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Tierra del Fuego ( Spanish for "'''Land of Fire'''") (English Pronunciation ; Spanish ) is an Archipelago , 28,476 sq mi (73,753 km&2), separated from the southernmost tip of the South America n mainland by the Strait Of Magellan . The southern point of the archipelago forms Cape Horn . GEOGRAPHY ]] The archipelago consists of a main Island ( Isla Grande De Tierra Del Fuego , often simply called Tierra del Fuego or Isla Grande) with an area of 48,100 km&2, and a group of smaller islands. Half of this island, and the islands west and south of it, are part of the Magallanes Y Antártica Chilena Region , the capital and chief town of which is Punta Arenas , situated on the mainland across the strait. The biggest Chile an towns are Porvenir , capital of the Chilean Province Of Tierra Del Fuego , on the main island, and Puerto Williams , on Navarino Island , being the capital of the Antártica Chilena Province . Puerto Toro lies a few kilometers south of Puerto Williams and is the Southernmost Town in the world. The eastern part of the archipelago belongs to Argentina , being part of the Tierra Del Fuego Province ; its capital is Ushuaia , the biggest city of the archipelago, and the other important city in the region is Río Grande , over the Atlantic coast. HISTORY Its name comes from Ferdinand Magellan , who was the first European to pass it in 1520 . 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 indian who lived in the southern part of the island, to ward off the low temperatures in the area. The Yamana Indians spent a great deal of their time fishing and hunting from their canoes. They also used to carry a lighted fire aboard. Fire was critical to their survival since they wore little to no clothing. Four native Fuegian s, including " Jemmy Button " (Orundellico), were brought from Tierra del Fuego by Robert Fitzroy on his first voyage with the '' Beagle '' in 1830 . They were taken to meet the King and Queen in London and were to an extent celebrities. The surviving three returned to Tierra del Fuego with the ''Beagle'' with Charles Darwin , who made extensive notes about his visit to the islands. In 1881 it was divided between Argentina and Chile ; previously it was claimed by both countries in its entirety. CLIMATE The climate is very inhospitable in this region and is a subpolar , Iceland , Alaska Peninsula and Faroe Islands . FLORA '' flowers]] '']] '']] '']] 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 ''), '' Maytenus Magellanica '', the southernmost conifer in the world ('' Pilgerodendron Uviferum ''), and three kinds of Southern Beech ; '' Nothofagus Antarctica '', '' Nothofagus Pumilio '' and the evergreen '' Nothofagus Betuloides ''. Very delicious fruits grow in open spaces in these forests, this is the case of Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis var. chiloensis forma chiloensis) and Calafate (berberis buxifolia), which were and are collected respectively by indians and countrymen. These forests are unique in the world for having developed in a climate with such cold summers (around 9°C). Tree covers spread very close the southernmost tip of South America . Tree vegetation extends as far south as the Isla De Los Estados , Navarino Island and the north of Hoste Island . Over 500 m height, dwarf nothofagus communities are found. Going further south, Wollaston Islands and the south of Hoste Island are covered by subantarctic tundra. FAUNA s at the Beagle Channel near Ushuaia]] Among the most notable animals in the archipelago that are found: Parakeets , Seagulls , Guanacos , Foxes , Kingfishers , Condors , Owls , and firecrown Hummingbirds . North American Beaver , introduced in the 1940s, have proliferated and caused considerable damage to the island's forests.1 Salmoninae Like mainland Chile and Argentina to the North, the archipelago boasts some of the finest trout fishing in the world. Sea Run Brown Trout often exceed 20 lbs, particularly in rivers such as the Rio Grande and San Pablo and in the Lago Fagnano. Much of this water is private, catch and release and fly fishing only. ECONOMY The main industries are Oil , Natural Gas , Sheep Farming and Ecotourism . On the Argentine side there are several Electronic Companies established. Tierra del Fuego is also home to the Brewing company Cervecería Fueguina, known for its three styles of Beagle Beer . SEE ALSO
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