Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina) 409227 225472096 2008-07-13T21:39:45Z Iridescent 937705 Cleanup/[[WP:AWB/T|typo fixing]], typos fixed: attrocities → atrocities using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Geobox|Province| |name = Tierra del Fuego Province |other_name = Provincia de Tierra del Fuego,<br/>Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur |flag = Flag of Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina.svg |symbol_type = Coat of arms |symbol = Escudo COA Tierra del Fuego Province Argentina.svg |coordinates_type = adm1st |lat_d = |lat_m = |lat_NS = S |long_d = |long_m = |long_EW = W |part_type = Divisions |part = 4 [[Departments of Argentina|departments]] |capital = [[Ushuaia]] |area = 21263 |area1_type = Claimed |area1 = 1002445 |area1_note = <ref>Includes claims on [[Antarctica]], the [[Falkland Islands]], and other islands of the South Atlantic Ocean.</ref> |population = 101079 |population_as_of = 2001 |population_density = 4.75 |leader_type = Governor |leader = [[Fabiana Ríos]] |leader_party = [[Support for an Egalitarian Republic|ARI]] |leader2_type = Senators |leader2 = [[María Rosa Díaz]], [[José Carlos Martínez]], [[Jorge Colazo]] |free_type = Demonym |free = ''fueguino'' |map = Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Argentina.png |iso_code = AR |iso_subcode = V |website = http://www.tierradelfuego.gov.ar }} '''Tierra del Fuego''' (officially '''Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur''') is a an [[Argentina|Argentine]] [[province]] entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the [[Strait of Magellan]]. It includes: * The eastern part of the ''Isla Grande'' of [[Tierra del Fuego]] (the western part is the [[Chile]]an province of [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego]]). * Argentina's claims to the [[Falkland Islands]] (under their Spanish-language name, ''Malvinas'') and to [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]]; these are governed by [[Great Britain]] as [[British overseas territories]]. * [[Argentine Antarctica|Argentina's claims to Antarctica]]. All claims to [[Antarctica]] are effectively subject to the [[Antarctic Treaty]] and without wide international recognition. Argentina's claim overlaps with both the [[British Antarctic Territory|British claim]] and the [[Chilean Antarctica|Chilean claim]]. ==History== The youngest of the [[provinces of Argentina|Argentine provinces]] was first inhabited around 12,000 years ago. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered a population of about 10,000 indigenous people belonging to four tribes: [[Yamana]], [[Alakaluf]], [[Selk'nam]] and [[Manek'enk]] ([[Haush]]).<ref>[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Tierra_Del_Fuego Tierra Del Fuego]</ref> Within fifty years after discovery, only about 350 natives remained due to the [[infectious diseases|diseases]] such as [[smallpox]] and [[measles]] that had ravaged these tribes.<ref>[http://www.cs.org/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=236 Yahgan & Ona - The Road to Extinction]</ref><ref>[http://www.oni.escuelas.edu.ar/olimpi99/interolimpicos/patagonia1921/tehuel2.htm "La Patagonia Trágica"]</ref> The provincial capital city is [[Ushuaia]], from a native word meaning "bay towards the end". The territory was "discovered" in 1520 by the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, who named the place first Land of Smokes and later Land of Fire, as he saw what were probably the fires produced by the local aborigines for heat. Juan de Alderete in 1555 and later Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa intended to found settlements in the area, but the inclemency of the weather and the constant attacks of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[pirate]]s, who took Sarmiento de Gamboa prisoner, frustrated their ambitions. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} Spanish, Dutch, British and French explorers ventured on [[Tierra del Fuego]] island and the nearby seas. Gabriel de Castilla passed through before discovering [[Antarctica]], while [[Robert FitzRoy]], and [[Charles Darwin]] explored this land and other parts of [[Patagonia]]. In 1828 Argentina established a penal colony at ''Puerto Luis'' on the [[Falkland Islands]], but in 1833 the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands (1833)|sent a naval task force]] to request that the Argentine representative of the islands, José María Pinedo, and Argentine forces leave the islands. [[Luis Piedrabuena]] installed a base in ''San Juan de Salvamento'' on [[Isla de los Estados]] island. The British [[South American Missionary Society|Patagonia Mission]], under its superintendent [[Waite Hockin Stirling|Waite Stirling]], founded [[Ushuaia]] as an Anglican mission in 1869<ref>Bridges, E L (1948) ''The Uttermost Part of the Earth'' Republished 2008, Overlook Press ISBN 978-1585679560 </ref>, and shortly thereafter [[Salesians of Don Bosco|Salesian]] missionaries founded [[Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego|Río Grande]]. In the 1880s the Argentine government took a more active interest in Tierra del Fuego. In 1881, the meridian 68°36'38 W was defined as the boundary between the [[Chile]]an and the Argentine sides of the island. In 1884 the ''Government of Tierra del Fuego'' was created, and a subprefecture was established at Ushuaia. The southern part of the [[Beagle Channel]] was an issue of conflict between both states, specially regarding three small islands, [[Picton, Lennox and Nueva]], which were given to Chile by decision of the mediating [[British Crown]] in 1977, revised by [[Pope John Paul II]] and ratified by treaty in 1985. When the crews of sailing-ships told of the notoriously dangerous voyage round the tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego became a byword in Europe for an inhospitable land, where life would be impossibly harsh for settlers. In reality however, it is by no means the most sparsely populated [[Provinces of Argentina|province of Argentina]], as Europeans often assume. Its population density of 4.75/ km² is in fact higher than five other provinces, due to various waves of immigration. Gold fever started in Tierra del Fuego around 1883. Many [[Croatia]]ns from the [[Dalmatia]]n coast arrived in search of gold. The rush for gold brought with it some progress such as the telegraph in addition to a wave of immigrants. Although by 1910 the gold fever had died along with the exhaustion of the precious metal's sources, most of the pioneers stayed. The inauspicious-looking northern plains proved to be ideal sheep-farming territory, and vast latifundias sprang up. Croatian, Scottish, Basque, Italian, Galician and Chilean immigrants arrived to work on the estancias and build up their own landholdings With the creation of the ''Gobernación Marítima de Tierra del Fuego'' in 1943, construction of naval bases began in Ushuaia and Río Grande, as well as an airport and other infrastructure. This brought a significant number of immigrants from Argentina and other countries. It was not until 1990 that the ''Territorio Nacional de la Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur'' was declared a province, and receiving its first governor two years later. As a result of killings and disease, by 1920 the Amerindian population of the island had dropped to only 200. Word of the atrocities reached the Federal Congress, in Buenos Aires, which tried to help the Salesian mission, the only institution working in the island to protect them.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} ==Geography and climate== The province can be geographically divided into 3 distinct areas: the [[Tierra del Fuego]] islands, the [[Argentine Antarctica]], and the Islands of the South Atlantic. ===Tierra del Fuego Island=== :''See also [[Tierra del Fuego]]'' There are low mountains and sandy beaches at the north of the island, ascending to the south. The north is somewhat similar to the steppe of the [[Santa Cruz Province, Argentina|Santa Cruz Province]]. In the middle of the island, the end of the [[Andes]] mountain system runs horizontally, and its highest peak, Mount Cornú, rises only 1,490 meters. There are a number of short rivers (''Grande'', ''Moneta'', ''[[Ona]]'', ''Lasifashaj'', etc.), and due to the low temperature, there are many small glaciers that descend towards the sea. The annual average temperature of the island is 5.3&nbsp;[[degree Celsius|°C]], with precipitation of 300 mm in the north and 550 mm in the south. ===Argentine Antarctica=== :''See also [[Argentine Antarctica]]'' [[Image:AntartidaArgentina.png|right|thumb|Antarctic portion between meridians 25º West and 74º West]] The part of [[Antarctica]] claimed by Argentina is formed by a long peninsula, and a gulf of which half remains frozen all year round. The highest peak of this section of the continent is [[Monte Chiriguano]], at 3360 meters. The weather is normally cold and windy. ===Islands of the South Atlantic=== :''See also [[Falkland Islands]] Most of the islands of the Southern Atlantic present a more humid climate, except for the [[Falkland Islands]]. For instance, the ''Año Nuevo'' and [[Isla de los Estados]] islands have a dense vegetation of low forests of [[Lenga Beech|lenga]] and [[Nothofagus Antarctica|ñire]]. The Falklands are covered in moorland, which receive less precipitation than other islands closer to the continent, and is constantly swept by strong winds. The [[South Orkney Islands]], [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]] are also considered to be part of the South Atlantic Islands, and they are colder than the others, because they are so far from continental land masses. ==Economy== [[Image:Monte Olivia.jpg|thumb|right|Monte Olivia, tourist sight destination near Ushuaia.]] The province of Tierra del Fuego benefits from certain tax benefits that support industry and immigration to less populated areas. In addition, it is one of the most prosperous provinces in Argentina, in terms of standard of living, after the autonomous city of [[Buenos Aires]], and the province of [[Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)|Santa Cruz]]. Recently, in the city of [[Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego|Río Grande]], many international and Argentine companies, most notably the Korean company [[Samsung]] and the Argentine company [[Teltron]], have installed factories that produce high-definition televisions ([[High-definition television|HDTV]]), mass production of [[CD-ROM]]-related articles, and low-cost [[GSM]] cell phones built mainly from Argentine components. [[Sheep]] are still the main source of wool, meat and leather throughout the province except for Argentine Antarctica, where there are no commercial enterprises. A number of factories have opened on Tierra del Fuego Island to take advantage of the tax benefits legislated in 1972, mainly of home appliances and electronics. [[Hydrocarbons]] are extracted on Tierra del Fuego Island, and some companies have been searching extraction points, not only in the [[Falkland Islands]] but also in the waters between the islands and the [[Americas|American]] continent. Tourism is gaining importance on Tierra del Fuego island, and the region offers mountains, glaciers, forests, fast rivers, waterfalls, a ski centre, and the sea, all within short distances. Both [[Jules Verne]] and [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] were fascinated by the beauties of the island. The most visited destinations include Ushuaia, the [[Tierra del Fuego National Park]] and the ''[[Tren del Fin del Mundo]]'', [[Fagnano Lake]], ''Museum of the End of the World'', the [[Beagle Channel]],''Les Eclaireurs'' lighthouse, the old jail, and the [[Isla de los Estados]]. The Argentine Antarctica started receiving tourists a short time ago. Tourists can see wildlife at the Argentine [[Marambio Base]] during the summer. The Falkland Islands gained notoriety after the [[Falklands War|Falkland War]], and a few tourists adventure to the islands. ==Political division== The province is divided in 4 [[departments of Argentina|departments]] (Spanish: ''departamentos''), only the first two of which are under the effective control of Argentina: # Ushuaia (capital [[Ushuaia]]) # Río Grande (capital [[Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego|Río Grande]]) # [[Antártida Argentina]]: the Argentine claim to Antarctica, which lies between 25°W and 74°W (overlapping both Chilean and British claims) and which is uninhabited apart from staff of scientific bases. Being south of 60°S, the Argentine claim to the entire department is suspended under the [[Antarctic Treaty]]. The [[South Orkney Islands]] and [[South Shetland Islands]], which also lie south of 60°S, are considered by Argentina to be part of the department of [[Islas del Atlántico Sur]]. # Islas del Atlántico Sur: consists of the Argentine claim to the [[Falkland Islands]] (''Malvinas'' in Spanish) and [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]], both of which are governed by the United Kingdom as British Overseas territories. The department also includes the [[South Orkney Islands]] and [[South Shetland Islands]], though they lie south of 60°S and thus the Argentine claim is suspended under the [[Antarctic Treaty]]. ==See also== *[[Tierra del Fuego]] Island *[[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile]] *[[Argentina-Chile Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1984]] ==References== <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.tierradelfuego.gov.ar/ Tierra del Fuego provincial government homepage] {{es icon}} * [http://www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/ Tierra del Fuego tourist information] {{en icon}} {{es icon}} {{Provinces of Argentina}} [[Category:Provinces of Argentina]] [[Category:Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)| ]] [[Category:Divided regions|Tierra del Fuego, Argentina]] [[ar:محافظة أرض النار وأنتاركتيكا وجزر جنوب المحيط الأطلسي]] [[ca:Terra del Foc, Antàrtida i Illes de l'Atlàntic Sud]] [[cs:Tierra del Fuego (argentinská provincie)]] [[cy:Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica ac Ynysoedd y De Iwerydd]] [[de:Tierra del Fuego (Argentinien)]] [[et:Tulemaa provints (Argentina)]] [[es:Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur]] [[eu:Tierra del Fuego, Antartida eta Hego Atlantikoko Uharteak]] [[fa:تیرا دل فوئگو]] [[fr:Terre de Feu (province argentine)]] [[id:Provinsi Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)]] [[it:Provincia di Terra del Fuoco, Antartide e Isole dell'Atlantico del Sud]] [[ka:ცეცხლოვანი მიწა (არგენტინა)]] [[lt:Ugnies Žemės, Antarktidos ir Pietų Atlanto salų provincija]] [[nl:Vuurland, Antarctica en Zuid-Atlantische eilanden]] [[no:Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur]] [[oc:Província de Tèrra deu Huec, Antartida e Islas de l'Atlantic Sud]] [[pl:Ziemia Ognista (prowincja)]] [[pt:Terra do Fogo, Antártida e Ilhas do Atlântico Sul]] [[sk:Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur]] [[sl:Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur]] [[tg:Замини Оташӣ (вилоят)]] [[vo:Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur]] [[zh:火地岛省 (阿根廷)]]