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Location
Patagonia is the farthest southern region of South America, and a part of the Antarctic continent. This beautiful land mass lies east of the Andes Mountains, and is claimed by Chile and Argentina. About 1.75 million people inhabit Patagonia. The pictures on this page are from Argentine portion of Patagonia, which also includes the very end of the world, Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire). This archipelago is also shared by both South American countries, and was named by the 16th century mariner, Ferdinand Magellan. He also named the region itself. Some accounts claim that the indigenous Patagonians were a giant-like people. To the European men of the time, the natives, who were perhaps 6 feet 6 inches in height, which is almost 2 meters, were unusually tall.
Geography and Animal Life
As you can see from the pictures, Patagonia is a land of stunning mountain vistas, ponds, lakes, rivers, glaciers, icebergs, lush forests, and a wide variety of animal species. It is a popular cruise destination for many South Americans, along with those who hunt and fish. Patagonia was explored by Charles Darwin during The Voyage of the Beagle, although mostly on the coastal areas. Patagonia is home to several animal species not found elsewhere. For example, the guanaco, puma, zorro (a type of fox), and the tuco-tuco, which is in the rodent family. Seals and penguins are also found in large numbers in this region. Avian life is equally prevalent with the carancho, a species of hawk, along with hummingbirds, parakeets, flamingos, and the "steamer" duck.
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Page design by SA.
Pictures copyrighted © by S. Colicchia.
Reference source: Wikipedia.
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