Neptune's Needle

Archipelago (area; 28,476 sq miles), natl. territory, off S S. Amer., separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. It consists of one large isl. (sometimes called simply Tierra del Fuego), 5 medium-sized isls., and numerous small isls., islets, and rocks separated by many inlets and channels. The Andes extend through the W part, and the plateau of Patagonia continues into the E sect. The coastal plains are bleak, with frequent high winds and much rainfall, while the inland areas and the mts. are very cold. The economy is based on the raising of sheep and the exploitation of petroleum and natural gas in both the E and the W; there is some light industry and oil refining in the E. Tierra del Fuego was discovered by Magellan in 1520 but was not well surveyed until the early 19th cent. The introduction of sheep farming and the discovery of gold in the 1880s led to Eur., Argentine, and Chilean immigration. The aboriginal peoples of Tierra del Fuego (the Onas, Alakalufs, and Yahgans) were gradually killed off by disease.

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Peter Richards