and archipelagos nearby. The land is under an ice sheet. Climate The climate of the region ranges from a subpolar climate in the north to a polar climate in the south. The region has an extremely cold climate with mean temperatures below with frost and snowfall occurring throughout the year. In general, there are two different climatic zones found within the region: a glacial climate in the interior and an oceanic one in the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands. The glacial climate found in the interior is dominated by continental ice sheets and glaciers while in the Antarctic Peninsula and its adjacent islands, the climate is characterized by very strong winds, particularly in winter. In particular, the Antarctic Peninsula experiences strong cold winds and blizzards. In the interior of the continent, the climate is colder and drier due to the higher latitude, altitude, and strong continental influences. Mean annual temperatures range from between in the Antarctic Peninsula to in the interior. Temperatures are always low in the region; during the polar night in winter, temperatures drop down to . In the warmest month, mean temperatures are usually below . Coastal areas have mean temperatures in the warmest month at around freezing. Precipitation mainly falls as snow. Due to the ice sheets and glaciers covering most of the region and the severity of the climate, the flora is sparse and limited only to coastal areas. Symbols The flag of Tierra del Fuego, which includes Argentine Antarctica, was adopted in 1999 as the result of a competition. It is a diagonal bicolor of sky blue and orange with a white albatross dividing the flag diagonally and the Southern Cross in the blue upper half. The orange represents the fire in the province's name, Tierra del Fuego, meaning "Land of Fire". The blue represents the sky and reflects the color of the national flag. Argentine bases Esperanza and Marambio are the largest Argentine bases, together holding 70 buildings, with a combined occupancy rate ranging from roughly 110 in winter to 250 in summer. Orcadas Base, on the South Orkney Islands was the world's first Antarctic base, operating continuously since 1903. The southernmost Argentine permanent base is Belgrano II, at latitude around 77 degrees south. The southernmost summer base is Sobral, at from Belgrano II. The bases are supplied by ship as well as by C-130 Hercules and DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. Permanent Belgrano