Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina
Tierra del Fuego, officially the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands, is the southernmost and least populous Argentine province. The provincial capital city is Ushuaia.
Extent
The effective extent of the province is the eastern part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, Isla de los Estados and adjacent islands.The province nominally includes Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and to a segment of Antarctica that overlaps with the British and Chilean claims on that continent. Argentina has no effective control in these territories beyond its own Antarctic bases.
History
Tierra del Fuego was first settled by indigenous peoples around 12,000 years ago. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered a population of about 10,000 indigenous people belonging to four tribes: Yámana, Alakaluf, Selkʼnam and Manekʼenk.Luis Piedrabuena installed a base in San Juan de Salvamento on Isla de los Estados. The British South American Mission Society Patagonia Mission, under its superintendent Waite Stirling, founded Ushuaia as an Anglican mission in southern Tierra del Fuego in 1869.
The Amerindians suffered high fatalities from diseases and the outright warfare waged by ranchers and bounty hunters; by 1916 their population on the island had dropped to only 900. In addition, in the late 19th century, ranchers and settlers committed genocide against the Selkʼnam.
Geography
Due to its latitude, the island has a cold oceanic climate. The influences from the surrounding ocean and the predominant winds from the west result in the climate being uniform throughout the province. Mean annual temperatures are low, with winter temperatures averaging close to and summer temperatures averaging around. Extreme temperatures range from to. The strong westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean decrease the perception of the temperature. In the extreme south in the Beagle Channel which is surrounded by hills rising above, winds can exceed. The windiest months are from September to March. The island averages around of precipitation per year which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with a slight maximum in autumn. The lowest are in the extreme north where annual precipitation is around which increases to in the central parts of the Beagle Channel. Western parts of the province average around of precipitation a year. Snowfall is abundant throughout the island. Much of this island can be classified as within the Magellanic subpolar forests ecoregion.Demographics
According to the 2022 Argentine national census, the Province of Tierra del Fuego has 190,641 inhabitants. Per Argentine census data, the province's population has grown substantially in recent decades, with an average annual growth rate of 3.3% between 2010 and 2022.Government
The provincial government is divided into three branches.Administrative divisions
The province is divided into five departments :| Department | Capital |
| Antártida Argentina | |
| Islas del Atlántico Sur | |
| Río Grande | Río Grande |
| Tolhuin Department | Tolhuin |
| Ushuaia | Ushuaia |