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27-489: In the late 19th century, Ushuaia on Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego developed as a penal colony , with the first prisoners arriving in 1884. In 1902, work began on a proper set of buildings for the prison by inmates, and a railway on wooden rails was constructed to assist the transport of materials, mainly local rock, sand and timber. Oxen pulled wagons along the narrow gauge of less than 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) metre gauge . In 1909,

54-557: A prison train, with champagne and dinner services. A new 2-6-2T steam locomotive ( Camila ) was brought from England in 1995 with another made in Argentina and three diesel locomotives also serving on the line. Two garratts , in Porta 's improved version, have also been procured. Services leave from the 'End of the World' station (about 10 km west of Ushuaia's Airport and immediately west of

81-498: Is a plan to extend the line to a new station closer to Ushuaia and connect the station to the city with a tram . The train served as inspiration to singer Michale Graves in the song "Train to the End of the World" of his 2013 album Vagabond . Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego ( English : Big Island of the Land of Fire ) also formerly Isla de Xátiva

108-562: Is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan . The western portion (61.4%) of the island (29,484.7 km (11,384.1 sq mi)) is in Chile ( Province of Tierra del Fuego and Antártica Chilena Province ), while the eastern portion (38.6%, 18,507.3 km (7,145.7 sq mi)) is in Argentina ( Tierra del Fuego Province ). It forms

135-657: Is the main extraction centre in the island. On 17 December 1949, an earthquake occurred in the Chilean portion, near the Argentine border. Recorded as 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale , it was the most powerful ever recorded in the south of Argentina. Tierra del Fuego is bounded on the east by the South Atlantic , on the north by the Magellan Straits and on the south and west by a series of fjords and channels linked to

162-600: The Richter scale . Its epicenter was located in the east of the Chilean Tierra del Fuego Province , close to the Argentine border, at a depth of 30 km (19 mi). This was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the south of Argentina . It was felt with grade VIII in the Mercalli intensity scale , and affected the settlements and some others like Punta Arenas and Río Gallegos . Due to low population density, damage

189-695: The White Earthquake . This caused the ferry service across Primera Angostura to be suspended, as well as the international road to Río Gallegos to be closed. In Timaukel alone the mayor reported that 150 thousand sheep and 6,500 heads of cattle were threatened by the event. Only 30% of the islands have forests, which are classified as Magellanic subpolar ; the northeast is made up by steppe and cool semidesert . There are six species of tree found in Tierra del Fuego: Canelo or Winter's Bark ( Drimys winteri ), Maytenus magellanica , Pilgerodendron uviferum

216-587: The Argentine side several electronics companies have been established. Ushuaia is home to the small brewing company Cervecería Fueguina, which produces three beers under the Beagle brand name. List of islands by area This list includes all islands in the world larger than 1,000 km (390 sq mi). For size and location reference, the four continental landmasses are also shown. Continental landmasses are not usually classified as islands despite being completely surrounded by water. However, because

243-508: The Chilean side has only 6,656 (2012), almost all located in the Tierra del Fuego Province . Its highest point is unofficially named Monte Shipton (2,580 m (8,465 ft)), in Chile . Nearby Mount Darwin was previously thought to be the tallest mountain on the island , but is just less than a hundred metres shorter. The northern parts of the island have oil deposits; Cerro Sombrero in Chile

270-716: The King and Queen in London. They became early celebrities. The surviving three were returned to Tierra del Fuego on the second voyage of Beagle , which included the naturalist Charles Darwin , who made extensive notes about his visit to the islands. In July 1881 the island was divided between Argentina and Chile, each of which had previously claimed it entirely during the East Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Strait of Magellan Dispute . The 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquake took place on 17 December 1949, at 06:53:30. It recorded magnitude 7.8 in

297-701: The Pacific Ocean. One of the few prominent features of the northeast shore is San Sebastián Bay . To the south the island is bounded by the Beagle Channel , south of which lie a series of islands included in Chilean territory. To the west the island has two major inlets, Inútil Bay and Almirantazgo Fjord . The latter lies along the Magallanes–Fagnano Fault and is a continuation of the Cami Lake depression in southern Tierra del Fuego. The southwest part of

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324-504: The Prisoners' ( Tren de los Presos ) and brought wood for heating and cooking as well as building. The railway was gradually extended further into the forest into more remote areas as wood was exhausted. It followed the valley of the Pipo River into the higher terrain. Constant building allowed expansion of the prison and of the town, with prisoners providing many services and goods. In 1947

351-633: The Ushuaia Golf Club). The route takes passengers along the Pico Valley in the Toro gorge and to Cascada de la Macarena station where visitors are able to learn about the Yámana people and climb to a viewpoint at a 15-minute stop. The train then enters the national park and the forest, travelling through the valley below the mountains, reaching El Parque station where tourists can return by coach or train. There

378-459: The area. Originally called the "Land of Smoke", it was later changed to the more exciting "Land of Fire". The British commander Robert Fitzroy , on his first voyage aboard HMS  Beagle in 1830, captured four native Fuegians after they stole a boat from his ship. The men included Orundellico, later named Jemmy Button by his crew. Fitzroy taught them English and took them with him on his return to England, where he took them to Court to meet

405-508: The coldest places in Tierra del Fuego bordering the tundra. This resulted in positive changes, as the heavy winds and cool summers in the Faroe Islands had not formerly allowed the growth of trees from other regions in the world. In the Faroe Islands, the imported trees are used ornamentally, as curtains against wind, and for fighting erosion caused by storms and grazing. The main industries are oil, natural gas, sheep farming and ecotourism. On

432-458: The definition of continent varies between geographers, the Americas are sometimes defined as two separate continents while mainland Australia is sometimes defined as an island as well as a continent. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this list, mainland Australia along with the other major landmasses have been listed as continental landmasses for comparison. The figures are approximations and are for

459-640: The island, between the Almirantazgo Fjord and the Beagle Channel and extending west to end at Brecknock Peninsula on the Pacific Ocean, is mountainous with a heavily indented coastline, dominated by the Cordillera Darwin . Most of this part of the island is included in the Alberto de Agostini National Park of Chile. The earliest human settlement occurred more than 10,000 years ago, as people migrated from

486-471: The mainland, perhaps under pressure from competitors. The Yaghan people were some of the earliest known humans settling in Tierra del Fuego . Certain archeological sites at locations such as Navarino Island , within the islands of Tierra del Fuego, have yielded artifacts and evidence of their culture from the Megalithic era. The name Tierra del Fuego derives from Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan , who

513-553: The major landmass in an extended group of islands or archipelago also known as Tierra del Fuego . The island has an area of 47,992 km (18,530 sq mi), making it the largest island in South America and the 29th largest island in the world . Its two biggest towns are Ushuaia and Río Grande , both in Argentina. Other towns are Tolhuin , Porvenir , Camerón , and Cerro Sombrero . The Argentine side, Tierra del Fuego Province , has 127,205 inhabitants (2010), whereas

540-438: The north of Hoste Island . At altitudes above, dwarf Nothofagus communities are found. Going further south, Wollaston Islands and the south of Hoste Island are covered by subantarctic tundra. The forests of Tierra del Fuego have been a source of trees that have been planted abroad in places with a similar climate but that were devoid of trees, such as the Faroe Islands and nearby archipelagos. Most species were gathered from

567-403: The prison governor informed the government of the need to upgrade the line and Decauville tracks at a 600 mm ( 1 ft  11 + 5 ⁄ 8  in ) narrow gauge were laid in 1909 and 1910 for use with a steam locomotive . They connected the prison camp with the forestry camp and passed along the shoreline in front of the growing town of Ushuaia. It was known as the 'Train of

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594-496: The prison was closed and replaced with a naval base. Two years later the 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquake blocked much of the line. Nevertheless, the government made efforts to clear the line and put the train back in service despite the absence of the prisoners. However the service was not viable and closed in 1952. In 1994, the railway was rebuilt in 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4  in ) track gauge and began services again, although now in luxury relative to its origin as

621-435: The southernmost conifer in the world, and three kinds of southern beech ; Nothofagus antarctica , Nothofagus pumilio and the evergreen Nothofagus betuloides . Edible fruits grow in open spaces in these forests, such as beach strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis var. chiloensis forma chiloensis) and calafate ( Berberis buxifolia ), which have been collected by Indians and residents alike. These forests are unique in

648-469: The world for having developed in a climate with such cold summers. Tree cover extends very close to the southernmost tip of South America. Winds are so strong that trees in wind-exposed areas grow twisted by the force of winds, and people call the trees " flag-trees " for the shape that they need to take in the fight with the wind. Tree vegetation extends as far south as the Isla de los Estados , Navarino Island and

675-619: The year, with precipitation levels averaging 3,000 millimetres (120 in) a year. The permanent snow line begins at 700 metres (2,300 ft). Places in the world with comparable climates are the Aleutian Islands , Iceland , Kuril Islands , Campbell Island , the Kerguelen Islands , the Scottish Highlands , and coastal areas of Norway . In August 1995 the island was hit by an event of intense winds, cold and snowfall known as

702-426: Was limited. The region has a subpolar oceanic climate and a mild tundra climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfc and ET ) with short, cool summers with a mean at around 10 °C (50 °F) and long, cool and wet winters with a mean at around 0 °C (32 °F). The northeast is characterized by strong winds and little precipitation, while in the south and west it is very windy, foggy, and wet most of

729-625: Was the first European to visit these lands in 1520, on his voyage to the Philippines from Spain . He believed he was seeing the many fires (fuego in Spanish) of the Amerindians, which were visible from the sea and that the "Indians" were waiting in the forests to ambush his armada. These were fires lit by the Yamana Indians who live in the northern part of the island, to ward off the low temperatures in

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