Del Desierto Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Del Desierto Lake |
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 Del Desierto Lake
Location in Santa Cruz Province
Del Desierto Lake
Location in Argentina
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| Location | Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province |
| Coordinates | 49°02′13″S 72°51′49″W / 49.03694°S 72.86361°W |
| Primary inflows | Diablo River |
| Primary outflows | Las Vueltas River |
| Basin countries | Argentina |
| Surface elevation | 506 metres (1,660 ft) |
Del Desierto Lake (also called Lago del Desierto in Argentina and Laguna del Desierto in Chile) is a beautiful natural lake. It is located in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina. This lake is found near the famous Monte Fitz Roy mountain and the O'Higgins/San Martín Lake.
For many years, Del Desierto Lake was part of a disagreement between Argentina and Chile. This disagreement was about who owned the land around the lake. It even led to a small conflict in 1965. In 1994, an international group helped solve the problem. They decided that the lake belonged to Argentina.
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Where is Del Desierto Lake?
Lago del Desierto means "Lake of the Desert" in Spanish. It sits in a valley that was carved out by ancient glaciers. This valley is found north and east of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. This is a huge area of ice and snow.
The lake is surrounded by mountains. Water from many rivers and melting glaciers flows into it. From the lake, the water then flows into the de las Vueltas River. This river eventually reaches the Viedma Lake and then the Atlantic Ocean.
A Look Back: History of the Lake
People first started living permanently in the Del Desierto Lake area in 1921. These were Chilean settlers. Two years later, they discovered the lake itself.
Over the years, more settlers came to the area. For example, Vicente Ovando Vargas settled in the southern part. Other families like the Sepúlvedas and Mansillas also made their homes there. The Chilean government even gave out land titles in the 1930s.
The Border Disagreement
The area around Del Desierto Lake became a border problem between Chile and Argentina. This happened because old maps from a treaty signed in 1881 were not very clear.
This disagreement became very serious in 1965. There was a conflict where a Chilean officer, Lieutenant Hernán Merino, sadly died.
Finally, in 1994, a special group of experts helped solve the problem. They looked at all the information and decided that the disputed area belonged to Argentina. This decision was confirmed again in 1995.
Even after the problem was solved, people in Chile still often call it Laguna del Desierto. But in Argentina, the name Lago del Desierto is more common.
See also
In Spanish: Lago del Desierto para niños
- Laguna del Desierto incident
- Chile-Argentina Relations
- Southern Patagonian Ice Field dispute
- Beagle conflict
- Puna de Atacama dispute
