Southernmost settlements

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

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.

Unlike the northern hemisphere, where several major metropolitan areas such as Moscow, Harbin, London, Paris, Seattle, and Montreal are all located north of the 45°N parallel, the only permanently populated areas south of the 45°S parallel are the small and sparsely populated regions of southern Patagonia in South America, the Falkland Islands, and the southernmost tip of New Zealand.

Southernmost city

The southernmost city in the world is mainly a slogan used for tourism purposes to attract visitors to a city as well as the tourists headed for Antarctica. Ciudad (city) is not a legal designation in Chile and Argentina, except for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. 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: 123,403), literally in Spanish: "Sandy 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, and Puerto Williams, all of which are farther south.
• Ushuaia (54°48′S 68°18′W, population: 82,615), the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, is more commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world due to its sufficiently large population, its infrastructure, and its accepted classification as a city.^[10][11][12] 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: 1,868), located on Isla Navarino, is the southernmost town in the world 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.^[13] Puerto Williams is sometimes considered the southernmost city in the world by Chilean media and some large media international organisations,^{[14][15][16][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°

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45th parallel south

This is a list of 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	1,868[17]	54°56′S 67°37′W	ET
2	Ushuaia	Argentina	82,615[18]	54°48′S 68°18′W	ET
3	Tolhuin	Argentina	9,879[18]	54°32′S 67°12′W	ET
4	Río Grande	Argentina	98,017[18]	53°47′S 67°42′W	Cfc
5	Porvenir	Chile	4,807	53°17′S 70°22′W	Cfc
6	Punta Arenas	Chile	123,403[17]	53°10′S 70°56′W	Cfc
7	Puerto Natales	Chile	19,116	51°44′S 72°31′W	Cfb
8	Stanley	Falkland Islands	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	Puerto San Julián	Argentina	6,143	49°18′S 67°43′W	BSk
15	Gobernador Gregores	Argentina	2,519	48°45′S 70°16′W	BWk
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	1,840	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	51,700	46°25′S 168°18′E	Cfb
26	Riverton	New Zealand	1,680	46°21′S 168°01′E	Cfb
27	Balclutha	New Zealand	4,430	46°14′S 169°45′E	Cfb
28	Fairfax	New Zealand	1,911	46°12′S 168°2′E	Cfb
29	Mataura	New Zealand	1,770	46°11′S 168°52′E	Cfb
30	Winton	New Zealand	2,550	46°08′S 168°20′E	Cfb
31	Milton	New Zealand	2,270	46°07′S 169°58′E	Cfb
32	Gore	New Zealand	8,290	46°05′S 168°56′E	Cfb
33	Rada Tilly	Argentina	6,208	45°55′S 67°33′W	BSk
34	Comodoro Rivadavia	Argentina	182,631	45°52′S 67°30′W	BSk
35	Dunedin	New Zealand	106,700	45°52′S 170°30′E	Cfb
36	Río Mayo	Argentina	2,939	45°40′S 70°16′W	BSk
37	Sarmiento	Argentina	8,028	45°35′S 69°05′W	BSk
38	Waikouaiti	New Zealand	1,330	45°35′S 170°40′E	Cfb
39	Coihaique	Chile	50,041	45°34′S 72°04′W	Cfb
40	Puerto Chacabuco	Chile	1,243	45°29′S 72°50′W	Cfb
41	Te Anau	New Zealand	3,210	45°25′S 167°43′E	Cfb
42	Puerto Aisen	Chile	16,936	45°24′S 72°41′W	Cfb
43	Alexandra	New Zealand	6,150	45°14′S 169°22′E	BSk
44	Clyde	New Zealand	1,290	45°11′S 169°19′E	Cfb
45	Oamaru	New Zealand	14,350	45°05′S 170°58′E	Cfb
46	Cromwell	New Zealand	7,440	45°04′S 169°20′E	Cfb
47	Queenstown	New Zealand	27,700	45°01′S 168°39′E	Cfb
48	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	?	?	ET
5	Caleta Eugenia	Chile	Hamlet	54°56′ S	?	?	?
6	Puerto Williams	Chile	Town	54°56′ S	1,868[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	82,615[18]	2010	Cfc
10	Tolhuin	Argentina	Town	54°31′ S	9,879[18]	?	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	98,017[18]	2010	Cfc/Dfc
14	Porvenir	Chile	Town	53°17′ S	5,465	?	Cfc
15	Punta Arenas	Chile	City	53°17′ S	123,403[17]	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.^[21]

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". 30 June 1998. 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^{[permanent dead link‍]}, 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. Boston Globe 2008
11. "Tierra del Fuego, Argentina". Encarta. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
12. "Ushuaia". Britannica. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
13. WillySol. "Puerto Williams - Chile". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
14. "Una localidad chilena le roba a Ushuaia la etiqueta de ciudad más austral del mundo". 29 May 2019.
15. "Por qué Ushuaia perdió el título de "la ciudad más austral del mundo"". 30 May 2019.
16. "Argentinos admiten derrota: Reconocen a Puerto Williams como la ciudad más austral del mundo". 30 May 2019.
17. "Ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y caseríos 2019" (pdf) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Chile). March 2019. p. 132. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
18. "Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2022. Resultados provisionales" (pdf). Censo 2022. República Argentina (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC). January 2023. p. 32. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
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. 4.0 Antarctica – Past and Present

Bibliography

• L. Ivanov and N. Ivanova. Southernmost city. In: The World of Antarctica. Generis Publishing, 2022. pp. 126-130. ISBN 979-8-88676-403-1