Última Esperanza Province

Última Esperanza Provincia de Última Esperanza
Province
Official seal of Última Esperanza Seal
Location in the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region Location in the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region
Última Esperanza Location in Chile
Coordinates:
Country	Chile
Region	Magallanes y Antártica Chilena
Capital	Puerto Natales
Communes	Puerto Natales Torres del Paine
Government
• Type	Provincial
• Governor	Max Salas Illanes
Area
• Total	55,443.9 km2 (21,407.0 sq mi)
Population (2012 Census)
• Total	18,685
• Rank	2
• Density	0.34/km2 (0.87/sq mi)
• Urban	16,978
• Rural	2,877
Sex
• Men	10611
• Women	9244
Time zone	CLT (UTC-4)
• Summer (DST)	CLST (UTC-3)
Area code(s)	56 + 61
Website	Government of Última Esperanza

Última Esperanza (Spanish: Provincia de Última Esperanza, meaning "Last Hope Province") is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena (XII). The capital is Puerto Natales and it is named after Última Esperanza Sound. A section of its border with Argentina in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is under dispute.

Administration

As a province, Última Esperanza is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further divided into two communes (comunas): Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine. The province is administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Max Salas Illanes was appointed governor by president Sebastián Piñera.

Noted features

Within this province, the noted Torres del Paine National Park, Cerro Torre and Cerro Chaltén is located, comprising some of the most spectacular mountain peaks of South America. Also part of the biggest non-polar glacier, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is within Última Esperanza. Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument, where prehistoric human occupation has been documented, is also within this province.