Tierra del Fuego (Spanish for "Land of Fire", in English pronounced /tiˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪgoʊ]/; Spanish IPA: [ˈtjerað̞elˈfweɰo]) is an archipelago 73,753 km² (28,476 sq mi) separated from the southernmost tip of the South American mainland by the Strait of Magellan. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Straits of Magellan (rarely referred to as the Magellanic Straits) comprise a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland Chile and north of Isla Grande The southern point of the archipelago forms Cape Horn. Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile.
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Geography
The archipelago consists of a main island (Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, often simply called Tierra del Fuego or Isla Grande) with an area of 48,100 km² (18,572 sq mi), and a group of smaller islands. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (literally Great Island of the Land of Fire) is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by
Half of this island, and the islands west and south of it, are part of the Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region, the capital and chief town of which is Punta Arenas, situated on the mainland across the strait. Geography This region contains mountainous peaks and Glaciers in the far north including elements of the Patagonian Ice Sheet. Punta Arenas (literally in Spanish: "Sandy Point" is the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the Magallanes y la The biggest Chilean towns are Porvenir, capital of the Chilean Province of Tierra del Fuego, on the main island, and Puerto Williams, on Navarino Island, being the capital of the Antártica Chilena Province. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Founded in 1883 by immigrants from Croatia and Chiloé during a minor Nineteenth century Gold rush, Porvenir is the capital of both the homonymous The Chilean Tierra del Fuego Province (in Spanish Provincia de Tierra del Fuego) is located on the Chilean part of the main island of Tierra del Fuego Puerto Williams ( Spanish for "Port Williams" is a Chilean port located on Isla Navarino facing the Beagle Channel. Isla Navarino is a Chilean island located strategically between Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, to the north and Cape Horn, to the south Antártica Chilena Province is one of four provinces in its southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region. Puerto Toro lies a few kilometers south of Puerto Williams and is the southernmost town in the world. Puerto Toro, founded 1892 by Governor of Punta Arenas Señoret is a hamlet on the eastern coast of Navarino Island, Chile. The southernmost settlements in the world excluding research bases in Antarctica (there are already permanent settlements there are
The eastern part of the archipelago belongs to Argentina, being part of the Tierra del Fuego Province; its capital is Ushuaia, the biggest city of the archipelago, and the other important city in the region is Río Grande, over the Atlantic coast. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Tierra del Fuego (officially Provincia de Tierra del Fuego Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur) is an Argentine Province entirely separated from Ushuaia (u'swaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and is sometimes considered to be the southernmost city in the world See Rio Grande (disambiguation for other meanings Rio Grande Argentina
The Darwin Range ends in the Mount Bove, this Range contains many glaciers that even touch the ocean. The Cordillera Darwin is short Mountain range mantled by an Ice field.
History
Its name comes from Ferdinand Magellan who was born in Portugal, and was the first European to pass it in 1520. Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães fɨɾˈnɐ̃ũ dɨ mɐgɐˈʎɐ̃ĩʃ Fernando de Magallanes (Spring 1480 &ndash April 27 1521 Mactan Island, Cebu He believed he was seeing the many fires (fuego in Spanish) of the Amerindians, which were visible from the sea and that the "Indians" were waiting in the forests to ambush his armada. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. These were fires lit by the Yamana Indians who lived in the southern part of the island, to ward off the low temperatures in the area. The Yaghan, also called Yagán, Yahgan (the original spelling Yámana or Yamana, are the indigenous inhabitants of the islands south of
Four native Fuegians, including "Jemmy Button" (Orundellico), were brought from Tierra del Fuego by Robert Fitzroy on his first voyage with the Beagle in 1830. Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Orundellico, known as "Jemmy Button", (c 1815 &ndash 1864 was a native Fuegian of the Yaghan (or Yamana) people from islands around Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy ( 5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS ''Beagle'' First Voyage On 27 September 1825 Beagle docked at Woolwich for repairs and fitted out for her new duties at a total cost of £5913 For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display They were taken to meet the King and Queen in London and were to an extent celebrities. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The surviving three returned to Tierra del Fuego with the Beagle with Charles Darwin, who made extensive notes about his visit to the islands. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life
In 1881 it was divided between Argentina and Chile; previously it was claimed by both countries in its entirety. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the
Climate
The climate in this region is very inhospitable. It is a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfc) with short, cool summers and long, wet, moderate winters: the northeast is characterized by strong winds and little precipitation, in the south and west it is very windy, foggy, and wet for most of the year and there are very few days without rain, slush, hail or snow. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist The permanent snow-line begins at 700 m (2300 ft) above sea level. The snow line is the point above which or poleward of which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year Isla de los Estados, 230 km (143 mi) east of Ushuaia, receives 1,400 mm (55 in) of rain. Isla de los Estados (Dutch Stateneiland) is an Argentine island that lies 29 km off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego Ushuaia (u'swaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and is sometimes considered to be the southernmost city in the world The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Rainfall is heavier in the west, 3,000 mm (118 in) a year. Temperatures are steady throughout the year: in Ushuaia (the southernmost city in the world) they hardly surpass 9 °C (50 °F) in summers and average 0 °C (30 °F) in winters. Ushuaia (u'swaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and is sometimes considered to be the southernmost city in the world Snowfall can occur in summer. The cold and wet summers help preserve the ancient glaciers. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The southernmost islands possess subantarctic climate typical of tundra that makes the growth of trees impossible. Some areas in the interior that have polar climate. Regions in the world with similar climates to southern Tierra del Fuego are: Aleutian islands, Iceland, Alaska Peninsula and Faroe Islands. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Alaska Peninsula is a Peninsula extending about 800 km (500 miles to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse
Flora
Only 30% of the islands have forests which are classified as Magellanic subpolar; the northeast is made up by steppe and cool semidesert. Drimys winteri ( Winter's Bark) or Canelo, is a slender Tree, growing up to 20 m (65 ft tall Nothofagus antarctica ( Antarctic Beech; in Spanish Ñirre) is a Deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile Nothofagus pumilio ( Lenga Beech or Lenga) is a Deciduous Tree or Shrub native to the southern area of the Nothofagus betuloides (Magellan's beech is an evergreen tree up to 25 meters (82 feet columnar appearance in its natural environment it tolerates cold winters and absence A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The Magellanic subpolar forests are a Terrestrial ecoregion of southernmost South America covering parts of southern Chile and Argentina, and is part
There are six species of trees found in Tierra del Fuego: Canelo or Winter's Bark (Drimys winteri), Maytenus magellanica, Pilgerodendron uviferum the southernmost conifer in the world , and three kinds of Southern Beech; Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus pumilio and the evergreen Nothofagus betuloides. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or Drimys winteri ( Winter's Bark) or Canelo, is a slender Tree, growing up to 20 m (65 ft tall Maytenus magellanica ( hard log mayten; leña dura in Spanish is a small evergreen tree from the genus Maytenus, up to 5 meters Pilgerodendron is a Genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of about 35 Species of Trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic Nothofagus antarctica ( Antarctic Beech; in Spanish Ñirre) is a Deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile Nothofagus pumilio ( Lenga Beech or Lenga) is a Deciduous Tree or Shrub native to the southern area of the Nothofagus betuloides (Magellan's beech is an evergreen tree up to 25 meters (82 feet columnar appearance in its natural environment it tolerates cold winters and absence Very delicious fruits grow in open spaces in these forests, this is the case of beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis var. The Beach Strawberry, Chilean Strawberry, Sand Strawberry, or Coastal Strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis) is one of two species of Strawberry chiloensis forma chiloensis) and calafate (berberis buxifolia), which were and are collected respectively by Indians and countrymen[1]. Calafate redirects here For the Patagonian town see El Calafate Berberis buxifolia, common name the Magellan These forests are unique in the world for having developed in a climate with such cold summers (around 18 °C (60 °F)). Tree cover extends very close to the southernmost tip of South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Winds are so strong that trees in wind-exposed areas grow twisted by the force of winds, and people call the trees "flag-trees" for the shape that they need to take in the fight with the wind. Tree vegetation extends as far south as the Isla de los Estados, Navarino Island and the north of Hoste Island. Isla de los Estados (Dutch Stateneiland) is an Argentine island that lies 29 km off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego Hoste is one of the southernmost Islands in Chile, lying south across the Beagle Channel, from Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and west At altitudes above 500 m (1,640 ft), dwarf nothofagus communities are found. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Going further south, Wollaston Islands and the south of Hoste Island are covered by subantarctic tundra. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons Forests from Tierra del Fuego have expanded beyond local importance, they have been a source of trees that have been planted abroad in places with practically the same climate but which were originally devoid of trees like Faroe Islands and nearby archipelagos. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Most of species were gathered from the coldest places in Tierra del Fuego, sites mainly with tundra borders. This effort resulted in positive changes, as the heavy winds and cool summers in the Faroe Islands did not allow the growth of trees from other regions in the world. The imported trees are used ornamentally, as curtains against wind and for fighting erosion caused by storms and grazing in the Faroe Islands. [2]
Fauna
Among the most notable animals in the archipelago that are found: parakeets, seagulls, guanacos, foxes, kingfishers, condors, owls, and firecrown hummingbirds. For other uses of the term "sea lion" see Sea lion (disambiguation. Also known as Austral Conure Emerald Parakeet The Austral Parakeet, Enicognathus ferrugineus, is a Parrot found on the southern tip of South America Gulls (often informally Seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae The guanaco ( Lama guanicoe) is a Camelid animal native to South America that stands between 107 and 122 centimeters (3 A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small Kingfishers are small bright colored Birds of the three families Alcedinidae ( River kingfishers, Halcyonidae ( Tree kingfishers, and Cerylidae ( Water Condor is the name for two Species of New World vultures each in a Monotypic Genus. The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e The Green-backed Firecrown ( Sephanoides sephaniodes) is a Hummingbird that is found in Argentina and Chile. North American beaver, introduced in the 1940s, have proliferated and caused considerable damage to the island's forests. The American Beaver ( Castor canadensis) is a large semi-aquatic Rodent native to Canada, much of the United States, and parts of northern [3]
Salmoninae
Like mainland Chile and Argentina to the North, the archipelago boasts some of the finest trout fishing in the world. Sea Run Brown Trout often exceed 9 kg (20 lb), particularly in rivers such as the Rio Grande and San Pablo and in the Lago Fagnano. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The Fagnano ( Spanish: Lago Fagnano or Lago Cami) is a Lake located on the main island of the Tierra del Fuego Much of this water is private, catch and release and fly fishing only.
Economy
The main industries are oil, natural gas, sheep farming and ecotourism. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals On the Argentine side there are several electronic companies established. Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical Tierra del Fuego is also home to the small brewing company Cervecería Fueguina, which produces three beers under the Beagle brand name. A microbrewery, or craft brewery, is a modern Brewery which produces a limited amount of beer usually with an orientation toward distinctive and flavorful products [4]
See also
- Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands Province
- Alberto de Agostini National Park
- Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Fuegians
- Yaghan language (only one speaker left)
- Beagle conflict
- The Voyage of the Beagle
External links
- Official website of Tierra del Fuego
- Pictures of Patagonia
- Patagonia Expedition Race
- Moribund Savages of Tierra del Fuego
References
- Bridges, Lucas. Tierra del Fuego (officially Provincia de Tierra del Fuego Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur) is an Argentine Province entirely separated from Alberto de Agostini National Park is located in the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego National Park is a national park on the Argentine part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, within Tierra del Fuego Province Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Yagán (originally Yahgan, but also now spelled Yaghan, Jagan, Iakan) also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta Mamihlapinatapai (sometimes spelled mamihlapinatap' e' i) is a word from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, listed in The Beagle Conflict was a border dispute between Chile and Argentina over the possession of Picton Lennox and Nueva islands and the scope of the maritime This is about the book For the expedition see Second voyage of HMS Beagle The Voyage of the Beagle is a title commonly given to 1948. Uttermost Part of the Earth. Reprint with Introduction by Gavin Young, Century Hutchinson, 1987. ISBN 0-7126-1493-1
- Keynes, Richard. 2002. Fossils, Finches and Fuegians: Charles Darwin's Adventures and Discoveries on the Beagle, 1832-1836. HarperCollinsPublishers, London. Reprint: 2003.
- Bollen, Patrick. 2000. "Tierra del Fuego" B/W Photobook. Lannoo Publishers, Tielt, Belgium. ISBN 90-209-4040-6
- ^ Martínez Crovetto, Raúl. 1968. Estudios Etnobotánicos. Nombres de plantas y su utilidad según los indios Onas de Tierra del Fuego. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria de la Universidad del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
- ^ Højgaard, A. , J. Jóhansen, and S. Ødum (eds) 1989. A century of tree planting in the Faroe Islands. Føroya Frodskaparfelag, Torshavn.
- ^ Strieker, Gary. "Argentina eager to rid island of beavers", Cable News Network, 1999-07-09. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Retrieved on 2007-06-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper
- ^ Cerveceria Beagle. www. ratebeer. com. Retrieved on 2008-05-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following
Dictionary
Tierra del Fuego
-proper noun
- One of the provinces in Argentina (southern South America). Home of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, close to Antartic.
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