Tierra del Fuego

　　    An archipelago at the southern tip of South America. It is the largest island in Latin America. The main island, Tierra del Fuego, also known as Greater Tierra del Fuego, faces the South American continent across the Strait of Magellan (which is only 3.3 kilometers wide at its narrowest point), covering an area of 48,700 square kilometers. The archipelago, including hundreds of nearby small islands and rocky islets, has a total area of about 73,000 square kilometers, with approximately two-thirds belonging to Chile and one-third to Argentina. The main island is roughly triangular in shape, with mountainous areas in the west and south being extensions of the Andes, featuring rugged terrain at elevations of 1,500–2,000 meters, and the highest peak, Monte Darwin, reaching 2,469 meters. The snow line is as low as 500–800 meters, and modern glaciers are well developed. The eastern and northern parts consist of gentle lowlands at altitudes of 180–600 meters, covered with Quaternary glacial deposits and volcanic gravel, dotted with numerous glacial lakes and marshy wetlands, the largest of which is Lago Fagnano.

　　    The climate is cold, with an average annual temperature below 10°C and frequent strong storms. The western part, influenced by moist westerly winds and the terrain, receives annual precipitation as high as 2,000–3,000 mm; the eastern part is drier, with less than 500 mm of rainfall. The mountainous regions are covered with forests, while the lowlands consist of tussock grasslands. The population is sparse. Originally inhabited by indigenous peoples such as the Selk'nam (Ona), the area was explored by navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. After 1880, due to the rise of sheep farming and the discovery of gold, both Chile and Argentina began to establish settlements. In 1945, oil was discovered at Manantiales Bay at the northern end of the main island, making Tierra del Fuego Chile’s only oil-producing region. The main economic activities today are sheep farming, concentrated in the northern part of the island; followed by logging, fishing, and hunting. Industry is limited to petroleum and natural gas extraction, along with small-scale local refineries and meat freezing plants. The southern tip of the main island, Ushuaia, is the administrative center of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego Province and the southernmost city in the world. Located at the very southern edge of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia is the capital of the Argentine province, with a permanent population of around 16,000 and a tourist influx of 50,000–60,000 during peak seasons, making it the southernmost city in the world. To the southwest of Ushuaia lies a series of small islands with the Beagle Channel running between them, which serves as the boundary between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.