Artigas is the main base for the Uruguayan Antarctic Institute. It was established in 1985 on King George Island not far from the large Chilean "Eduardo Frei" Base. Artigas does ionosphere work as well as a variety of ecological and other scientific work. It is a permanent all year round base serviced both by the Uruguayan Navy (See our page on the supply vessel "Vanguardia"  and the Uruguyan Air Force who fly Hercules into the airfield Rodolfo Marsh attached to the nearby Chilean Eduardo Frei Base.

Note: This cover has two base cachets at bottom left. It is franked with Chilean stamps and posted out through the nearby Eduardo Frei Antarctic Base.  Backstamped on arrival in Christchurch on January 8th, 2000.

It has a Uruguayan Antarctic Institute sticker on its reverse as shown at left.

Note: This cover is also similar to the previous one but it  has a different cachet at far left.  It also has the Institute sticker on the back.

Note: the above cover bears some special Uruguyan Antarctic stamps and has been postmarked with the Bases rarely seen Artigas postmark. This mail has been carried back to Uruguay by Uruguayan ship before being entered into the International mail stream rather than as usual being posted out through the nearby Chilean Eduardo Frei Base. The envelope additionally has the cachet shown at right on its back and is backstamped on arrival in Christchurch on 3rd March, 2003.