Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile
Encyclopedia
Tierra del Fuego Province is one of four provinces
in the southern Chile
an region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena (XII). It includes the Chilean part of the main island
of Tierra del Fuego
. There is also an Argentine
province of the same name, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina. Chilean Tierra del Fuego has two major cities, Porvenir, capital of the province, and Cerro Sombrero
, and a number of smaller towns. A key geographical feature is Bahía Inútil
("Useless Bay"), so named by British geographers in the late 19th century because the bay is not useful as a port.
(INE), the province spans an area of 22592.7 sqkm and had a population of 6,904 inhabitants (4,418 men and 2,486 women), giving it a population density of 0.3 PD/sqkm. It is the third most sparsely populated province in the country after Antártica Chilena
and Capitan Prat
, and it is the fifth least populated province in the country. Of these, 4,734 (68.6%) lived in urban areas and 2,170 (31.4%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 1.2% (81 persons).
people.
Provinces of Chile
A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....
in the southern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena (XII). It includes the Chilean part of the main island
Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego
Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan...
of Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. There is also an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
province of the same name, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina. Chilean Tierra del Fuego has two major cities, Porvenir, capital of the province, and Cerro Sombrero
Cerro Sombrero
Cerro Sombrero is a village in southern Chile, in the Primavera commune, on the Northern part of Tierra del Fuego, in Magallanes Region, about 125 km from Porvenir. According to the 2002 census, it had 687 inhabitants....
, and a number of smaller towns. A key geographical feature is Bahía Inútil
Inútil Bay
thumb|right|300px|Satellite image of Inútil Bay and the Strai of Magellan. Selected settlements are marked with yellow dots.Inútil Bay is bay in the western and Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego Island. Located as a body of water in the Strait of Magellan Inútil Bay provides access to Camerón and...
("Useless Bay"), so named by British geographers in the late 19th century because the bay is not useful as a port.
Geology and hydrography
Gold-bearing sands have been recorded at a number of sites within the Fuegan shores of the Tierra del Fuego Province. Chilean Tierra del Fuego is known for numerous small lakes including Lago Blanco and Lago Deseado.Demography
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics InstituteNational Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
(INE), the province spans an area of 22592.7 sqkm and had a population of 6,904 inhabitants (4,418 men and 2,486 women), giving it a population density of 0.3 PD/sqkm. It is the third most sparsely populated province in the country after Antártica Chilena
Antártica Chilena Province
Antártica Chilena Province is the southernmost and one of four provinces in Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region . The capital is Puerto Williams...
and Capitan Prat
Capitán Prat Province
Capitán Prat Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Aisén . Its capital is Cochrane. The province is named after the naval hero Arturo Prat.-Geography and demography:...
, and it is the fifth least populated province in the country. Of these, 4,734 (68.6%) lived in urban areas and 2,170 (31.4%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 1.2% (81 persons).
History
The shores among the islands have provided settlement locations for early man in the Americas; in particular the Wulaia Bay area of Navarino Island has yielded evidence of early settlement by the YaghanYaghan
The Yaghan, also called Yagán, Yahgan , Yámana or Yamana, are the indigenous inhabitants of the islands south of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego extending their presence into Cape Horn...
people.