The+Archipelago



The Archipelago The archipelago is a stunning sight filled with dense forests, rocky slopes, and massive glaciers. It stretches around 1,000 miles from Cape Horn at the tip of South America, up to Puerto Montt. (Monteon, Michael) The archipelago is made up of thousands of islands to the west and south of Chile that were broken up from years of the relentless sea pounding on the land. The archipelago was discovered in 1520 by Ferdinand Magellan (Monteon, Michael) The Strait of Magellan divides the Tierra del Fuego islands from the mainland. This group of islands got its name from the fires built by natives. It means “Land of Fire” in Spanish. (“Tierra del Fuego”) The land is always cool during summer and cold during the winter. (“Tierra del Fuego”) The Tierra del Fuego is partially Chilean territory and partially Argentinean territory. (Monteon, Michael) The area around the Strait of Magellan is the only settlement in the south. The majority of the land isn’t suitable for people or crops, however, farmers do place sheep around the area. Most petroleum produced by Chile originates from the Tierra del Fuego and the Strait of Magellan. (Monteon, Michael) The northern part of the islands mainly consists of glaciers and lakes, while the southern and western parts are a continuation of the Andes Mountains. (“Tierra del Fuego”) Some peaks rise as high as 7,500 feet. (“Tierra del Fuego”) The average rainfall varies depending on what part of the archipelago you are in. Some regions get 180 inches a year, while others get 20. (“Tierra del Fuego”) Around 300 churches were established around the islands during the 18th century as a part of the evangelical mission. (Hamre, Bonnie) Many of them are still beautifully preserved adding an important insight to some of the Chilean culture. The largest city and capital in the Archipelago area is Porvnir. It is the southernmost capital in the world. (“Tierra del Fuego”) Before the islands were discovered by Magellan, they were inhabited by the Yaghans. (Moneton, Michael) Vegetation is scarce in Tierra del Fuego and there are only 6 types of trees. Delicious fruits grow in some of the forests around the archipelago. There are some interesting animals found around the area including: seagulls, guanacos, parakeets, kingfishers, condors, owls, firecrown hummingbirds, and foxes. (“Tierra del Fuego”) Some of the top-notch trout exported around the world originate from the archipelago.