Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego

View of a part of Tierra del Fuego
Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego Location in Southern Patagonia Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego
Geography
Location	Tierra del Fuego
Coordinates	54°S 69°W / 54°S 69°W / -54; -69
Archipelago	Tierra del Fuego
Area	47,992 km2 (18,530 sq mi)
Area rank	29th
Highest elevation	2,580 m (8,460 ft)
Highest point	Monte Shipton [es]
Administration
Argentina
Province	Tierra del Fuego
Largest settlement	Ushuaia (pop. 74,752)
Chile
Region	Magallanes Region
Largest settlement	Porvenir (pop. 4,807)
Demographics
Population	133,902

Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego means "Big Island of the Land of Fire" in English. It is a large island located near the very southern tip of South America. The Strait of Magellan separates it from the mainland.

This island is unique because it is shared by two countries. The western part (about 61%) belongs to Chile, while the eastern part (about 39%) belongs to Argentina. It is the main island in a group of islands known as Tierra del Fuego.

With an area of about 47,992 square kilometers, it is the largest island in South America. It is also the 29th largest island in the entire world! The biggest towns on the island are Ushuaia and Río Grande, both in Argentina. Other towns include Tolhuin, Porvenir, Camerón, and Cerro Sombrero. Most of the people living on the island are on the Argentine side.

The highest point on the island is a mountain unofficially called Monte Shipton, located in Chile. It stands tall at 2,580 meters (about 8,465 feet). Another mountain, Mount Darwin, was once thought to be the highest, but it is a bit shorter. The northern parts of the island have valuable oil deposits, with Cerro Sombrero in Chile being a main center for extracting oil.

In 1949, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 happened in the Chilean part of the island, close to the Argentine border. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in southern Argentina.

Island Geography: Where is it?

Tierra del Fuego is surrounded by water. To the east, it meets the South Atlantic Ocean. To the north, it's bordered by the Magellan Straits. The south and west sides have many deep inlets and narrow waterways called fjords and channels that connect to the Pacific Ocean.

One important feature on the northeast coast is San Sebastián Bay. To the south, the island is separated by the Beagle Channel, with more Chilean islands beyond it. On the western side, there are two large inlets: Inútil Bay and Almirantazgo Fjord. The Almirantazgo Fjord follows a major fault line and is connected to the Cami Lake area in southern Tierra del Fuego.

The southwest part of the island is very mountainous. It has a jagged coastline and is dominated by the Cordillera Darwin mountain range. Much of this area is protected within Chile's Alberto de Agostini National Park.

Island History: A Look Back in Time

The first people arrived on Tierra del Fuego over 10,000 years ago. They likely moved from the mainland. The Yaghan people were among the earliest known groups to settle here. Scientists have found ancient tools and signs of their culture at places like Navarino Island.

The name "Tierra del Fuego" means "Land of Fire." It was given by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. He was the first European to visit these lands during his trip from Spain to the Philippines. He saw many fires from his ship and thought they were signals from the native people. These fires were actually lit by the Yamana people to keep warm in the cold climate. The name was first "Land of Smoke" but later changed to the more exciting "Land of Fire."

In 1830, a British commander named Robert Fitzroy visited the island on his ship, the HMS Beagle. He met some native Fuegians, including one named Orundellico, who was later called Jemmy Button. Fitzroy taught them English and took them to England, where they even met the King and Queen. These people became quite famous. Later, the surviving three were brought back to Tierra del Fuego on the second voyage of the Beagle. On this trip, the famous naturalist Charles Darwin also visited the islands and wrote many notes about them.

In July 1881, the island was officially divided between Argentina and Chile. Before this, both countries had claimed the entire island.

Island Climate: Weather and Seasons

The climate on Tierra del Fuego is generally cool and wet. It has a subpolar oceanic climate and a mild tundra climate. This means summers are short and cool, with average temperatures around 10°C (50°F). Winters are long, cool, and wet, with average temperatures around 0°C (32°F).

The northeast part of the island experiences strong winds and does not get much rain. However, the south and west parts are very windy, foggy, and wet for most of the year. Here, rainfall can average as much as 3,000 millimeters (about 118 inches) per year. Permanent snow can be found on mountains above 700 meters (about 2,300 feet).

In August 1995, the island was hit by a severe event of strong winds, cold, and heavy snowfall. This event was called the "White Earthquake." It caused ferry services to stop and roads to close. In one area alone, a mayor reported that many thousands of sheep and cattle were in danger because of the extreme weather.

Flora: Plants and Trees

Only about 30% of Tierra del Fuego is covered by forests. These are special forests called Magellanic subpolar forests. The northeastern part of the island is mostly open grassland, known as steppe, or cool semidesert.

There are six types of trees that grow on Tierra del Fuego:

• Canelo or Winter's Bark (Drimys winteri)
• Maytenus magellanica
• Pilgerodendron uviferum, which is the southernmost conifer (a tree with cones and needles) in the world.
• Three types of southern beech trees: Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus pumilio, and the evergreen Nothofagus betuloides.

You can find edible fruits growing in open areas within these forests. These include beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) and calafate (Berberis buxifolia). Both native people and local residents have collected these fruits for a long time.

These forests are quite unique because they grow in a climate with very cold summers. Trees can grow very close to the southernmost tip of South America. The winds are so strong that trees in windy areas often grow twisted. People call them "flag-trees" because their shape looks like a flag waving in the wind. Tree growth extends as far south as Isla de los Estados, Navarino Island, and the northern part of Hoste Island. Higher up in the mountains, you can find smaller, dwarf nothofagus trees. Even further south, islands like the Wollaston Islands and the southern part of Hoste Island are covered by a cold, treeless landscape called subantarctic tundra.

The trees from Tierra del Fuego have even been planted in other parts of the world with similar cold climates but no native trees, such as the Faroe Islands. These imported trees help protect against strong winds and erosion caused by storms.

Economy: How People Make a Living

The main ways people earn a living on Tierra del Fuego are through oil and natural gas production, sheep farming, and ecotourism. Ecotourism means traveling to natural areas to enjoy and learn about nature, while also helping to protect it.

On the Argentine side of the island, several companies that make electronics have set up their businesses. The city of Ushuaia is also home to a small company called Cervecería Fueguina, which makes three types of beer under the "Beagle" brand name.

See also

In Spanish: Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego para niños

• Diego Ramírez Islands
• Karukinka Natural Park
• List of divided islands
• Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region
• Tierra del Fuego gold rush