Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego (pron.: /tiːˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪɡoʊ/, Spanish: [ˈtjera ðel ˈfweɣo]; 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 km (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.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra del Fuego
• Hillman 1000 Wonders