San Martín Base

The San Martín Base (in Spanish, "Base San Martín") is an Argentine base in Antarctica, operated by the Argentine Army, near the Antarctic Peninsula's mountain range. It was founded on March 21 1951 by Colonel D. H. Pujtajo, who named the base after the Argentine independence hero General José de San Martín. The number of people living in it is between 18 and 20.

San Martín is the westernmost Argentine Antarctic base, and has special importance because the area of its location is claimed at the same time by Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom, and because it is near the Antarctic Peninsula Mountain Range, where scientists have discovered copper, and think there are more metals.

The base's motto is "Hombres de voluntad, luchan y vencen desde 1951".

External links

* [http://www.ejercito.mil.ar/antartico/base_san_mar/bas_san_mar.htm "Base Antártica San Martín"] — Argentine Army official website.