′W	BSk
12	Puerto Santa Cruz	Argentina	3,397	50°01′S 68°31′W	BSk
13	Comandante Luis Piedrabuena	Argentina	4,175	49°50′S 68°54′W	BSk
14	Gobernador Gregores	Argentina	2,519	49°48′S 68°37′W	BWk
15	Puerto San Julián	Argentina	6,143	49°18′S 67°43′W	BSk
16	Puerto Deseado	Argentina	10,237	47°45′S 65°55′W	BSk
17	Cochrane	Chile	2,217	47°15′S 72°34′W	Cfb
18	Pico Truncado	Argentina	14,985	46°47′S 67°58′W	BWk
19	Bluff	New Zealand	1,850	46°36′S 168°20′E	Cfb
20	Perito Moreno	Argentina	3,588	46°36′S 70°55′W	BSk
21	Las Heras	Argentina	10,688	46°33′S 68°57′W	BWk
22	Los Antiguos	Argentina	2,047	46°32′S 71°37′W	BSk
23	Chile Chico	Chile	3,042	46°32′S 71°43′W	Csb
24	Caleta Olivia	Argentina	36,077	46°26′S 67°32′W	BSk
25	Invercargill	New Zealand	50,200	46°25′S 168°18′E	Cfb
26	Riverton	New Zealand	1,700	46°21′S 168°01′E	Cfb
27	Balclutha	New Zealand	4,230	46°14′S 169°45′E	Cfb
28	Mataura	New Zealand	1,710	46°11′S 168°52′E	Cfb
29	Winton	New Zealand	2,470	46°08′S 168°20′E	Cfb
30	Milton	New Zealand	2,210	46°07′S 169°58′E	Cfb
31	Gore	New Zealand	8,230	46°05′S 168°56′E	Cfb
32	Rada Tilly	Argentina	6,208	45°55′S 67°33′W	BSk
33	Comodoro Rivadavia	Argentina	182,631	45°52′S 67°30′W	BSk
34	Dunedin	New Zealand	106,200	45°52′S 170°30′E	Cfb
35	Río Mayo	Argentina	2,939	45°40′S 70°16′W	BSk
36	Sarmiento	Argentina	8,028	45°35′S 69°05′W	BSk
37	Waikouaiti	New Zealand	1,250	45°35′S 170°40′E	Cfb
38	Coihaique	Chile	50,041	45°34′S 72°04′W	Cfb
39	Puerto Chacabuco	Chile	1,243	45°29′S 72°50′W	Cfb
40	Te Anau	New Zealand	2,940	45°25′S 167°43′E	Cfb
41	Puerto Aisen	Chile	16,936	45°24′S 72°41′W	Cfb
42	Alexandra	New Zealand	5,790	45°14′S 169°22′E	BSk
43	Clyde	New Zealand	1,200	45°11′S 169°19′E	Cfb
44	Oamaru	New Zealand	13,700	45°05′S 170°58′E	Cfb
45	Cromwell	New Zealand	6,480	45°04′S 169°20′E	Cfb
46	Queenstown	New Zealand	16,000	45°01′S 168°39′E	Cfb
47	Alto Río Senguer	Argentina	1,454	45°01′S 70°49′W	Csc/Dsc

Southernmost settlements outside Antarctica

This list of settlements excludes research stations in Antarctica and its surrounding islands.

#	Location	Country	Settlement type	Latitude	Population	Population as of	Köppen climate classification
1	Estación Naval Islas Diego Ramirez	Chile	Naval station	56°30′ S	4	2017	ET
2	Estación Meteorológica de Cabo de Hornos	Chile	Weather station	55°59′ S	4[19]	2008	ET
3	Puerto Toro	Chile	Hamlet	55°05′ S	36[20]	2002	ET
4	Caleta Wulaia	Chile	Hamlet	55°02′ S	?	?	?
5	Caleta Eugenia	Chile	Hamlet	54°56′ S	?	?	?
6	Puerto Williams	Chile	Town [21]	54°56′ S	2,874[17]	2002	Cfc
7	Puerto Navarino	Chile	Village	54°55′ S	?	?	Cfc
8	Puerto Almanza	Argentina	Village	54°52′ S	200	?	Cfc
9	Ushuaia	Argentina	City	54°48′ S	56,956[22]	2010	Cfc
10	Tolhuin	Argentina	Town	54°31′ S	3,004[23]	?	Cfc
11	Macquarie Island Station	Australia	Scientific research station	54°30′ S	20 to 40	?	ET
12	Grytviken	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	Hamlet	54°19′ S	up to 18	?	ET
13	Río Grande	Argentina	City	53°45′ S	67,038	2010	Cfc/Dfc
14	Porvenir	Chile	City	53°17′ S	5,465	?	Cfc
15	Punta Arenas	Chile	City	53°17′ S	119,496[20]	2002	Cfc

• The former Argentine base Corbeta Uruguay (59°28′ S) in South Sandwich Islands was the southernmost settlement outside Antarctica from 1976–1982.

Settlements on the Antarctic continent

There are many research stations in Antarctica, both permanent and summer only. Many of the stations are staffed all year. McMurdo Station is the largest with an average population of 1200.

A total of 30 countries (as of October 2006), all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate seasonal (summer) or year-round research stations on the continent and on its surrounding islands. In addition to these permanent stations, approximately 30 field camps are established each austral summer to support specific one off projects.[24]

The full list is available at: Research stations in Antarctica

See also

• Extreme points of Earth
• List of southernmost items
• Northernmost cities and towns
• Northernmost settlements

References

1. "Ushuaia ya no será la ciudad más austral del mundo". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
2. "Puerto Williams: ubicada entre Tierra del Fuego por el norte y el Cabo de Hornos por el sur , por lo tanto es la cuidad mas Austral del país y del mundo". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
3. http://www.infinito-sur.com/ Archived 2013-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 9 April 2012
4. Puerto Williams espera una gran temporada de centolla, retrieved 9 April 2012
5. Escritorio Estudiantes Archived 2009-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 9 April 2012
6. dibam, retrieved 9 April 2012
7. Times Online
8. Website thisischile.cl Puerto Williams, the southernmost town in the world
9. Interactive map, INE Census 2002, Chile. (Click on XII Region and then on Punta Arenas)
10. Tiscali Encyclopaedia
11. Boston Globe 2008
12. "Tierra del Fuego, Argentina". Encarta. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
13. "Ushuaia". Britannica. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
14. https://www.lanacion.com.ar/el-mundo/una-localidad-chilena-le-roba-ushuaia-etiqueta-nid2252719
15. https://www.clarin.com/viajes/ushuaia-perdio-titulo-ciudad-austral-mundo_0_aYQmqaR4Q.html
16. https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-magallanes/2019/05/30/argentinos-admiten-derrota-reconocen-a-puerto-williams-como-la-ciudad-mas-austral-del-mundo.shtml
17. WillySol. "Puerto Williams - Chile". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
18. http://edant.clarin.com/diario/1998/06/30/e-04801d.htm
19. "Vida al fin del mundo: Una familia chilena haciendo soberanía en Cabo de Hornos". Emol. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
20. "DEMOGRAFÍA". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
21. http://www.thisischile.cl/1116/2/249/puerto-williams,-the-southernmost-town-in-the-world/Article.aspx
22. "INDEC (Argentine Ministry of Economics) 2010 Census results" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-11-21.
24. 4.0 Antarctica – Past and Present