Portal:Argentina/Selected location/8

Skyline of Ushuaia

Ushuaia is the capital city of Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina. It is regarded as the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, bounded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel. It is the only municipality in the Department of Ushuaia, which has an area of 9,390 km2 (3,625 sq mi).

While there are settlements farther south, the only one of any notable size is Puerto Williams, a Chilean settlement of some 2000 residents (mostly families of the nearby military bases). Puerto Williams also calls itself the world's southernmost city, but this claim is dubious as the Chilean government itself defines a city as an urban entity with more than 5,000 inhabitants. As a center of population, commerce, and culture, and as a town of significant size and importance, Ushuaia however clearly qualifies as a city. Tourist attractions include the Tierra del Fuego National Park and Lapataia Bay. Tours also visit the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Les Eclaireurs is sometimes confused with the "Lighthouse at the End of the World" (Faro del fin del mundo) made famous by Jules Verne in the novel of the same name; but the latter lies some 200 mi (320 km) east of Ushuaia on Isla de los Estados (Staten Island).