Valparaíso, Imprenta de la Armada, 1997
“The background of our country’s presence in Antarctica corresponds to the territory inherited during the colonial times of the so-called Kingdom of Chile, as a result of several Spanish Crown resolutions, when the existence of that continent was only perceived. The ideas promoted by General Bernardo O’Higgins, our Navy’s creator, at the outset of the republic are also a valuable precedent. At the time, the European powers and the United States began to explore the continent and exploit its riches. The inspiration of O’Higgins, statesman and liberator, was progressively achieved during the middle of the nineteenth century and the following first decades, culminating with the first expedition that took place in 1947, giving rise to the foundation of the Antarctic Base “Arturo Prat”, on February 6 of that year.”