Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego , at the southern tip of South America . The name has been credited to Captain James Weddell , who supposedly created the term in 1822.
76-742: The indigenous Fuegians belonged to several different tribes including the: All of these tribes except the Selk'nam lived exclusively in coastal areas and have their own languages. The Yahgan and the Kawésqar traveled by birchbark canoes around the islands of the archipelago, while the coast dwelling Haush did not. The Selk'nam lived in the interior of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and were exclusively terrestrial hunter gatherers who hunted terrestrial game such as guanacos , foxes, tuco-tucos and upland nesting birds as well as littoral fish and shellfish. The Fuegian peoples spoke several distinct languages: both
152-594: A gold rush and sheep farming boom in the 1880s and early 1900s. The largest sheep company, which controlled 10,000 square kilometres in Chile and Argentina, was based in Punta Arenas, and its owners lived there. Since its founding, Chile has used Punta Arenas as a base to defend its sovereignty claims in the southernmost part of South America. This led to the Strait of Magellan being recognized as Chilean territory in
228-513: A subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfc , Trewartha climate classification Eolk ). The seasonal temperature in Punta Arenas is greatly moderated by its proximity to the ocean, with average lows in July near −1 °C (30 °F) and highs in January of 14 °C (57 °F). It is known for stable constant temperatures, which vary only slightly with the seasons. Rainfall
304-565: A back-migration from the Americas into Siberia after c. 11,500 BC. Another study published in Nature in 2021, which analysed a large amount of ancient genomes, similarly concluded that all Native Americans descended from the movement of people from Northeast Asia into the Americas. These Ancestral Americans, once south of the continental ice sheets, spread and expanded rapidly, and branched into multiple groups, which later gave rise to
380-424: A company possessing 3 million hectares in southern Chile and Argentina, with over 2 million head of sheep. The headquarters of this company and the residences of the owners were in Punta Arenas. The Sarah Braun Museum is now established at the former Braun-Menéndez mansion, in the centre of Punta Arenas. The Punta Arenas harbour, although exposed to storms, was considered one of the most important in Chile before
456-504: A crew of 21 people ( captain , eighteen crew, and two women), plus cargo, to accomplish the mandate. The founding act of the settlement took place on 21 September 1843. The fort was well-positioned on a small rocky peninsula , but the location could not support a proper civilian settlement. With this in mind the Military Governor, José de los Santos Mardones, decided in 1848 to move the settlement to its current location, along
532-706: A full-size replica of the first ship ever to circumnavigate the world: Ferdinand Magellan's Nao Victoria . Since October 2011, the museum has displayed a full-size replica of the James Caird , used by Ernest Shackleton during his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition with the Endurance . The Museum of Remembrance of the University of Magallanes Instituto de la Patagonia displays examples of heritage buildings, old machinery and tools. They are part of an Open Museum, with high attendance and regional identity and
608-457: A ship or another island. Yahgan also used fire to send messages by smoke signals , for instance if a whale drifted ashore. The large amount of meat required notification of many people, so that it would not decay. They might also have used smoke signals on other occasions, but it is possible that Magellan saw the smokes or lights of natural phenomena. Alongside the Pericúes of Baja California,
684-438: A significant number of foreign visitors, especially during the spring, summer and autumn seasons. It has 8 heritage wooden buildings; 40 antique vehicles and transport of great historical value; machines; and innumerable tools, mainly associated with livestock and oil production. As a "comuna" (commune) Punta Arenas is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council , headed by an alcalde who
760-488: A significant role. Tourism has contributed to the city's economy and steady growth. Tourist destinations include the Cathedral and other notable churches, the city cemetery, and the statue of Magellan. Some cruise ships to Antarctica depart from Punta Arenas's port, which also serves as a hub for many cruise lines that travel along the channels and fjords of the region. A scheduled ferry service connects Punta Arenas with
836-405: A single founding population which initially split from East Asians c. 36,000 BC, with geneflow between Ancestral Native Americans and Siberians persisting until c. 25,000 BC, before becoming isolated in the Americas at c. 22,000 BC. Northern and Southern Native American subpopulations split from each other at c. 17,500 BC. There is also some evidence for
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#1732773069281912-403: A whale and led the dead body to arbitrary places, and transformed himself into a whale as well. In another Selk'nam myth, the xon could use his power also for transporting whale meat . He could exercise this capability from great distances and see everything that happened during the transport. Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego ( English : Big Island of
988-427: A woman than a man. Both Selk'nam and Yahgan were almost obliterated by diseases brought in by colonization, and probably made more vulnerable to disease by the crash of their main meat supplies (whales and seals) due to the actions of European and American fleets. The principal differences in language, habitat, and adaptation techniques did not promote contacts, although eastern Yahgan groups had exchange contacts with
1064-521: Is a belief in both the Selk'nam and Yahgan tribes that women used to rule over men in ancient times, Yahgan attribute the present situation to a successful revolt of men. There are many festivals associated with this belief in both tribes. The patrilineal Selk'nam and the composite band society Yahgan reacted very differently to the Europeans and it has been suggested that this was due to these facets of their cultural structure. The languages spoken by
1140-620: Is actually derived from the Spanish term Punta Arenosa , a literal translation of the English name "Sandy Point". The name Sandy Point derives from the voyage of John Narborough in 1669-1671. He wrote in his account: Sand-Point [sic] is a mean low Point, lies out more than the other Points of the shore, and a few trees grow on it. The English 18th-century explorer John Byron is sometimes erroneously credited with naming this area. The city has also been known as Magallanes . Today that term
1216-521: Is among the largest cities in Patagonia . In 2012, it had a population of 127,454. It is roughly 1,419 km (882 mi) from the coast of Antarctica and 635 km (395 mi) from Ushuaia , the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra Del Fuego . The Magallanes region is considered part of Chilean Patagonia . Magallanes is Spanish for Magellan , and was named after Ferdinand Magellan,
1292-456: Is directly elected every four years. The 2016–2020 alcalde is Claudio Radonich ( National Renewal ). Within the electoral divisions of Chile , Punta Arenas is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Sandra Amar ( UDI ), Karim Bianchi (IND- PRSD ) and Gabriel Boric ( CS ) as part of the 60th electoral district, which includes the entire Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region . The commune
1368-597: Is highest in April and May, and the snowy season runs all through the Chilean winter (June until September). As in most of Patagonia , average annual precipitation is quite low, only 380 mm (15 in) because of a rain shadow created by the Andes. The average temperature does not go below 1 °C (34 °F). The city is also known for its strong winds (up to 130 km/h [81 mph]), which are strongest during
1444-515: Is home to the southernmost Hindu temple in the world, which is used by the relatively small, but significant, Sindhi community in Punta Arenas. Sindhi merchants began arriving in the area during the early 1900s, and today constitute one of the largest communities of Indians in Chile . By 2006 the economy of Punta Arenas and the region had diversified. Chile's principal oil reserves are close by, along with some low-grade coal . Agricultural production, including sheep and cattle, continues to play
1520-731: Is in Argentina ( Tierra del Fuego Province ). It forms 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
1596-482: Is normally used to describe the administrative region which includes the city. Punta Arenas has been nicknamed "the city of the red roofs" for the red-painted metal roofs that characterized the city for many years. Since about 1970, the availability of other colours in protective finishes has resulted in greater variety in the characteristic metal roofs. Located on the Brunswick Peninsula , Punta Arenas
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#17327730692811672-501: Is represented in the Senate by Carlos Bianchi Chelech (Ind.) and Carolina Goic B. ( DC ) as part of the 19th senatorial constituency (Magallanes Region). Carlos Ibáñez del Campo airport is located 20 kilometers from the city centre. Rental car services, duty-free shops and custom office services are available in the building (there is no duty-free shop in the terminal, despite the representations of tourist literature). Airlines serving
1748-570: 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
1824-431: Is the world's southernmost city with more than 100,000 inhabitants and claims the title of southernmost city in the world, although this title is also claimed by Ushuaia in Argentina, which lies farther south but is slightly smaller than Punta Arenas. Since 1977, Punta Arenas has been one of only two free ports in Chile, the other being Iquique in the country's far north. Located on the Brunswick Peninsula north of
1900-672: The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina . Punta Arenas' geopolitical importance has remained high in the 20th and 21st centuries due to its logistic significance in accessing the Antarctic Peninsula . Since 2017, the city and its region have been on their own time zone , using summer time throughout the year (UTC−3). The city is supplied with water from the San Juan River . The name Punta Arenas whose literal translation would be "Point Sands",
1976-608: The Chilean Magallanes . The greatest immigration continued to be by the British until 1906, when Croatians surpassed them in numbers. An 1877 mutiny, known as El motín de los artilleros (Mutiny of the Artillerymen), led to the destruction of a large part of the town and the murder of many civilians not directly associated with the prison. In time the city was restored. The growth of the sheep farming industry and
2052-611: The Kawésqar language and the Yahgan language are considered language isolates , while the Selk'nam and Haush spoke Chon languages like the Tehuelche on the mainland. The name "Tierra del Fuego" may refer to the fact that both Selk'nam and Yahgan had their fires burn in front of their huts (or in the hut). In Magellan's time Fuegians were more numerous, and the light and smoke of their fires presented an impressive sight if seen from
2128-460: The Las Minas river, and renamed it Punta Arenas. In the mid-19th century, Chile used Punta Arenas as a penal colony and a disciplinary posting for military personnel with "problematic" behaviour. It also settled immigrants there. In December 1851, a prisoners' mutiny led by Lieutenant Cambiaso , resulted in the murder of Governor Muñoz Gamero and the priest, and the destruction of the church and
2204-617: 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
2280-611: The Salesians religious congregation, and is maintained by voluntary contributions made by the community. The museum is located at Pedro Montt No. 981, next to the Military Museum. It holds a historical collection of the Chilean Armed Forces during the colonization of the territory of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica . The museum is located 7.5 km north on Route Y-565 to Rio Seco. This museum exhibits
2356-513: The Strait of Magellan , Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a small penal colony to assert sovereignty over the Strait. During the remainder of the 1800s, Punta Arenas grew in size and importance due to the increasing maritime traffic and trade travelling to the west coasts of South and North America. This city's growth was also due to waves of European immigrants, mainly from Croatia and Russia , attracted by
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2432-707: 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
2508-492: The discovery of gold , as well as increasing trade via sailing ships, attracted many new settlers, and the town began to prosper. Between about 1890 and 1940, the Magallanes region became an important sheep-raising region, with one company ( Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego ) controlling over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi). In 1910, Sociedad Explotadora merged with Sociedad Ganadera, resulting in
2584-540: The "Magallanes Regional Museum" has been operating here, which has material from the contemporary history of the region. The museum is located at Avenida Bulnes no. 374, next to the Santuario María Auxiliadora. It is the most important in the area, and has a complete collection of species from the region and the Selk'nam culture. Samples from Antarctica are also on display. It was created in 1893 by
2660-546: The (2012 Census) by the National Statistics Institute . The population grew by 5.1% (5,830 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses and further rose to 127,454 at the 2012 Census. The city was populated by many colonists from Spain and Croatia in the mid-nineteenth century, and many of their descendants remain. Other national ethnic groups represented are German , English , Italian , Swiss and Irish . Croatian immigration to Punta Arenas
2736-698: The 19th century to hundreds in the 20th century. In 1876 a serious smallpox epidemic decimated the Fuegians. Between 1881 and 1883 the Yahgan population dropped from perhaps 3,000 to only 1,000 due to measles and smallpox. As early as 1878 Europeans in Punta Arenas seeking additional sheep pastures negotiated to acquire large tracts of land on Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from the Chilean government just prior to Argentina's and Chile's sovereignty there. By 1876, Christian missionaries claimed to have converted
2812-416: The 40,000 BC old Tianyuan lineage) into Aboriginal Australians and Papuans. When Chileans and Argentines of European descent studied, invaded and settled on the islands in the mid-19th century, they brought with them diseases such as measles and smallpox for which the Fuegians had no immunity. The Fuegian population was devastated by the diseases, and their numbers were reduced from several thousand in
2888-601: 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. Punta Arenas Punta Arenas ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpunta aˈɾenas] , historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile 's southernmost region , Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena . Although officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927,
2964-515: 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
3040-528: The Fuegians and Patagonians show the strongest evidence of partial descent from the Paleoamerican lineage, a proposed early wave of migration to the Americas derived from an Australo-Melanesian population, as opposed to the main Amerind peopling of the Americas of Siberian (admixed Ancient North Eurasian and Paleo-East Asian ) descent. Further credibility is lent to this idea by research suggesting
3116-527: The Fuegians are all extinct, with the exception of Kawésqar . The Selk'nam language was related to the Tehuelche language and belonged to the Chon family of languages. The Ona language had more than 30,000 words. There are some correspondences or putative borrowings between the Yahgan and Selk'nam mythologies . The hummingbird was an animal revered by the Yahgan, and in the Taiyin creation myth explaining
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3192-405: The Fuegians the "greatest mimics I ever saw." The Selk'nam genocide was authorized and conducted by the estancieros that between 1884–1900 resulted in a severe indigenous population decline. Large companies paid sheep farmers or militia a bounty for each Selk'nam dead, which was confirmed on presentation of a pair of hands or ears, or later a complete skull. They were given more for the death of
3268-731: 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
3344-460: The Land of Fire ) also formerly Isla de Xátiva 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))
3420-720: 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
3496-519: The Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain . While circumnavigating the Earth for Spain, he passed close to the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520. Early English navigational documents referred to this site as "Sandy Point." The city proper is located on the northeastern shore of Brunswick Peninsula. Except for the eastern shore, containing the settlements of Guairabo, Rio Amarillo and Punta San Juan,
3572-575: The Punta Arenas section in 1961. The University of Magallanes has campuses in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales as well as a university centre in Puerto Williams . University of Magallanes publishes the humanities and social sciences journal Magallania twice a year. There is a German school, Deutsche Schule Punta Arenas. The museum is located in the Braun Menéndez Palace, which is a National Monument. Since February 1983,
3648-446: The Selk'nam xon . There are myths in both Yahgan and Selk'nam tribes about a shaman using his power manifested as a whale. In both examples, the shaman was "dreaming" while achieving this. For example, the body of the Selk'nam xon lay undisturbed while it was believed that he travelled and achieved wonderful deeds (e.g. taking revenge on a whole group of peoples). The Yahgan yekamush made similar achievements while dreaming: he killed
3724-429: The Selk'nam. "Archaeological investigations show the prevalence of maritime hunter-gatherer organization throughout the occupation of the region (6400 BP – 19th century)." Although the Fuegians were all hunter-gatherers , their material culture was not homogeneous: the big island and the archipelago made two different adaptations possible. Some of the cultures were coast-dwelling, while others were land-oriented. Neither
3800-614: The Straits of Magellan). The first was founded in 1584 and was called Nombre de Jesús. It failed due to the harsh weather and difficulty in the settlers' obtaining food and water, and the enormous distances from other Spanish ports. A second colony, Ciudad del Rey don Felipe , was attempted about 80 kilometres south of Punta Arenas. This became known later as Puerto del Hambre , which translates to Port Famine . Spain had established these settlements in an attempt to protect its shipping and prevent piracy by English pirates , by controlling
3876-501: The Straits of Magellan. An English privateer , Thomas Cavendish , during his circumnavigation , rescued the last surviving member of Puerto del Hambre in 1587. In 1843 the Chilean government sent an expedition to build a fort and establish a permanent settlement on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. It built and commissioned a schooner called Goleta Ancud. Under the command of John Williams Wilson , Chilean Navy, it transported
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#17327730692813952-513: The Yahgan and Selk'nam tribes. The abundant and nutritious Patagonian blennie ( Eleginops maclovinus ) was apparently not consumed and rock art suggests it may have had some religious significance. Both Selk'nam and Yahgan had persons filling in shaman -like roles. The Selk'nam believed their xon ( IPA: [xon] ) to have supernatural capabilities, e.g. to control weather and to heal. The figure of xon appeared in myths, too. The Yahgan yekamush ( [jekamuʃ] ) corresponds to
4028-444: The airport include LATAM Chile and Sky Airline , as well as charter flights. The civilian airport and the military airport make up the larger complex. The city has sea, land, and air connections. By road, a connection to other regions of Chile requires passing through Argentine territory. By sea, several cruises and ferries can take visitors to the city, although the costs are higher because they include stops at tourist sites along
4104-459: 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
4180-515: 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
4256-554: The construction of the Panama Canal . It was used as a coaling station by the steamships transiting between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today it is mostly used by tourism cruises and scientific expeditions. The city is often a base for Antarctic expeditions; Ushuaia (Argentina) and Christchurch (New Zealand) are also common starting points. In 2012 Punta Arenas recorded a population of over 127,000 inhabitants for
4332-597: The creation of the archipelago's water system, the culture hero "Taiyin" is portrayed in the guise of a hummingbird. A Yahgan myth, "The egoist fox", features a hummingbird as a helper and has some similarities to the Taiyin-myth of the Selk'nam. Similar remarks apply to the myth about the big albatross : it shares identical variants for both tribes. Some examples of myths having shared or similar versions in both tribes are: At least three Fuegian tribes had myths about culture heroes . Yahgan have dualistic myths about
4408-409: The entire Yahgan people. On May 11, 1830 four Yahgan were transported to England by the schooner Allen Gardiner , presented to the court, and resided there for a number of years before three were returned, including Fuegia Basket and Jemmy Button . The fourth died of smallpox. The United States Exploring Expedition came in contact with the Fuegians in 1839. One member of the expedition called
4484-570: The existence of an ethnically distinct population elsewhere in South America. According to archaeologist Ricardo E. Latcham the sea-faring nomads of Patagonia ( Chono , Kawésqar, Yahgan) may be remnants from more widespread indigenous groups that were pushed south by "successive invasions" from more northern tribes. However these previous claims were refuted by multiple genetic and anthropologic studies, such as one study published in Nature in 2018 which concluded that all Native Americans descended from
4560-404: The hospital. The mutiny was put down by Commander Stewart of HMS Virago assisted by two Chilean ships: Indefatigable and Meteoro . In 1867, President José Joaquín Pérez issued a decree offering land grants in an effort to get Chileans or foreigners to settle around Punta Arenas. The first British immigrants arrived in 1867, and their number increased as sheep farming grew in
4636-668: 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
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#17327730692814712-578: The main island of Tierra del Fuego , and a less frequent ferry runs to the Chilean town of Puerto Williams . University of Magallanes (UMAG) is in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities . The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during the neoliberal reforms of Chile's military regime as the successor of Universidad Técnica del Estado 's Punta Arenas section. Universidad Técnica del Estado had established
4788-477: 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
4864-433: The major subgroups of Native American populations. The study also dismissed the existence of an hypothetical distinct non-Native American population (suggested to have been related to Indigenous Australians and Papuans), sometimes called "Paleoamerican". The authors explained that these previous claims were based on a misinterpreted genetic echo, which was revealed to represent early East-Eurasian geneflow (close but distinct to
4940-521: The name was changed back to Punta Arenas in 1938. The city is the largest south of the 46th parallel south and the most populous southernmost city in Chile and the Americas . Due to its location, it is also the coldest coastal city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Latin America . Punta Arenas is one of the world's most southerly ports and serves as an Antarctic gateway city . Punta Arenas
5016-438: 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
5092-519: The peninsula is largely uninhabited. The municipality of Punta Arenas includes all of Brunswick Peninsula, as well as all islands west of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and north of Cockburn and Magdalena channels. The largest of those are: Except Dawson Island , which had a population of about 301 in 2002, the islands are largely uninhabited. Clarence Island had a population of five. Due to its far southern latitude, Punta Arenas has
5168-435: 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
5244-461: The summer. City officials have put up ropes between buildings in the downtown area to assist pedestrians with managing the strong downdrafts. Since 1986, Punta Arenas has been the first significantly populated city in the world to be affected directly by the thinning ozone layer . Its residents are considered to be exposed to potentially damaging levels of ultraviolet radiation . Two early Spanish settlements were attempted along this coast (on
5320-430: The two yoalox -brothers ( IPA: [joalox] ). They act as culture heroes, and sometimes stand in an antagonistic relation to each other, introducing opposite laws. Their figures can be compared to the Selk'nam Kwanyip-brothers. In general, the presence of dualistic myths in two compared cultures does not necessarily imply relatedness or diffusion . Some myths also feature shaman-like figures with similarities in
5396-473: 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
5472-643: 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
5548-420: Was a crucial development in the region of Magallanes and the city in particular. Currently, this influence is still reflected in the names of shops, streets and many buildings. Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia. Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in the whole of Chile. Punta Arenas
5624-426: 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
5700-424: Was restricted to Tierra del Fuego: All Fuegian tribes had a nomadic lifestyle, and lacked permanent shelters. The guanaco-hunting Selk'nam made their huts out of stakes, dry sticks, and leather. They broke camp and carried their things with them, and wandered following the hunting and gathering possibilities. The coastal Yahgan and Kawésqar also changed their camping places, traveling by birchbark canoes. There
5776-649: 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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