The Tierra del Fuego archipelago is a sparsely populated and inhospitable territory, but it remains an object of attraction for tourists. The archipelago attracts people who want to escape from civilization and enjoy wildlife. In addition to the legends left over from the aborigines, many interesting facts are associated with Tierra del Fuego.
1. The archipelago got its name from the famous navigator Fernand Magellan. In 1520, the crew of the flagship Trinidad saw an amazing island dotted with lights. Expedition commander Magellan associated this phenomenon with volcanoes and mistook the lights for their vents. This is how the name "Tierra del Fuego" appeared.
In reality, the lights were of a completely different origin. They were caused by the aborigines living in the archipelago at the time. The culture and life of these people were primitive, and hunting was the only occupation. The natives lived according to the laws of the cavemen. For example, they made fire in a primitive way and did not have pottery. At night, the Indians kindled bonfires, which the members of the expedition saw.
2. For the possession of the territories of Tierra del Fuego in the 20th century, Argentina and Chile were ready to start a war, but thanks to the intervention of the Vatican, a conflict was avoided. Now the two states are sharing the archipelago together. The southern part of the main island belongs to Argentina, this territory is also home to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. The rest of the territory belongs to the possessions of Chile.
Usually, in the course of dividing new territories, the fate of local residents is decided. However, the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego suffered a terrible fate. The Europeans brought not only civilization and new technologies, but also new viruses. As a result, due to inadequate immunity, all the indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago died out.
3. On the territory of Tierra del Fuego there is the southernmost city on the planet. The city of Ushuaia has been rapidly gaining popularity since 2013. At the moment, the population of the city is approaching one hundred thousand people. Despite the cold temperatures throughout the year, the city remains a popular tourist destination in Argentina. Also Ushuaia is the largest settlement in Tierra del Fuego.
According to some versions, the city was founded by convicts and criminals who were brought to Tierra del Fuego. However, this does not affect the well-being of the city now. The main attractions in Ushuaia are a museum built in a former prison, as well as a port through which almost all ships that go around South America pass.
4. There is a strict customs regime on Tierra del Fuego. This is due to the peculiarities of the nature of the archipelago. The natural world of Tierra del Fuego is amazing and rather fragile, so minor external factors can affect it. To prevent such interventions, the Biotacustoms was created, which monitors all food products brought to the archipelago.
5. The fauna of the archipelago at first glance seems to be very monotonous and small in number. However, in fact, many interesting species live on Tierra del Fuego:
- guanaco;
- blue fox;
- rodent tuko-tuko;
- magellanic dog.
Birds such as parrots and hummingbirds are also quite common in the archipelago.
6. The archipelago was not always part of South America. Over millions of years, Tierra del Fuego gradually separated from Antarctica and soon joined the American continent. This is evidenced by the features of the relief, which consists mainly of ancient glacial formations. Also, scientists have established the similarity of rocks on the archipelago and in Antarctica.
7. Tierra del Fuego has a very humid climate and is constantly under the influence of southwestern winds. There is rainfall on the archipelagos almost every day. Most often they are drizzling rain. In the east, precipitation is much less common. Temperatures rarely exceed 15 ° C throughout the year, which is ideal for the formation of glaciers.
