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| Post Office for Magallanes Region and Antarctica |
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| The flag of Chile on the right. The flag of Chilean Antarctica on the left. |
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| The piece of the Antarctic pie claimed by Chile. Nevermind that it overlaps with the pieces claimed by Argentina and Great Britain |
Of course, I say Go For It, Chile! But...why?
Is it the tourism?
Antarctica is a unique vacation destination, in that there-aren´t-cruises-to-the-moon-so-why-not-Antarctica kind of way.* I mean, you´ve got the driest desert on earth, the Andes mountains, miles of coast along the Pacific Ocean, Patagonia, and some of the best vinyards in the world. But, yes, you should add Antarctica in your vacation destination options for the revenue it could generate for two months each year.
Is it the 'someone said we couldn´t' thing?
Oh, that pesky Antarctic Treaty that ensured the continent would remain politically neutral? The fact that this treaty was signed during the height of the Cold War and the arms race really adds salt to the wound, eh? The Antarctic Treaty nations will be able to vote on the future of Antarctica in the year 2048, so when/if the time comes that the continent can be mined (or something), you´ll be ready.
Is it the science thing?
Probably.
Meanwhile, enjoy having a small town there! (Villa Las Estrella).
*I did meet some travelers (from Wayzata, of all places) who were just returning from an amazing excursion to Antarctica, complete with whale sightings, penguin spotting, ship-breaking storms in the Drake Passage, and hobnobbing with descendants of Shackleton. Every time they set foot on land, they had to go through a decontamination process to leave as little of a footprint behind as possible. I have to admit that after talking with them, I understand the appeal of visiting such a pristine, practically uncontaminated, exotic in its own way place. My husband has wanted to go for a very long time, and spend time on McMurdo Station.
My love, it´s yours. I will stay home with the cat. :)
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