This city of 29.500 inhabitants is the capital of the Province of Tierra del Fuego and Antártida. A picturesque village that had was (for a special promotional régime) such an explosive growth that it caused a residence crisis that the government cannot still control. According to the census of 1970, they lived 5.677 people here; in 1980 they had almost been duplicated to 11.443 inhabitants and the data of the census 91 they indicate that in the last 10 years the population almost has tripled.

The rate of growth deformed the social conformation half of the local population it is among the 15 to 40 years, where the native fueguinos is not 10% of the total; more than 99% of the inhabitants of the Department Ushuaia resides in the city. The index of masculinity reaches 110%.

Ushuaia, beside the channel Beagle, owes its name to the Indian yaghanes or yámanas for who it was the "bay that penetrates toward the west". it is head of the tourism and bill with airport, hotels and good gastronomy. It has the nearest deep port to the Antártida, used by ships of tourism, scientific (that arrive from September to April) and load lines.

The name Ushuaia appeared for first time in 1869, in documents of the South American Missionary Society, Anglican entity that lifted the first housings. Their arrival in 1869 was due to the interest that raised in England the scientific explorations. This took them to evangelize to the aboriginal ones, task that lasted about 40 years).

After 15 years of having resided the mission, the Armed Argentina sent an expeditionary division that arrived here in September of 1884, to Augusto's control Lasserre. With materials brought four wooden stalls on board they armed and it plates for the Subprefectura, only Argentinean authority in the extensive southern environment. Besides sample of the sovereignty of the country on the region, this fact began the regular communications with the continent.
There were not delineation of streets neither apples up to 1894. The village in expansion became a picturesque multicolored town.

Ushuaia began to occupy a place between the Argentineans when you creó the Penitentiary, at the beginning of this century. The Anglican mission ceased for then its task and the only activities, outside of an incipient commercial item, they were those of the government's employees and of the prison. This institution that so much development brought, introduced the construction in masonry and stones, adopted by some neighbors in buildings that demonstrate its durability (current Municipality and Museum), but it was not popularized.

Ushuaia, small administrative city with port and jail, had its hour of growth up to 1947, when decided the closing of the prison. This episode caused a strong emigration of families toward the north and stagnated the development until half-filled of the 60. Starting from that decade they are inaugurated the Hotel Seabird (1966), siniestrado in 1982 and then reconstructed, the Channel of Television (1967), the Center Polideportivo (1971) and the first nuclei residence multifamiliares (1972).