Where Is Patagonia?
The Patagonia is a geographic region comprising of the southernmost portion of the South American continent. It spans across two countries, Argentina and Chile. Its area is 1,043,076 square kilometers and around two million people inhabit the region.
The Argentinian Patagonia includes the provinces of Rio Negro, Neuquen, Santa Cruz, Chubut, parts of Buenos Aires and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. The Chilean Patagonia covers the southern parts of Los Lagos, Magallanes and Aisen. Some parts of Patagonia are disputed territories.
The region is almost bare of vegetation and for the most part it is a steppe-like plain. Animal life is more abundant when one goes towards the Andes. The region also has the second largest ice-fields and glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere; Antarctica tops the list. There are also lakes to be found in the region; Lake Argentino and Lake Fagnano are the most famous amongst the lakes. Mining, whaling, agriculture, livestock and tourism are crucial parts of the region’s economy. The area also holds reserves of oil; the first major discovery of oil took place in 1907.
Category: Geography