Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)
Encyclopedia
Tierra del Fuego (ˈtjera ðel ˈfweɣo; officially Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur) is an Argentine
province
entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan
. It includes:
The youngest of the Argentine provinces
was first inhabited around 12,000 years ago. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered a population of about 10,000 indigenous people belonging to four tribes: Yamana, Alakaluf, Selk'nam and Manek'enk
(Haush
). Within fifty years after discovery, only about 350 natives remained due to the diseases such as smallpox
and measles
that had ravaged these tribes. The provincial capital city is Ushuaia
, from a native word meaning "bay towards the end".
The territory was first seen by Europe
ans in 1520 during Ferdinand Magellan
's expedition. He named the area Land of Smokes (later changed to Land of Fire) as he saw what were probably the fires produced by the local peoples for heat.
Juan de Alderete in 1555 and later Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
intended to found settlements in the area, but the inclemency of the weather and the constant attacks of British
pirates, who took Sarmiento de Gamboa prisoner, frustrated their ambitions.
Spanish
, Dutch
, British
and French
explorers ventured on Tierra del Fuego
island and the nearby seas. Gabriel de Castilla
passed through before exploring the Antarctic islands, while Robert FitzRoy
, and Charles Darwin
explored this land and other parts of Patagonia
.
In 1828 Argentina established a penal colony at Puerto Luis on the Falkland Islands
, but in 1833 the British sent a naval task force to request that the Argentine representative of the islands, José María Pinedo, and Argentine forces leave the islands.
Luis Piedrabuena installed a base in San Juan de Salvamento on Isla de los Estados
island. The British Patagonia Mission, under its superintendent Waite Stirling, founded Ushuaia
as an Anglican mission
in 1869, and shortly thereafter Salesian
missionaries founded Río Grande
.
In the 1880s the Argentine government took a more active interest in Tierra del Fuego. In 1881, the meridian
68°36'38 W was defined as the boundary between the Chile
an and the Argentine sides of the island. In 1884 the Government of Tierra del Fuego was created, and a subprefecture
was established at Ushuaia.
The southern part of the Beagle Channel
was an issue of conflict between both states, specially regarding three small islands, Picton, Lennox and Nueva
, which were given to Chile by decision of the mediating British Crown
in 1977, revised by Pope John Paul II
and ratified by treaty in 1985.
When the crews of sailing-ships told of the notoriously dangerous voyage round the tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego became a byword in Europe for an inhospitable land, where life would be impossibly harsh for settlers. In reality however, it is by no means the most sparsely populated province of Argentina
. Its population density of 4.75/ km² is in fact higher than five other provinces, due to various waves of immigration.
Gold fever started in Tierra del Fuego around 1883. Many Croatia
ns from the Dalmatia
n coast arrived in search of gold. The gold rush brought with it some innovations such as the telegraph in addition to a wave of immigrants. Although by 1910 the gold had run out, most of the pioneers stayed. The inauspicious-looking northern plains proved ideal sheep-farming country, and vast ranches sprang up. Croatian, Scottish
, Basque, Italian
, Galician and Chilean immigrants arrived to work on the estancias
and build up their own landholdings.
With the creation of the Gobernación Marítima de Tierra del Fuego[explain in English] in 1943, construction of naval bases began in Ushuaia and Río Grande
, as well as an airport and other infrastructure. This brought immigrants from other countries as well as other parts of Argentina.
It was not until 1990 that the "National Territory of Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic and the South Atlantic Islands" was declared a province, and its first governor was appointed two years later.
As a result of killings and disease, by 1920 the Amerindian population of the island had dropped to only 200. News of the atrocities responsible for this reached the Federal Congress
, in Buenos Aires
, which tried to help the Salesian mission, the only institution working in the island to protect them.
islands, Argentine Antarctica
, and the South Atlantic Islands.
mountain system becomes flattened, and its highest peak, Mount Cornú, rises only 1490 metres (4,888.5 ft). There are a number of short rivers (the Grande, Moneta, Ona, Lasifashaj, etc.), and as a result of the low temperature there are many small glaciers that flow to the sea. The annual average temperature of the island is 5.3 °C (41.5 °F), with precipitation of 300 millimetres (11.8 in) in the north and 550 millimetres (21.7 in) in the south. Much of this island can be classified as within the Magellanic subpolar forests
ecoregion.
The part of Antarctica claimed by Argentina is formed by Palmer Land and the Weddell Sea, of which half remains frozen all year round. The highest peak of this section of the continent is Mt. Chiriguano, at 3360 metres (11,023.6 ft). The weather is normally cold and windy.
: for instance, the Año Nuevo and Isla de los Estados
islands have a dense vegetation of low forests of lenga beech and antarctic beech
.
The Falklands are covered in moorland, receive less precipitation than islands closer to the continent, and are constantly swept by strong winds. The South Orkney Islands
, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
are also considered to be part of the South Atlantic Islands, and they are colder than the others, because they are so far from continental land masses.
itself and almost three times the national average.
Manufacturing, despite the province's remoteness, contributes about 20% to output owing partly to generous certain tax incentives to local industry, a policy Buenos Aires has pursued to encourage immigration to less populated areas. A number of sizable factories have opened on Tierra del Fuego Island to take advantage of the tax benefits legislated in 1972, mainly home appliance and electronics manufacturers.
Recently, in the city of Río Grande
, many international and Argentine companies, most notably the Korean company Samsung
and the Argentine company Teltron, have set up factories that produce high-definition televisions (HDTV
), CD-ROM
-related articles, and low-cost GSM cell phones built mainly from Argentine components.
Sheep ranching, is the leading source of the province's modest agricultural income (5% of output). It still serves as an important source of wool, mutton and hides throughout the province and the wider Argentine market, whose taste for these products has been growing strongly.
As with its neighbors in Patagonia
to the north, petroleum
and natural gas
extraction contributes generously to Tierra del Fuego's economy, lately over 20% of total output. Exploration efforts continue, not only along the island's shores themselves, but, also near the Falkland Islands
, where exploration under licences issued by the Falkland Islands government has caused anger in Argentina. This has also intruded onto the area's lucrative crab and shrimp fishing industry.
Tourism is gaining importance on Tierra del Fuego island. The region offers mountains, glaciers, forests, fast rivers, waterfalls, a ski centre, and the sea, all within short distances. Both Jules Verne
and Darwin
were fascinated by the beauties of the island.
The most visited destinations include Ushuaia
, the Tierra del Fuego National Park
and the Tren del Fin del Mundo, Fagnano Lake
, the Museum of the End of the World, the Beagle Channel
, the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, the old jail, and South Staten Island
.
The Argentine Antarctic started receiving tourists a short time ago. Tourists can see wildlife at the Argentine Marambio Base
during the summer.
The Falkland Islands gained publicity as a result of the Falklands War
, and a modest number of tourists venture to the islands. Argentine nationals have been free to do so again since the 1989 restoration of diplomatic relations between the two former adversaries.
(Spanish: departamentos), only the first two of which are under the effective control of Argentina:
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
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
. It includes:
- The eastern part of the Isla GrandeIsla Grande de Tierra del FuegoIsla 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 FuegoTierra del FuegoTierra 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...
archipelago (the western part is the Chilean province of Tierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego Province, ChileTierra del Fuego Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena . 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...
) and the Staten IslandIsla de los EstadosIsla de los Estados is an Argentine island that lies off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, from which it is separated by the Le Maire Strait...
. - Argentina's claims to the Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
(under their Spanish-language name, Malvinas) and to South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
; these are self-governing overseas territoriesBritish overseas territoriesThe British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - Argentina's claims to AntarcticaArgentine AntarcticaArgentine Antarctica is a sector of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the South Pole, is delimited by the 25° West and 74° West meridians and the 60° South...
. All claims to Antarctica are effectively subject to the Antarctic Treaty. Argentina's claim overlaps with both the British claimBritish Antarctic TerritoryThe British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes and , forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole...
and the Chilean claim.
History
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
was first inhabited around 12,000 years ago. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered a population of about 10,000 indigenous people belonging to four tribes: Yamana, Alakaluf, Selk'nam and Manek'enk
Haush
The Haush or Manek'enk were an indigenous people, considered the oldest inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. They inhabited the Mitre Peninsula, the eastern tip of the island, and made regular hunting trips to Isla de los Estados....
(Haush
Haush
The Haush or Manek'enk were an indigenous people, considered the oldest inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. They inhabited the Mitre Peninsula, the eastern tip of the island, and made regular hunting trips to Isla de los Estados....
). Within fifty years after discovery, only about 350 natives remained due to the diseases such as smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
that had ravaged these tribes. The provincial capital city is Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, from a native word meaning "bay towards the end".
The territory was first seen by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans in 1520 during Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
's expedition. He named the area Land of Smokes (later changed to Land of Fire) as he saw what were probably the fires produced by the local peoples for heat.
Juan de Alderete in 1555 and later Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa was a Spanish explorer, author, historian, astronomer, and scientist. His birthplace is not certain and may have been Pontevedra, in Galicia, where his paternal family originated or Alcalá de Henares in Castile, where he later is known to have studied...
intended to found settlements in the area, but the inclemency of the weather and the constant attacks of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pirates, who took Sarmiento de Gamboa prisoner, frustrated their ambitions.
Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorers ventured on 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...
island and the nearby seas. Gabriel de Castilla
Gabriel de Castilla
Gabriel de Castilla , was a Spanish explorer and navigator. A native of Palencia, he was an early explorer of Antarctica. His contribution to knowledge of the Antarctic continent was ignored in his lifetime and long afterwards...
passed through before exploring the Antarctic islands, while Robert FitzRoy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
, and Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
explored this land and other parts of Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
.
In 1828 Argentina established a penal colony at Puerto Luis on the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, but in 1833 the British sent a naval task force to request that the Argentine representative of the islands, José María Pinedo, and Argentine forces leave the islands.
Luis Piedrabuena installed a base in San Juan de Salvamento on Isla de los Estados
Isla de los Estados
Isla de los Estados is an Argentine island that lies off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, from which it is separated by the Le Maire Strait...
island. The British Patagonia Mission, under its superintendent Waite Stirling, founded Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
as an Anglican mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in 1869, and shortly thereafter Salesian
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
missionaries founded Río Grande
Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego
-External links:* * * *...
.
In the 1880s the Argentine government took a more active interest in Tierra del Fuego. In 1881, the meridian
Meridian (geography)
A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude...
68°36'38 W was defined as the boundary between the 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 and the Argentine sides of the island. In 1884 the Government of Tierra del Fuego was created, and a subprefecture
Subprefecture
Subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.-Albania:There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is subdivided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures.-Brazil:...
was established at Ushuaia.
The southern part of the Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel
thumb|right|300px|Aereal view of Beagle Channel. The Chilean [[Navarino Island]] is seen in the top-right while the Argentine part of [[Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]] is seen at the bottom-left....
was an issue of conflict between both states, specially regarding three small islands, Picton, Lennox and Nueva
Picton, Lennox and Nueva
Picton, Lennox and Nueva is a group of three islands on the extreme south of South America, in the Chilean commune of Cabo de Hornos in Antártica Chilena Province, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region...
, which were given to Chile by decision of the mediating British Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in 1977, revised by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and ratified by treaty in 1985.
When the crews of sailing-ships told of the notoriously dangerous voyage round the tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego became a byword in Europe for an inhospitable land, where life would be impossibly harsh for settlers. In reality however, it is by no means the most sparsely populated province of Argentina
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
. Its population density of 4.75/ km² is in fact higher than five other provinces, due to various waves of immigration.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
ns from the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n coast arrived in search of gold. The gold rush brought with it some innovations such as the telegraph in addition to a wave of immigrants. Although by 1910 the gold had run out, most of the pioneers stayed. The inauspicious-looking northern plains proved ideal sheep-farming country, and vast ranches sprang up. Croatian, Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Basque, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Galician and Chilean immigrants arrived to work on the estancias
Estancias
Estancia or Estância is a Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese term describing a large rural estate with similarities to the English term ranch. The term is used in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Chile...
and build up their own landholdings.
With the creation of the Gobernación Marítima de Tierra del Fuego[explain in English] in 1943, construction of naval bases began in Ushuaia and Río Grande
Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego
-External links:* * * *...
, as well as an airport and other infrastructure. This brought immigrants from other countries as well as other parts of Argentina.
It was not until 1990 that the "National Territory of Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic and the South Atlantic Islands" was declared a province, and its first governor was appointed two years later.
As a result of killings and disease, by 1920 the Amerindian population of the island had dropped to only 200. News of the atrocities responsible for this reached the Federal Congress
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies....
, in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, which tried to help the Salesian mission, the only institution working in the island to protect them.
Geography and climate
The province can be geographically divided into 3 distinct areas: the Tierra del FuegoTierra 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...
islands, Argentine Antarctica
Argentine Antarctica
Argentine Antarctica is a sector of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the South Pole, is delimited by the 25° West and 74° West meridians and the 60° South...
, and the South Atlantic Islands.
Tierra del Fuego Island
There are low mountains and sandy beaches at the north of the island, ascending to the south. The north is somewhat similar to the steppe of Santa Cruz Province. In the middle of the island, the end of the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountain system becomes flattened, and its highest peak, Mount Cornú, rises only 1490 metres (4,888.5 ft). There are a number of short rivers (the Grande, Moneta, Ona, Lasifashaj, etc.), and as a result of the low temperature there are many small glaciers that flow to the sea. The annual average temperature of the island is 5.3 °C (41.5 °F), with precipitation of 300 millimetres (11.8 in) in the north and 550 millimetres (21.7 in) in the south. Much of this island can be classified as within the Magellanic subpolar forests
Magellanic subpolar forests
The Magellanic subpolar forests are a terrestrial ecoregion of southernmost South America, covering parts of southern Chile and Argentina, and is part of the Neotropic ecozone...
ecoregion.
Argentine Antarctica
South Atlantic Islands
Most of the islands of the Southern Atlantic have a more humid climate, except for the Falkland IslandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
: for instance, the Año Nuevo and Isla de los Estados
Isla de los Estados
Isla de los Estados is an Argentine island that lies off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, from which it is separated by the Le Maire Strait...
islands have a dense vegetation of low forests of lenga beech and antarctic beech
Nothofagus antarctica
Nothofagus antarctica , is a deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile and Argentina from about 36°S to Tierra del Fuego . The southernmost occurrence is on Hoste Island, making it the southernmost trees on earth...
.
The Falklands are covered in moorland, receive less precipitation than islands closer to the continent, and are constantly swept by strong winds. The South Orkney Islands
South Orkney Islands
The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
are also considered to be part of the South Atlantic Islands, and they are colder than the others, because they are so far from continental land masses.
Economy
Tierra del Fuego has since the 1970s benefited from government subsidies to local industry and from its natural wealth. Its estimated 2006 output of US$2.6 billion gave the province a per capita income of US$25,700, second in Argentina only to the city of Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
itself and almost three times the national average.
Manufacturing, despite the province's remoteness, contributes about 20% to output owing partly to generous certain tax incentives to local industry, a policy Buenos Aires has pursued to encourage immigration to less populated areas. A number of sizable factories have opened on Tierra del Fuego Island to take advantage of the tax benefits legislated in 1972, mainly home appliance and electronics manufacturers.
Recently, in the city of Río Grande
Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego
-External links:* * * *...
, many international and Argentine companies, most notably the Korean company Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and the Argentine company Teltron, have set up factories that produce high-definition televisions (HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
), CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
-related articles, and low-cost GSM cell phones built mainly from Argentine components.
Sheep ranching, is the leading source of the province's modest agricultural income (5% of output). It still serves as an important source of wool, mutton and hides throughout the province and the wider Argentine market, whose taste for these products has been growing strongly.
As with its neighbors in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
to the north, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
extraction contributes generously to Tierra del Fuego's economy, lately over 20% of total output. Exploration efforts continue, not only along the island's shores themselves, but, also near the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, where exploration under licences issued by the Falkland Islands government has caused anger in Argentina. This has also intruded onto the area's lucrative crab and shrimp fishing industry.
Tourism is gaining importance on Tierra del Fuego island. The region offers mountains, glaciers, forests, fast rivers, waterfalls, a ski centre, and the sea, all within short distances. Both Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
and Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
were fascinated by the beauties of the island.
The most visited destinations include Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, the Tierra del Fuego National Park
Tierra del Fuego National Park
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 in the ecoregion of Patagonic Forest and Altos Andes, a part of the subantarctic forest...
and the Tren del Fin del Mundo, Fagnano Lake
Fagnano Lake
Cami Lake is a lake located on the main island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and shared by Argentina and Chile....
, the Museum of the End of the World, the Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel
thumb|right|300px|Aereal view of Beagle Channel. The Chilean [[Navarino Island]] is seen in the top-right while the Argentine part of [[Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]] is seen at the bottom-left....
, the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, the old jail, and South Staten Island
Isla de los Estados
Isla de los Estados is an Argentine island that lies off the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, from which it is separated by the Le Maire Strait...
.
The Argentine Antarctic started receiving tourists a short time ago. Tourists can see wildlife at the Argentine Marambio Base
Marambio Base
Prior to the base's foundation a team led by Vice-Commodore Mario Luis Olezza built the 1200 m long, 40 m wide landing track, the first one in the continent. Nowadays, the track, oriented 05/23, is equipped with VOR, DME and NDB electronic landing systems. It also has a radio beacon,...
during the summer.
The Falkland Islands gained publicity as a result of the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, and a modest number of tourists venture to the islands. Argentine nationals have been free to do so again since the 1989 restoration of diplomatic relations between the two former adversaries.
Political division
The province is divided into 4 departmentsDepartments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...
(Spanish: departamentos), only the first two of which are under the effective control of Argentina:
- Ushuaia (capital UshuaiaUshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
) - Río Grande (capital Río GrandeRío Grande, Tierra del Fuego-External links:* * * *...
) - Antártida ArgentinaArgentine AntarcticaArgentine Antarctica is a sector of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the South Pole, is delimited by the 25° West and 74° West meridians and the 60° South...
: the Argentine claim to Antarctica, which lies between 25°W and 74°W (overlapping both Chilean and British claims) and which is uninhabited apart from the staff of scientific bases. Being south of 60°S, the Argentine claim to the entire department is suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. The South Orkney IslandsSouth Orkney IslandsThe South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
and South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, which also lie south of 60°S, are considered by Argentina to be part of the department of Islas del Atlántico Sur. - Islas del Atlántico Sur: consists of the Argentine claim to the Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
(Malvinas in Spanish) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
, both of which are self-governing overseas territories of the United Kingdom. The department also includes the South Orkney IslandsSouth Orkney IslandsThe South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
and South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, though these lie south of 60°S and thus the Argentine claim is again suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.
See also
- Tierra del FuegoTierra del FuegoTierra 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...
Island - Tierra del Fuego Province, ChileTierra del Fuego Province, ChileTierra del Fuego Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena . 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...
- Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and ArgentinaTreaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and ArgentinaThe Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina was signed into agreement at the Vatican on 29 November 1984.It was ratified...
- Same-sex marriage in Argentina