Tierra del Fuego

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Tierra del Fuego (Sp. ‘Land of Fire’) Archipelago separated from mainland s South America by the Magellan Strait. It consists of one large island and other smaller islands. At the s extremity of the islands lies Cape Horn. The main island is politically divided between Argentina and Chile. The islands remained undiscovered by Europeans until Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1520. The Tierra del Fuego were not settled until the 1880s, when the discovery of gold (and later oil) attracted many Europeans, Argentinians, and Chileans to the area. The indigenous population was killed by diseases brought by settlers. The mountainous terrain and harsh climate limit economic activity to sheep rearing and oil exploration. Area: 73,746sq km (28,473sq mi). Pop. (2000) 139,945.

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