Tierra del Fuego (; ), officially the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands (, the latter two abbreviated A.e.I.A.S.), is the southernmost and least populous Argentine province. The provincial capital city is Ushuaia.

Extent

The effective extent of the province is the eastern part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, Isla de los Estados and adjacent islands.

The province includes Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which are British Overseas Territories) and to a segment of Antarctica that overlaps with the British and Chilean claims on that continent. Argentina has no effective control in these territories beyond its own Antarctic bases.

History

Tierra del Fuego was first settled by indigenous peoples around 12,000 years ago. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered a population of about 10,000 indigenous people belonging to four tribes: Yámana, Alakaluf (now known by their autonym of Kawésqar), Selkʼnam (Ona) and Manekʼenk (Haush).

Luis Piedrabuena installed a base in San Juan de Salvamento on Isla de los Estados. The British South American Mission Society Patagonia Mission, under its superintendent Waite Stirling, founded Ushuaia as an Anglican mission in southern Tierra del Fuego in 1869.Bridges, E. L. (1948) Uttermost Part of the Earth : Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1948; republished 2008, Overlook Press

The Amerindians suffered high fatalities from diseases (including measles and smallpox) and the outright warfare waged by ranchers and bounty hunters; by 1916 their population on the island had dropped to only 900."Yahgan & Ona – The Road to Extinction" , Cultural Survival Quarterly"La Patagonia Trágica", Argentine Schools curriculum In addition, in the late 19th century, ranchers and settlers committed genocide against the Selkʼnam.

Geography

Due to its latitude, the island has a cold oceanic climate. The influences from the surrounding ocean and the predominant winds from the west result in the climate being uniform throughout the province. Mean annual temperatures are low, with winter temperatures averaging close to and summer temperatures averaging around . Extreme temperatures range from to in the northeast and to in the interior. The strong westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean decrease the perception of the temperature (wind chill). In the extreme south in the Beagle Channel which is surrounded by hills rising above , winds can exceed . The windiest months are from September to March. The island averages around of precipitation per year which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with a slight maximum in autumn. The lowest are in the extreme north where annual precipitation is around which increases to in the central parts of the Beagle Channel. Western parts of the province average around of precipitation a year. Snowfall is abundant throughout the island. Much of this island can be classified as within the Magellanic subpolar forests ecoregion.World Wildlife Fund; C.Michael Hogan. 2010. Magellanic subpolar forests. Encyclopedia of Earth, National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC

Demographics

According to the 2022 Argentine national census, the Province of Tierra del Fuego has 190,641 inhabitants. Per Argentine census data, the province's population has grown substantially in recent decades, with an average annual growth rate of 3.3% between 2010 and 2022.

Government

The provincial government is divided into three branches.

Administrative divisions

Decree 149/70 of 8 April 1970 divided the province into four departments: Ushuaia, Río Grande, Islas del Atlántico Sur, and Antártida. Law 1186, enacted on 13 November 2017, split Tolhuin from Río Grande.

The province is divided into five departments (Spanish: ):

Department CapitalAntártida Argentina(none)Islas del Atlántico Sur(disputed)Río GrandeRío GrandeTolhuinTolhuinUshuaiaUshuaia

Economy Tierra del Fuego has since the 1970s benefited from government subsidies to local industry and from its natural wealth. Its estimated 2006 output of US$2.6 billion gave the province a per capita income of US$25,719, the second highest in Argentina, behind Buenos Aires.

Media Newspapers There are numerous main newspapers: El Diario del Fin del Mundo, El Sureño, Actualidad TDF, and El Diario La Prensa, as well as several other minor publications.

See also 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquakes Argentine Antarctica Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Orkney Islands Tierra del Fuego Archipelago

References

External links

Tierra del Fuego provincial government homepage Tierra del Fuego tourist information