Tierra Del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego ( /tiːˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪɡoʊ/, ; Spanish for "Fireland" or "Land of Fire") is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of 48,100 km2 (18,572 sq mi), and a group of smaller islands including Cape Horn. While initially discovered by Europeans in 1520 (Ferdinand Magellan's expedition), they did not settle the islands until the second half of the 19th century at the height of the sheep farming and gold rush booms. Today, petroleum extraction dominates economic activity in the north of Tierra del Fuego, while tourism, manufacturing and Antarctic logistics are important in the south.

The native population of Selk'nam and Yaghans was greatly reduced by unequal conflict and disease brought by settlers. Today only a few Selk'nam remain. Some of the few remaining Yaghans have settled in Villa Ukika in Navarino Island, others have scattered across Chile and Argentina. Tierra del Fuego hosts large areas protected as national parks and reserves, most of them in the mountainous south.