About
Patagonia, the southernmost region of South America shared by Argentina and Chile, is one of the world's last great wildernesses. Its highlights include Torres del Paine National Park (granite towers emerging from ancient glaciers), Los Glaciares National Park and Perito Moreno Glacier (a rare advancing glacier), the fjords and channels of Chilean Patagonia, and the Valdés Peninsula's marine wildlife.
Patagonia is named for the 'Patagones' — the large-footed people described by Magellan's crew during their 1520 circumnavigation; the indigenous people were probably the Tehuelche, who wore guanaco-skin boots over multiple layers of hide, making large tracks in snow. The region receives among the strongest winds on Earth — the 'Roaring Forties' and 'Furious Fifties.''
# Top 10 Patagonia facts
- 1Patagonia experiences some of the strongest sustained winds on Earth — the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties
- 2The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few in the world that is still advancing — not retreating
- 3When Magellan encountered large-footed indigenous people in 1520, he named the region Patagonia — 'land of big feet'
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Patagonia experiences some of the strongest sustained winds on Earth — the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties
- ◆The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few in the world that is still advancing — not retreating
- ◆When Magellan encountered large-footed indigenous people in 1520, he named the region Patagonia — 'land of big feet'
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