The Magallanes Region (), officially the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region () or Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctica Region in English, is one of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

's 16 first order

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

s. It is the southernmost, largest, and second least populated

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. It comprises four

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

: Última Esperanza, Magallanes,

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main is ...

, and Antártica Chilena. The region takes its name from the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

which runs through it, which was in turn named after Ferdinand Magellan, the leader of the European expedition that discovered it. Magallanes's geographical features include Torres del Paine,

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

island, and the

. It also includes the Antarctic territory claimed by Chile. Despite its large area, much of the land in the region is rugged or closed off for

sheep farming Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin ...

, and is unsuitable for settlement. 80% of the population lives in the capital

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (, historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although officially renamed as ...

, a major market city and one of the main hubs for Antarctic exploration. The main economic activities are sheep farming, oil extraction, and tourism. It is also the region with the lowest poverty level in Chile (5.8%); households in Magallanes have the highest income of any region in Chile. Since 2017, the region has had its own time zone. It uses the summer time for the whole year (UTC−3).

Geography

The region contains mountainous peaks and

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

s in the far north, including elements of the

Patagonian Ice Sheet The Patagonian Ice Sheet was a large elongated and narrow ice sheet centered in the southern Andes that existed during the Llanquihue glaciation. The ice sheet covered all of Chile south of Puerto Montt plus the western fringes of Argentine Pa ...

. Further south there are other mountain ranges such as the Cerro Toro and numerous surface waters including the Seno Última Esperanza, Eberhard Fjord and Lago Grey. Protected areas include the Torres del Paine National Park and the Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument. At the latter, remains have been discovered of the

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

ground sloth Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. They varied widely in size with the largest, belonging to genera '' Lestodon'', ''Eremotherium'' and ''Megatherium'', being around the size of elephants. ...

as well as of

prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

man dating to circa

10,000 BC The 10th millennium BC spanned the years 10,000 BC to 9001 BC (c. 12 ka to c. 11 ka). It marks the beginning of the transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic via the interim Mesolithic (Northern Europe and Western Europe) a ...

.C.M. Hogan, 2008 The topography can be divided in four regions: an outer archipelago region () to the west and south, a mountain region in the west and south (), Pisano (1977), p. 124 a plains region () in the northeast Pisano (1977), p. 128 plus a sub-Andean zone in-between the last two zones (). Pisano (1977), p. 125

Climate

The region is characterized by low temperatures and strong winds throughout the year. The region has five different climatic types, owing to the diversity in altitudes and the width of the region. Owing to its proximity to 60°S (a zone characterized by low pressure systems and subpolar cyclones), frontal systems regularly pass through the region. The westernmost islands have a cold, humid and rainy climate, being exposed to strong winds and low temperatures throughout the year. Precipitation averages per year, while the mean annual temperature on these islands is with a low thermal amplitude due to the maritime influences and the strong winds. Precipitation decreases and temperatures increase moving eastwards. These islands are the wettest places in Chile, particularly on Guarello Island where it can record during the wettest years. Precipitation is high throughout the year though fall tends to be the wettest season. Immediately to the east of the westernmost islands, east of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

and bordered by the Cordillera Paine to the north and the Brunswick Peninsula to the south, the climate is much drier. The

to the west block most of the precipitation, causing most of the air coming in to be dry. Mean annual precipitation ranges between which is fairly evenly distributed through the year. During winters, precipitation mainly falls as

snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

. Mean annual temperatures are between . Due to the close proximity to the ocean, winters are not cold and snow cover does not last long. In the easternmost parts of the region, including much of Tierra del Fuego province, a cold steppe climate prevails. Temperatures are cold while precipitation is lower than areas to the west. Mean precipitation is between , decreasing eastwards and is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Mean annual temperatures range between . From December to March, mean temperatures exceed while during winter, they reach down to . Corresponding to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, located at higher altitudes, temperatures are cold enough to maintain permanent ice fields. Mean temperatures are below in all months while precipitation (mostly as snow) is abundant year-round, receiving . These areas have a

polar climate The polar climate regions are characterized by a lack of warm summers but with varying winters. Every month a polar climate has an average temperature of less than . Regions with a polar climate cover more than 20% of the Earth's area. Most of ...

. In the southernmost islands, south of

and the

, a

tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...

prevails. These islands are strongly influenced by the surrounding

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the west and southwest and the Drake Passage to the south, resulting in constant temperatures throughout the year. Mean annual temperatures are between while precipitation is high, with most places receiving . In sheltered areas, precipitation is below . Summers are the warmest and the wettest season in these islands.

Provinces and communes

Demographics

The population of Magallanes is one of the lowest in Chile, as one of the last regions colonized. In the 1854 census counted 158 settlers, concentrated in Punta Arenas. The native population in 1830, according to King, amounted to approximately 2,200, with about 400 in western Patagonia and approximately 1,600 in the southern Straits. The census of 1875 recorded 1,144 inhabitants and in 1895 the population had risen to 5,170 inhabitants, mostly concentrated in the city of Punta Arenas and its surroundings. The installation of the cattle ranches attracted people from Europe (mostly Croats, British, Swiss and Italians) and southern Chile (mostly from

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...

), which greatly increased the population of the region. Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia; Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in Chile. There is a higher proportion of non-Spanish Europeans there as well (especially Scots and Greeks), and descendants of Germans, Dutch, Danes and other Scandinavians, Russians and Portuguese peoples. From the late 18th century to the opening of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

in 1914, thousands of trans-oceanic voyages stopped by Punta Arenas as the most convenient strait between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The settlement of Punta Arenas and the Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region is a result of its historic use as a hub for international travel. In the 1907 census, the Territory of Magellan had 17,330 inhabitants, distributed as follows: – City of Punta Arenas: 12,785 hab. – Patagonia Chilena: 1,094 hab. – Pen. of Brunswick: 1,062 hab. – Tierra del Fuego: 1,626 hab. – Beagle Channel: 184 inhabitants. – Last Hope: 392 inhabitants. – Baker River: 187 inhabitants. This proportional distribution has persisted, with the bulk of the regional population in the city of Punta Arenas, and in the provincial capitals Puerto Natales, Porvenir (Spanish for "future") and

Puerto Williams Puerto Williams (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Port Williams") is a city, port and naval base on Navarino Island in Chile. It faces the Beagle Channel. It is the Capital city, capital of Antártica Chilena Province, the Chilean Antarctic Provin ...

, one of the world's southernmost cities. In the past 50 years, the population has increased moderately as shown below, but the region still has one of the lowest population densities in the country. The population remains mostly urban and concentrated in Punta Arenas. Census * 1952: 55,206 hab. * 1960: 73,358 hab. * 1970: 89,443 hab. * 1982: 131,914 hab. * 1992: 143,198 hab. * 2002: 150,826 hab. * 2017: 165,593 hab. The most populated cities (2002 census) are Punta Arenas (116,005 inhabitants), Puerto Natales (16,978) Porvenir (4,734), Puerto Williams (1,952), and Cerro Sombrero (687).

Education

University of Magellan ( UMAG) is a university in the southern

an city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The University of Magellan was established in 1981 during the economic reforms of Chile's military regime as the successor of Universidad Técnica del Estado's Punta Arenas section. Universidad Técnica del Estado had established the Punta Arenas section in 1961. The University of Magellan have campuses in

and Puerto Natales as well as a university centre in

. University of Magellan publishes the humanities and social sciences journal '' Magallania'' twice a year.

Gallery

File:Cuernos del Paine Raulito.jpg, Torres del Paine File:Punta Arenas-View1.jpg,

File:Natales rc 012.JPG, Puerto Natales File:Porvenir-View.jpg, Porvenir File:Puerto Williams1.JPG,

with Dientes del Navarino in the background File:Villa Las Estrellas. Vista nocturna.jpg, Villa Las Estrellas File:Villa-Las-Estrellas-Antarctica.JPG, The Chilean settlement of Villa Las Estrellas on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

References

Sources

* C. Michael Hogan (2008) ''Cueva del Milodon'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnha
The Megalithic Portal
*

External links

Gobierno Regional Magallanes y Antártica Chilena
official website
Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve

BBC article: "Lake disappears suddenly in Chile"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magallanes y la Antartica Chilena Region Patagonia Regions of Chile