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84-638: The ascent is regulated by the management of Argentine National Parks and the Argentine National Gendarmerie and is technically relatively simple but has a much higher level of exposure than the neighbouring volcanoes. The nearest towns, usually employed as a base for climbers, are Pucón in Chile and Junín de los Andes in Argentina. There are two paths to the summit: one on the north, starting at 1,200 metres above mean sea level near Tromen Lake and

168-468: A de jure sovereignty over the area. In 1669, the district around Puerto Deseado was explored by John Davis and was claimed in 1670 by Sir John Narborough for King Charles II of England , but the English made no attempt to establish settlements or explore the interior. The first European explorers of Patagonia observed that the indigenous people in the region were taller than the average Europeans of

252-813: A dissected topography . The Antarctic Plate started to subduct beneath South America 14 million years ago in the Miocene, forming the Chile Triple Junction . At first, the Antarctic Plate subducted only in the southernmost tip of Patagonia, meaning that the Chile Triple Junction was located near the Strait of Magellan . As the southern part of the Nazca Plate and the Chile Rise became consumed by subduction,

336-513: A Patagonian landscape; the presence of austral parakeets ( Enicognathus ferrugineus ) as far south as the shores of the strait attracted the attention of the earlier navigators, and green-backed firecrowns ( Sephanoides sephaniodes ), a species of hummingbird , may be seen flying amid the snowfall. One of the largest birds in the world, the Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ) can be seen in Patagonia. Of

420-515: A consequence of a push from more northern Huilliches who in turn were being displaced by Mapuches . While being outside traditional Huilliche territory the western Patagonian volcanoes Michimahuida , Hornopirén and Chaitén have Huilliche etymologies. In Chubut Province modern toponymy comes from the word "chupat" belonging to a transitional language between the southern and northern Tehuelche ethnic groups that were located in that region called Tewsün or Teushen. The word means transparency and

504-419: A derivation meaning "land of the big feet". However, this etymology is questionable. The term is most likely derived from an actual character name, "Patagón", a savage creature confronted by Primaleón of Greece, the hero in the homonymous Spanish chivalry novel (or knight-errantry tale ) by Francisco Vázquez. This book, published in 1512, was the sequel of the romance Palmerín de Oliva ;it was much in vogue at

588-549: A difficult winter at what he named Puerto San Julián before resuming its voyage further south on 21 August 1520. During this time, it encountered the local inhabitants, likely to be Tehuelche people , described by his reporter, Antonio Pigafetta, as giants called Patagons . The territory became the Spanish colony of the Governorate of New Léon, granted in 1529 to Governor Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor  [ es ] , part of

672-629: A hunter-gathered lifestyle. The indigenous peoples of the region included the Tehuelches , whose numbers and society were reduced to near extinction not long after the first contacts with Europeans. Tehuelches included the Gununa'kena to the north, Mecharnuekenk in south-central Patagonia, and the Aonikenk or Southern Tehuelche in the far south, north of the Magellan strait. On Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego ,

756-637: A law was passed creating the National Parks system, formalising the protected area as the Nahuel Huapi National Park and creating the Iguazú National Park . Thus, Argentina was the third country in the Americas , after United States and Canada to establish a national parks system. The National Park Police Force was born, enforcing the new laws preventing tree-felling and hunting. Under

840-497: A network of 35 national parks in Argentina . The parks cover a very varied set of terrains and biotopes , from Baritú National Park on the northern border with Bolivia to Tierra del Fuego National Park in the far south of the continent. The Administración de Parques Nacionales (National Parks Administration) is the agency that preserves and manages these national parks along with Natural monuments and National Reserves within

924-586: A part of the Los Lagos Region , is also located within Patagonia. By some definitions, Chiloé Archipelago, the rest of the Los Lagos Region, and part of the Los Ríos Region are also part of Patagonia. Patagonia's climate is mostly cool and dry year round. The east coast is warmer than the west, especially in summer, as a branch of the southern equatorial current reaches its shores, whereas the west coast

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1008-486: A patriotic and inclusive demonym. A Patagonian is a person that is part of the Patagonia region, language and culture. That person could be a citizen from Chilean Patagonia, Argentine Patagonia, or of native communities that existed before the land was divided by The Boundary Treaty of 1881 . Patagonia is divided between Western Patagonia (Chile) and Eastern Patagonia (Argentina) and several territories are still under dispute and claiming their rights. Mapuche people came from

1092-754: A site for the conservation of marine mammals . The Patagonian freshwater fish fauna is relatively restricted compared to other similar Southern Hemisphere regions. The Argentine part is home to a total of 29 freshwater fish species, 18 of which are native. The introduced are several species of trout , common carp , and various species that originated in more northerly parts of South America. The natives are osmeriforms ( Aplochiton and Galaxias ), temperate perches ( Percichthys ), catfish ( Diplomystes , Hatcheria and Trichomycterus ), Neotropical silversides ( Odontesthes ) and characiforms ( Astyanax , Cheirodon , Gymnocharacinus , and Oligosarcus ). Other Patagonian freshwater fauna include

1176-467: A temperature of −25   °C has been recorded in Bariloche, and most places can often have temperatures between −12 and −15   °C and highs staying around 0   °C for a few days. Directly east of these areas, the weather becomes much harsher; precipitation drops to between 150 and 300 mm, the mountains no longer protect the cities from the wind, and temperatures become more extreme. Maquinchao

1260-636: Is a unitary state , its first-level administrative divisions—the regions—enjoy far less autonomy than analogous Argentine provinces. Argentine provinces have elected governors and legislatures, while Chilean regions had government-appointed intendants prior to the adoption of elected governors from 2021. The Patagonian Provinces of Argentina are Neuquén , Río Negro , Chubut , Santa Cruz , and Tierra del Fuego . The southernmost part of Buenos Aires Province can also be considered part of Patagonia. The two Chilean regions undisputedly located entirely within Patagonia are Aysén and Magallanes . Palena Province ,

1344-478: Is a few hundred kilometers east of Bariloche, at the same altitude on a plateau, and summer daytime temperatures are usually about 5   °C warmer, rising up to 35   °C sometimes, but winter temperatures are much more extreme: the record is −35   °C, and some nights not uncommonly reach 10   °C colder than Bariloche. The plateaus in Santa Cruz province and parts of Chubut usually have snow cover through

1428-492: Is caused principally by the sudden melting and retreat of ice aided by tectonic changes, has scooped out a deep longitudinal depression, best in evidence where in contact with folded Cretaceous rocks, which are lifted up by the Cenozoic granite. It generally separates the plateau from the first lofty hills, whose ridges are generally called the pre-Cordillera. To the west of these, a similar longitudinal depression extends all along

1512-481: Is more luxuriant, consisting principally of southern beech and conifers . The high rainfall against the western Andes ( Wet Andes ) and the low sea-surface temperatures offshore give rise to cold and humid air masses, contributing to the ice fields and glaciers , the largest ice fields in the Southern Hemisphere outside of Antarctica. Among the depressions by which the plateau is intersected transversely,

1596-521: Is related to the clarity and purity of the river that bears that name and runs through the province. It is also related to the origin of the Welsh pronunciation of the word "chupat" which later became "Chubut". It is called "Camwy" in Patagonian Welsh. Chupat, Chubut and Camwy have the same meaning and are used to talk about the river and the province. Welsh settlers and placenames are associated with one of

1680-603: Is sometimes included as part of Patagonia. Most geographers and historians locate the northern limit of Chilean Patagonia at Huincul Fault , in Araucanía Region . At the time of the Spanish arrival , Patagonia was inhabited by multiple indigenous tribes. In a small portion of northwestern Patagonia, indigenous peoples practiced agriculture, while in the remaining territory, peoples lived as hunter-gatherers, traveling by foot in eastern Patagonia or by dugout canoe and dalca in

1764-439: Is the easternmost volcano of a north-west south-east oriented chain of three large stratovolcanoes , Villarrica being the westernmost one and Quetrupillán the one in the middle. This alignment is attributed to the existence of a fault beneath the volcanoes. In historical times, Lanín has been the least active of these volcanoes. Apart from Quetrupillán and Villarrica, there are a number of old eroded remains of stratovolcanoes in

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1848-523: Is the most common rock of the volcano. Lanín shows overall higher alkali (Na 2 O plus K 2 O) to silica ratio than Villarrica, which is interpreted as reflecting a lesser degree of partial melting underneath the volcano and showing that the volcanoes of the chain have distinct source regions in Earth's mantle. Another petrologic characteristic of Lanín is its bimodal volcanism . National Parks of Argentina The National Parks of Argentina make up

1932-637: Is very scarce. The weather only gets a bit colder further south in Chubut, and the city of Comodoro Rivadavia has summer temperatures of 24 to 28   °C, nights of 12 to 16   °C, and winters with days around 10   °C and nights around 3   °C, and less than 250 mm of rain. However, a drastic drop occurs as one moves south to Santa Cruz; Rio Gallegos, in the south of the province, has summer temps of 17 to 21   °C, (nights between 6 and 10   °C) and winter temperatures of 2 to 6   °C, with nights between −5 and 0   °C, despite being right on

2016-454: Is washed by a cold current. However, winters are colder on the inland plateaus east of the slopes and further down the coast on the southeast end of the Patagonian region. For example, at Puerto Montt , on the inlet behind Chiloé Island, the mean annual temperature is 11 °C (52 °F) and the average extremes are 25.5 and −1.5 °C (77.9 and 29.3 °F), whereas at Bahía Blanca near

2100-769: The Early Holocene (c. 9000 years BP ) much in the same way that Riesco Island was back then. A Selk'nam tradition recorded by the Salesian missionary Giuseppe María Beauvoir relate that the Selk'nam arrived in Tierra del Fuego by land, and that the Selk'nam were later unable to return north as the sea had flooded their crossing. Agriculture was practised in Pre-Hispanic Argentina as far south as southern Mendoza Province . Agriculture

2184-642: The Governorates of the Spanish Empire of the Americas. The territory was redefined in 1534 and consisted of the southernmost part of the South American continent and the islands towards Antarctica. Rodrigo de Isla , sent inland in 1535 from San Matías by Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor (on whom western Patagonia had been conferred by Charles I of Spain , is presumed to have been the first European to have traversed

2268-511: The Patagonian mara ( Dolichotis patagonum ) are also characteristic of the steppe and the pampas to the north. The fauna of Patagonia was heavily decimated by the end-Pleistocene extinction event around 12-10,000 years ago that resulted in the extinction of most large ( megafaunal ) animal species native to the region (as well as across the Americas). Species formerly present in the region include

2352-497: The Selk'nam (Ona) and Haush (Manek'enk) lived in the north and southeast, respectively. In the archipelagos to the south of Tierra del Fuego were Yámana, with the Kawéskar (Alakaluf) in the coastal areas and islands in western Tierra del Fuego and the southwest of the mainland. In the Patagonian archipelagoes north of Taitao Peninsula lived the Chonos . These groups were encountered in

2436-619: The Yagagtoo , Musters , and Colhue Huapi , and others situated to the south of Puerto Deseado in the center of the country. Across much of Patagonia east of the Andes, volcanic eruptions have created formation of basaltic lava plateaus during the Cenozoic . The plateaus are of different ages with the older –of Neogene and Paleogene age– being located at higher elevations than Pleistocene and Holocene lava plateaus and outcrops. Erosion, which

2520-527: The fjords and channels . In colonial times indigenous peoples of northeastern Patagonia adopted a horseriding lifestyle. While the interest of the Spanish Empire had been chiefly to keep other European powers away from Patagonia, independent Chile and Argentina began to colonize the territory slowly over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This process brought a decline of the indigenous populations, whose lives and habitats were disrupted, while at

2604-557: The 40th parallel, they found a "land" or a "point extending into the sea", and further south, a gulf. The expedition is said to have rounded the gulf for nearly 300 km (186 mi) and sighted the continent on the southern side of the gulf. The Atlantic coast of Patagonia was first fully explored in 1520 by the Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan , who on his passage along the coast named many of its more striking features – San Matías Gulf, Cape of 11,000 Virgins (now simply Cape Virgenes ), and others. Magellan's fleet spent

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2688-482: The Atlantic coast and just outside the northern confines of Patagonia, the annual temperature is 15 °C (59 °F) and the range much greater, as temperatures above 35   °C and below −5   °C are recorded every year. At Punta Arenas, in the extreme south, the mean temperature is 6 °C (43 °F) and the average extremes are 24.5 and −2 °C (76.1 and 28.4 °F). The prevailing winds are westerly, and

2772-473: The Atlantic coast of Patagonia. The geological limit of Patagonia has been proposed to be Huincul Fault , which forms a major discontinuity. The fault truncates various structures including the Pampean orogen found further north. The ages of base rocks change abruptly across the fault. Discrepancies have been mentioned among geologists on the origin of the Patagonian landmass. Víctor Ramos has proposed that

2856-450: The Atlantic coast, through the Strait of Magellan and northward along the Pacific coast, was memorable, yet the descriptions of the geography of Patagonia owe much more to the Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (1579–1580), who, devoting himself especially to the south-west region, made careful and accurate surveys. The settlements that he founded at Nombre de Jesús and San Felipe

2940-540: The Chilean Andes and voted to remain in different sides of Patagonia. Welsh settlers came from Wales and North America and voted to remain in Patagonia; when the treaty was signed, they voted for culture and administration to be apart from the country keeping the settlement, language, schools, traditions, regional dates, flag, anthems, and celebrations. Patagonians also live abroad in settlements like Saltcoats, Saskatchewan , Canada; New South Wales , Australia; South Africa;

3024-566: The Falkland Islands; and North America. Argentine Patagonia is for the most part a region of steppe -like plains, rising in a succession of 13 abrupt terraces about 100 m (330 ft) at a time, and covered with an enormous bed of shingle almost bare of vegetation. In the hollows of the plains are ponds or lakes of fresh and brackish water. Towards Chilean territory, the shingle gives way to porphyry , granite , and basalt lavas, and animal life becomes more abundant. Vegetation

3108-666: The Lake District in the Andes foothills by Francisco Moreno , the renowned explorer and academic in Argentina . This formed the nucleus of a larger protected area in Patagonia around San Carlos de Bariloche . At the beginning of the 1920s there was an amazing revival of the national park idea at Lake Nahuel Huapí, which led to the official establishment of the Parque Nacional del Sud on 8 April 1922 by decree of President Yrigoyen. In 1934,

3192-542: The Patagonian landmass originated as an allochthonous terrane that separated from Antarctica and docked in South America 250 to 270 Mya in the Permian period. A 2014 study by R.J. Pankhurst and coworkers rejects any idea of a far-traveled Patagonia, claiming it is likely of parautochtonous (nearby) origin. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits have revealed a most interesting vertebrate fauna. This, together with

3276-422: The Patagonian plains. The Patagonian steppe is one of the last strongholds of the guanaco and Darwin's rheas ( Rhea pennata ), which had been hunted for their skins by the Tehuelches , on foot using boleadoras , before the diffusion of firearms and horses ; they were formerly the chief means of subsistence for the natives, who hunted them on horseback with dogs and bolas . Vizcachas ( Lagidum spp.) and

3360-440: The alignment. The volcano itself rests on a basement of gneisses , felsic plutons , and volcani clastic sequences. The basement rocks constitute a tectonically elevated block limited in the west by the north–south Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault . Ages of ranging from Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene have been suggested for the oldest known parts of the volcano, which are dacitic lava flows with columnar joints . Basalt

3444-769: The border with Chile, receives up to 434 mm of rain and snow in May, 297 mm in June, and 273 in July, compared to 80 in February and 72 in March. The total for the city is 2074 mm, making it one of the rainiest in Argentina. Further west, some areas receive up to 4,000 mm and more, especially on the Chilean side. In the northeast, the seasons for rain are reversed; most rain falls from occasional summer thunderstorms but totals barely reach 500 mm in

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3528-592: The coast in the north but happens more often in the south, and frost is usually not very intense. Immediately east from the coast are the Andes, cut by deep fjords in the south and by deep lakes in the north, and with varying temperatures according to the altitude. The tree line ranges from close to 2,000 m on the northern side (except for the Andes in northern Neuquén in Argentina, where sunnier and dryer conditions allow trees to grow up to close to 3,000 m), and diminishes southward to only 600–800   m in Tierra del Fuego. Precipitation changes dramatically from one spot to

3612-420: The coast. Snowfall is common despite the dryness, and temperatures are known to fall to under −18   °C and to remain below freezing for several days in a row. Rio Gallegos is also among the windiest places on Earth, with winds reaching 100 km/h occasionally. Tierra del Fuego is extremely wet in the west, relatively damp in the south, and dry in the north and east. Summers are cool (13 to 18   °C in

3696-596: The coastline of Patagonia is possibly mentioned in a Portuguese voyage in 1511–1512, traditionally attributed to captain Diogo Ribeiro, who after his death was replaced by Estevão de Frois, and was guided by the pilot and cosmographer João de Lisboa ). The explorers, after reaching Rio de la Plata (which they would explore on the return voyage, contacting the Charrúa and other peoples) eventually reached San Matias Gulf , at 42°S. The expedition reported that after going south of

3780-555: The country. The headquarters of the National Parks Service are in downtown Buenos Aires , on Santa Fe Avenue. A library and information centre are open to the public. The administration also covers the national monuments, such as the Jaramillo Petrified Forest , and natural and educational reserves. The creation of the National Parks dates back to the 1903 donation of 75 km (29 sq mi) of land in

3864-591: The details of which are as yet poorly understood. Several sites have been excavated, notably caves such as Cueva del Milodon in Última Esperanza in southern Patagonia, and Tres Arroyos on Tierra del Fuego, that support this date. Hearths, stone scrapers, and animal remains dated to 9400–9200 BC have been found east of the Andes. At the close of the Pleistocene around 12-11,000 years ago (10,000-9,000 BC) Fishtail projectile points (a type of knapped stone spear point) were widespread across Patagonia (along with much of

3948-485: The direction of the founding director of the National Direction of National Parks Exequiel Bustillo , a conception of national parks focused on economic development and colonization of the region was developed. Beyond touristic development the aim of the parks was to establish national sovereignty over peripherical areas and to protect national borders. Five further national parks were declared in 1937 in Patagonia and

4032-625: The discovery of the perfect cranium of a turtle ( chelonian ) of the genus Niolamia , which is almost identical to Ninjemys oweni of the Pleistocene age in Queensland , forms an evident proof of the connection between the Australian and South American continents. The Patagonian Niolamia belongs to the Sarmienti Formation. Fossils of the mid-Cretaceous Argentinosaurus , which may be

4116-650: The east. Patagonia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and many bodies of water that connect them, such as the Strait of Magellan , the Beagle Channel , and the Drake Passage to the south. The Colorado and Barrancas rivers, which run from the Andes to the Atlantic, are commonly considered the northern limit of Argentine Patagonia. The archipelago of Tierra del Fuego

4200-399: The first periods of European contact with different lifestyles, body decoration, and language, although it is unclear when this configuration emerged. Towards the end of the 16th century, Mapuche -speaking agriculturalists penetrated the western Andes and from there across into the eastern plains and down to the far south. Through confrontation and technological ability, they came to dominate

4284-461: The foot of the snowy Andean Cordillera. This latter depression contains the richest, most fertile land of Patagonia. Lake basins along the Cordillera were also gradually excavated by ice streams, including Lake Argentino and Lake Fagnano , as well as coastal bays such as Bahía Inútil . The establishment of dams near the Andes in Argentina in the 20th century has led to a sediment shortage along

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4368-449: The great Patagonian plain. If the men under his charge had not mutinied, he might have crossed the Andes to reach the Pacific coast. Pedro de Mendoza , on whom the country was next bestowed, founded Buenos Aires , but did not venture south. Alonso de Camargo  [ es ] (1539), Juan Ladrilleros (1557), and Hurtado de Mendoza (1558) helped to make known the Pacific coasts, and while Sir Francis Drake 's voyage in 1577 down

4452-739: The highly unusual aeglid crustaceans. Human habitation of the region dates back thousands of years, with some early archaeological findings in the area dated to at least the 13th millennium BC , although later dates around the 10th millennium BC are more securely recognized. Evidence exists of human activity at Monte Verde in Llanquihue Province , Chile, dated to around 14,500 years Before Present (~12,500 BC). The glacial-period ice fields and subsequent large meltwater streams would have made settlement difficult at that time. The region seems to have been inhabited continuously since 10,000 BC by various cultures and alternating waves of migration,

4536-614: The international Mamuil Malal Pass , accessible via Neuquén's Provincial Route 60; and one on the south, starting beside Huechulafquen Lake , accessible via Provincial Route 61. Lanín lies at the Atlantic-Pacific water divide of the Andes, being for that reason located on the Argentina-Chile border according to the 1881 border treaty between these countries. To the north and south lie the Tromen and Paimun Lakes , respectively. Lanín

4620-488: The large cow-sized ground sloth Mylodon , the large camel-like ungulate Macrauchenia , indigenous equines belonging to the genus Hippidion , the giant short-faced bear Arctotherium , and the large sabertooth cat Smilodon . The extinct fox Dusicyon avus (a close relative of the Falkland Islands wolf ) also formerly inhabited the region, until apparently becoming extinct around 500-400 years ago. Patagonia

4704-513: The largest of all dinosaurs, have been found in Patagonia, and a model of the mid- Jurassic Piatnitzkysaurus graces the concourse of the Trelew airport (the skeleton is in the Trelew paleontological museum; the museum's staff has also announced the discovery of a species of dinosaur even bigger than Argentinosaurus ). Of more than paleontological interest, the middle Jurassic Los Molles Formation and

4788-542: The many kinds of waterfowl the Chilean flamingo ( Phoenicopterus chilensis ), the upland goose ( Chloephaga picta ), and in the strait, the remarkable steamer ducks are found. Signature marine fauna include the southern right whale , the Magellanic penguin ( Spheniscus magellanicus ), the killer whale , and elephant seals . The Valdés Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , designated for its global significance as

4872-776: The more northerly regions of the Antarctic Plate began to subduct beneath Patagonia so that the Chile Triple Junction advanced to the north over time. The asthenospheric window associated to the triple junction disturbed previous patterns of mantle convection beneath Patagonia inducing an uplift of c. 1 km that reversed the Miocene transgression. At a state level, Patagonia visually occupies an area within two countries: approximately 10% in Chile and approximately 90% in Argentina . Both countries have organized their Patagonian territories into nonequivalent administrative subdivisions: provinces and departments in Argentina, as well as regions , provinces , and communes in Chile. As Chile

4956-448: The north, 12 to 16   °C in the south, with nights generally between 3 and 8   °C), cloudy in the south, and very windy. Winters are dark and cold, but without the extreme temperatures in the south and west ( Ushuaia rarely reaches −10   °C, but hovers around 0   °C for several months, and snow can be heavy). In the east and north, winters are much more severe, with cold snaps bringing temperatures down to −20   °C all

5040-411: The northeast corner, and rapidly decrease to less than 300 mm. The Patagonian west coast, which belongs exclusively to Chile, has a cool oceanic climate, with summer maximum temperatures ranging from 14   °C in the south to 19   °C in the north (and nights between 5 and 11   °C) and very high precipitation, from 2,000 to more than 7,000 mm in local microclimates. Snow is uncommon at

5124-476: The other and diminishes very quickly eastward. An example of this is Laguna Frías, in Argentina, which receives 4,400 mm yearly. The city of Bariloche, about 40 km further east, receives about 1,000 mm, and the airport, another 15 km east, receives less than 600 mm. The easterly slopes of the Andes are home to several Argentine cities: San Martín de los Andes , Bariloche, El Bolsón , Esquel , and El Calafate . Temperatures there are milder in

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5208-532: The other peoples of the region in a short period of time, and are the principal indigenous community today. Navigators such as Gonçalo Coelho and Amerigo Vespucci possibly had reached the area (his own account of 1502 has it that they reached the latitude 52°S), but Vespucci's failure to accurately describe the main geographical features of the region such as the Río de la Plata casts doubts on whether they really did so. The first or more detailed description of part of

5292-801: The principal ones are the Gualichu , south of the Río Negro , the Maquinchao and Valcheta (through which previously flowed the waters of Nahuel Huapi Lake , which now feed the Limay River), the Senguerr (spelled Senguer on most Argentine maps and within the corresponding region), and the Deseado River . Besides these transverse depressions (some of them marking lines of ancient interoceanic communication), others were occupied by either more or less extensive lakes, such as

5376-436: The projects of the country of Wales, Project Hiraeth. Due to the language, culture and location, many Patagonians do not consider themselves Latinos and proudly call themselves Patagonians instead. People from Y Wladfa, Laurie Island, the Atlantic Islands, Antarctica (including the Chilean town in Antarctica, "The Stars Village", and the Argentine civilian settlement, "Hope Base"), other non-latin speaking areas use this term as

5460-410: The region, apparently hunting of guanaco, and to a lesser extent rhea ( ñandú ), were the primary food sources of tribes living on the eastern plains. It is also not clear if domestic dogs were part of early human activity. Bolas are commonly found and were used to catch guanaco and rhea . A maritime tradition existed along the Pacific coast, whose latest exponents were the Yaghan (Yámana) to

5544-514: The region, whom his expedition thought to be giants. The people he called the Patagons are now believed to have been the Tehuelche , who tended to be taller than Europeans of the time. Argentine researcher Miguel Doura observed that the name Patagonia possibly derives from the ancient Greek region of modern Turkey called Paphlagonia , possible home of the patagon personage in the chivalric romances Primaleon printed in 1512, ten years before Magellan arrived in these southern lands. This hypothesis

5628-451: The rest of South America). At several sites these points have been found associated with extinct megafauna, including the large ground sloth Mylodon and the native equine Hippidion . The Cueva de las Manos is a famous site in Santa Cruz, Argentina. This cave at the foot of a cliff is covered in wall paintings, particularly the negative images of hundreds of hands, believed to date from around 8000 BC. Based on artifacts found in

5712-416: The same time thousands of Europeans, Argentines, Chilotes and mainland Chileans settled in Patagonia. The contemporary economy of eastern Patagonia revolves around sheep farming and oil and gas extraction, while in western Patagonia fishing , salmon aquaculture , and tourism dominate. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón . Magellan used this term in 1520 to describe the native tribes of

5796-411: The service planned new towns and facilities to promote tourism and education. Six more were declared by 1970. In 1970 a new law established new categories of protection: National Parks, National Monuments, Educational Reserves, and Natural Reserves. Three national parks were designated in the 1970s. In 1980, another new law affirmed the status of national parks – this law is still in place. The 1980s saw

5880-489: The service reaching out to local communities and local government to help in the running and development of the national parks. Ten more national parks were created with local co-operation, sometimes at local instigation. In 2000, Mburucuyá and Copo National Parks were declared, and El Leoncito natural reserve was upgraded to a national park. Currently, there are 41 protected areas in Argentina, which cover an area of 37,000 km (14,286 sq mi) or about 1.5% of

5964-566: The singular mammal Pyrotherium , also of very large dimensions. In the Cenozoic marine formation, considerable numbers of cetaceans have been discovered. During the Oligocene and early Miocene , large swathes of Patagonia were subject to a marine transgression , which might have temporarily linked the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as inferred from the findings of marine invertebrate fossils of both Atlantic and Pacific affinity in La Cascada Formation . Connection would have occurred through narrow epicontinental seaways that formed channels in

6048-560: The south of Tierra del Fuego, the Kaweshqar between Taitao Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego, and the Chono people in the Chonos Archipelago . The Selk'nam , Haush , and Tehuelche are generally thought to be culturally and linguistically related peoples physically distinct from the sea-faring peoples. It is possible that Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego was connected to the mainland in

6132-674: The still richer late Jurassic ( Tithonian ) and early Cretaceous ( Berriasian ) Vaca Muerta formation above it in the Neuquén basin are reported to contain huge hydrocarbon reserves (mostly gas in Los Molles, both gas and oil in Vaca Muerta) partly accessible through hydraulic fracturing . Other specimens of the interesting fauna of Patagonia, belonging to the Middle Cenozoic, are the gigantic wingless birds, exceeding in size any hitherto known, and

6216-494: The summer (in the north, between 20 and 24   °C, with cold nights between 4 and 9   °C; in the south, summers are between 16 and 20   °C, at night temperatures are similar to the north) and much colder in the winter, with frequent snowfall (although snow cover rarely lasts very long). Daytime highs range from 3 to 9   °C in the north, and from 0 to 7   °C in the south, whereas nights range from −5 to 2   °C everywhere. Cold waves can bring much colder values;

6300-569: The time, and a favorite reading of Magellan. Magellan's perception of the natives, dressed in skins, and eating raw meat, clearly recalled the uncivilized Patagón in Vázquez's book. Novelist and travel writer Bruce Chatwin suggests etymological roots of both Patagon and Patagonia in his book, In Patagonia , noting the similarity between "Patagon" and the Greek word παταγος, which means "a roaring" or "gnashing of teeth" (in his chronicle, Pigafetta describes

6384-446: The time, prompting some of them to believe that Patagonians were giants. According to Antonio Pigafetta, one of the Magellan expedition's few survivors and its published chronicler, Magellan bestowed the name Patagão (or Patagón ) on the inhabitants they encountered there, and the name "Patagonia" for the region. Although Pigafetta's account does not describe how this name came about, subsequent popular interpretations gave credence to

6468-483: The total land area in Argentina. Patagonia Patagonia ( Spanish pronunciation: [pataˈɣonja] ) is a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America , governed by Argentina and Chile . The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords , temperate rainforests , and glaciers in the west and deserts , tablelands , and steppes to

6552-463: The way to the Rio Grande on the Atlantic coast. Snow can fall even in the summer in most areas, as well. The guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ), South American cougar ( Puma concolor concolor ), the Patagonian fox ( Lycalopex griseus ), Patagonian hog-nosed skunk ( Conepatus humboldtii ), and Magellanic tuco-tuco ( Ctenomys magellanicus ; a subterranean rodent ) are the most characteristic mammals of

6636-440: The westward slope has a much heavier precipitation than the eastern in a rainshadow effect; the western islands close to Torres del Paine receive an annual precipitation of 4,000 to 7,000 mm, whilst the eastern hills are less than 800 mm and the plains may be as low as 200 mm annual precipitation. Precipitation is highly seasonal in northwestern Patagonia. For example, Villa La Angostura in Argentina, close to

6720-615: The winter, and often experience very cold temperatures. In Chile, the city of Balmaceda is known for being situated in this region (which is otherwise almost exclusively in Argentina), and for being the coldest place in Chile. In 2017, temperatures even dropped down to −20   °C in the region. The northern Atlantic coast has warm summers (28 to 32   °C, but with relatively cool nights at 15   °C) and mild winters, with highs around 12   °C and lows about 2–3   °C. Occasionally, temperatures reach −10 or 40   °C, and rainfall

6804-411: Was at times practised beyond this limit in nearby areas of Patagonia but populations reverted at times to non-agricultural lifestyles. By the time of the Spanish arrival to the area (1550s) there is no record of agriculture being practised in northern Patagonia. The extensive Patagonian grasslands and an associated abundance of guanaco game may have contributed for the indigenous populations to favour

6888-408: Was formerly inhabited by the jaguar subspecies Panthera onca mesembrina (which is considerably larger than living jaguars) during the Pleistocene, with jaguars continuing to inhabit Patagonia into historic times (until the late 19th century), but are now extirpated from the region. Bird life is often abundant. The crested caracara ( Caracara plancus ) is one of the characteristic aspects of

6972-541: Was neglected by the Spanish government, the latter being abandoned before Thomas Cavendish visited it in 1587 during his circumnavigation , and so desolate that he called it Port Famine . After the discovery of the route around Cape Horn, the Spanish Crown lost interest in southern Patagonia until the 18th century, when the coastal settlements Carmen de Patagones, San José, Puerto Deseado, and Nueva Colonia Floridablanca were established, although it maintained its claim of

7056-650: Was published in a 2011 New Review of Spanish Philology report. There are various placenames in the Chiloé Archipelago with Chono etymologies despite the main indigenous language of the archipelago at the arrival of the Spanish being Mapudungun . A theory postulated by chronicler José Pérez García explains this holding that the Cuncos (also known as Veliches) settled in Chiloé Island in Pre-Hispanic times as

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