View source for Magallanes Region

{{Short description|First-level administrative division of Chile}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=es|otherarticle=Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| official_name      = Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region
| native_name        = <small>Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena</small>
| native_name_lang   = es
| settlement_type    = [[Regions of Chile|Region]]
<!-- provinces ----------------->| seat_type          = [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
| seat               = [[Punta Arenas]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|53|10|S|70|56|W|type:adm1st_region:CL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Chile}}
| parts_type         = [[Provinces of Chile|Provinces]]
| parts              = [[Magallanes Province|Magallanes]], [[Antártica Chilena (Province)|Chilean Antarctica]], [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego]], [[Última Esperanza Province|Última Esperanza]]
| leader_title       = [[Governor]]
| leader_name        = [[Jorge Flies Añón]]
| leader_party       = [[Independent (politician)|IND]]
<!-- images --------------------->| image_skyline      = File:Cuernos del Paine from Lake Pehoé.jpg
| image_caption      = [[Torres del Paine National Park]]
| image_seal         = Logo de la DPR de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena.svg
| image_flag         = Flag of Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile.svg
| flag_size          = 120px
| flag_alt           = Flag of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region
| flag_link          = Flag of Magallanes
| image_shield       = Coat of Arms of Magallanes Region.svg
| shield_size        = 75px
| shield_alt         = Coat of Arms of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region
| motto              = ''"Prima en Terra Chilensis"'' <br /> ([[Latin language|Latin]] for ''First in Chilean Land'')
| image_map          = Magallanes and Antartica Chilena in Chile (+Antarctica claims).svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Map of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region
<!-- area: for references: use <ref> tags ---------------------->| area_total_km2     = 132291.1
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="bcn">{{cite web |title=Región de Magallanes y Antártica Chilena |url=https://www.bcn.cl/siit/nuestropais/region12 |publisher=Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile |access-date=22 October 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref group=Note name=Note01/> 
| area_rank          = 1
<!-- elevation: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->| elevation_min_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_m    = 3623
| elevation_min_m    = 0
<!--population: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->| population_total   = 166537
| population_as_of   = 2024 census
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2024">{{cite web |title=Resultados Censo 2024: Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena |url=https://censo2024.ine.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/12_PRESENTACION_REGIONAL-MAGALLANES.pdf |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Estadística |access-date=22 October 2025 |language=Spanish |format=PDF |trans-title=Census 2024 Results: Magalles and the Chilean Antarctica Region}}</ref><ref group=Note name=Note02/> 
| population_rank    = 15
| population_density_km2 = auto
<!-- GDP --------------------->| demographics_type1 = GDP (PPP)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name=":0">[http://stats.oecd.org/ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita], OECD.Stats.</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = $3.021 billion (2014)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = $18,447 (2014)
<!-- miscellaneous --------------------------------------------->| blank_name_sec1    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank_info_sec1    = 0.872<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database |website=Global Data Lab |language=en|access-date=26 October 2021}}</ref><br />{{color|green|very high}}
| website            = [https://www.goremagallanes.cl/ Official website] {{in lang|es}}
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:CL|CL-MA]]
| footnotes          = 
| image_map1         = Magallanes and Antartica Chilena in Chile 2018.svg
| map_caption1       = Magallanes without the Antarctican Region
}}
The '''Magallanes Region''' ({{IPA|es|maɣaˈʝanes|local}}<!-- Chilean Spanish is yeistic -->), officially the '''Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region''' ({{langx|es|Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena}}) or '''Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctica Region''' in English,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=6889 |title=Decreto Ley 2339. Otorga denominación a la Región Metropolitana y a las regiones del país, en la forma que indica.|publisher=Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile|work=Ley Chile |date=10 October 1978 |access-date=26 July 2012|language=es}}</ref> is one of [[Chile]]'s 16 first order [[administrative division]]s. It is the southernmost, largest, and second least populated [[Regions of Chile|region]] of [[Chile]]. It comprises four [[provinces of Chile|provinces]]: [[Última Esperanza Province|Última Esperanza]], [[Magallanes Province|Magallanes]], [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego]], and [[Antártica Chilena]]. The region takes its name from the [[Strait of Magellan]] which runs through it, which was in turn named  after [[Ferdinand Magellan]], the leader of the European expedition that discovered it.

Magallanes's geographical features include [[Torres del Paine]], [[Cape Horn]], [[Tierra del Fuego]] island, and the [[Strait of Magellan]]. It also includes the [[Chilean Antarctic Territory|Antarctic territory claimed by Chile]]. Despite its large area, much of the land in the region is rugged or closed off for [[sheep farming]], and is unsuitable for settlement. 80% of the population lives in the capital [[Punta Arenas]], a major market city and one of the main hubs for Antarctic exploration.
<!-- How come no one volunteered to put "Magallanes and Antartica Chilena in Chile 2018.svg" in the template thing? -->

The main economic activities are sheep farming, oil extraction, and tourism. It is also the region with the lowest poverty level in Chile (5.8%); households in Magallanes have the highest income of any region in Chile.<ref>[http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/mercado_del_trabajo/nene/nesi/archivos/resultados%202011/nesi_2011(cuadros_1-11).xls Resultados 2011] ine.cl</ref>

Since 2017, the region has had its [[Time in Chile#Time zones|own time zone]]. It uses the summer time for the whole year (UTC−3).<ref>{{cite web |title=DST changes in Windows for Magallanes (Chile) |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/dst-changes-in-windows-for-magallanes-chile-513ff357-5b21-ed3f-f60f-5c99d27fc3d6 |website=support.microsoft.com |access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Chile in its region (+Antarctic claims).svg|thumb|220px|Chile, including its territorial claims in Antarctica]]
[[File:Glaciar Grey, Torres del Paine.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Grey Glacier]]]]

The region contains mountainous peaks and [[glacier]]s in the far north, including elements of the [[Patagonian Ice Sheet]]. Further south there are other mountain ranges such as the [[Cerro Toro]] and numerous surface waters including the [[Última Esperanza Sound|Seno Última Esperanza]], [[Eberhard Fjord]] and [[Lago Grey]]. Protected areas include the [[Torres del Paine]] National Park and the [[Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument]]. At the latter, remains have been discovered of the [[extinct]] [[ground sloth]] as well as of [[prehistoric]] man dating to circa [[10,000 BC]].<ref>C.M. Hogan, 2008</ref>

The topography can be divided in four regions: an outer archipelago region ({{langx|es|Región Archipielágica}}) to the west and south, a mountain region in the west and south ({{langx|es|Región Cordillerana}}),<ref name=Pisano124>[[#Pisano1977|Pisano (1977)]], p. 124</ref> a plains region ({{langx|es|Región de las Planicies Orientales}}) in the northeast<ref name=Pisano128>[[#Pisano1977|Pisano (1977)]], p. 128</ref> plus a sub-Andean zone in-between the last two zones ({{langx|es|Región Sub-Andina Oriental}}).<ref name=Pisano125>[[#Pisano1977|Pisano (1977)]], p. 125</ref>

==Climate==
[[File:Magallanes Köppen.png|thumb|left|Köppen climate types in the Magallanes Region]]
The region is characterized by low temperatures and strong winds throughout the year.<ref name = BCNclima>{{cite web |url = http://siit2.bcn.cl/nuestropais/region12/clima.htm |title = Clima y vegetación Región de Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena |access-date = 20 October 2015 |publisher = Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional |language = es |archive-date = 29 June 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170629055653/http://siit2.bcn.cl/nuestropais/region12/clima.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref> The region has five different climatic types, owing to the diversity in altitudes and the width of the region.<ref name = DMC>{{cite web |url= http://www.meteochile.cl/climas/climas_duodecima_region.html |title= DESCRIPCIÓN CLIMATOLÓGICA |access-date= 12 December 2015 |publisher= Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil |language= es |archive-date= 20 July 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120720073957/http://www.meteochile.cl/climas/climas_duodecima_region.html |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name = clima>{{cite web |url= http://www.mapasdechile.com/clima_region12/index.htm |title= Clima: Región de Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena |access-date= 12 December 2015 |publisher= Castor y Polux Ltda |language= es |archive-date= 20 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200220134357/http://www.mapasdechile.com/clima_region12/index.htm |url-status= dead }}</ref> Owing to its proximity to [[60th parallel south|60°S]] (a zone characterized by [[low pressure]] systems and [[Extratropical cyclone|subpolar cyclones]]), frontal systems regularly pass through the region.<ref name=DMC/>

The westernmost islands have a cold, humid and rainy climate, being exposed to strong winds and low temperatures throughout the year.<ref name=BCNclima/> Precipitation averages {{convert|3500|mm|in|abbr=on}} per year,<ref name=BCNclima/> while the mean annual temperature on these islands is {{convert|9|C|F|1}} with a low thermal amplitude due to the maritime influences and the strong winds.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Precipitation decreases and temperatures increase moving eastwards.<ref name=BCNclima/> These islands are the wettest places in Chile, particularly on [[Guarello Island]] where it can record {{convert|9000|mm|in|abbr=on}} during the wettest years.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Precipitation is high throughout the year though fall tends to be the wettest season.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/>

Immediately to the east of the westernmost islands, east of the [[Andes]] and bordered by the [[Cordillera Paine]] to the north and the [[Brunswick Peninsula]] to the south, the climate is much drier.<ref name=BCNclima/><ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> The [[Andes]] to the west block most of the precipitation, causing most of the air coming in to be dry.<ref name=DMC/> Mean annual precipitation ranges between {{convert|250|and|400|mm|in|abbr=on}} which is fairly evenly distributed through the year.<ref name=DMC/> During winters, precipitation mainly falls as [[snow]].<ref name=DMC/> Mean annual temperatures are between {{convert|6|and|7|C|F|1}}.<ref name=DMC/> Due to the close proximity to the ocean, winters are not cold and snow cover does not last long.<ref name=DMC/>

In the easternmost parts of the region, including much of [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego province]], a cold [[steppe climate]] prevails.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Temperatures are cold while precipitation is lower than areas to the west.<ref name=BCNclima/> Mean precipitation is between {{convert|250|and|500|mm|in|abbr=on}}, decreasing eastwards and is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Mean annual temperatures range between {{convert|8|and|9|C|F|1}}.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> From December to March, mean temperatures exceed {{convert|10|C|F|1}} while during winter, they reach down to {{convert|2|C|F|1}}.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/>

Corresponding to the [[Southern Patagonian Ice Field]], located at higher altitudes, temperatures are cold enough to maintain permanent ice fields.<ref name=DMC/> Mean temperatures are below {{convert|0|C|F|1}} in all months while precipitation (mostly as snow) is abundant year-round, receiving {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=BCNclima/><ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> These areas have a [[polar climate]].<ref name=clima/>

In the southernmost islands, south of [[Tierra del Fuego]] and the [[Strait of Magellan]], a [[tundra climate]] prevails.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> These islands are strongly influenced by the surrounding [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west and southwest and the [[Drake Passage]] to the south, resulting in constant temperatures throughout the year.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Mean annual temperatures are between {{convert|5|and|7|C|F|1}} while precipitation is high, with most places receiving {{convert|1000|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> In sheltered areas, precipitation is below {{convert|600|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=DMC/><ref name=clima/> Summers are the warmest and the wettest season in these islands.<ref name=DMC/>

==Provinces and communes==
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="500" style="text-align: left"
|-
|+ Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region<ref name="INE">{{cite web |url= http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |title= National Statistics Institute |access-date=30 December 2010|language=es}}</ref><ref name="2007INE">{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf  |title=Territorial division of Chile |access-date=30 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114052159/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2010 }}</ref>
|- <!-- Magallanes -->
! [[Provinces of Chile|Province]]
! [[Communes of Chile|Commune]]
! Area (km2)
! Population <br />2002 Census
! Population <br />2012 Census
! Commune<br />website
|-
| [[Antártica Chilena (Province)|Antártica Chilena]]|| [[Antártica (Commune)|Antártica]] || align="right" | 1,250,000 || align="right" | 130 || align="right" | 115 || align="right" | [http://www.imcabodehornos.cl/ link]
|-
|  [[Antártica Chilena (Province)|Antártica Chilena]] || [[Cabo de Hornos, Chile|Cabo de Hornos]] || align="right" | 15,854 || align="right" | 2,262 || align="right" | 1,677 || align="right" | [http://www.imcabodehornos.cl/ link]
|-
| [[Magallanes Province|Magallanes]] || [[San Gregorio, Chile|San Gregorio]] || align="right" | 6,884 || align="right" | 1,158 || align="right" | 384 || align="right" | [http://www.sangregorio.cl/ link]
|-
| Magallanes || [[Río Verde, Chile|Río Verde]] || align="right" | 9,975 || align="right" | 358 || align="right" | 153 || align="right" | [http://www.rioverde.cl/ link]
|-
| Magallanes || [[Punta Arenas]] || align="right" | 17,846 || align="right" | 119,496 || align="right" | 127,454 || align="right" | [http://www.puntaarenas.cl/ link]
|-
| Magallanes || [[Laguna Blanca, Chile|Laguna Blanca]] || align="right" | 3,696 || align="right" | 663 || align="right" | 208 || align="right" | [http://www.mlagunablanca.cl/ link]
|-
| [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego]] || [[Timaukel]] || align="right" | 10,996 || align="right" | 423 || align="right" | 204 || align="right" | [http://www.municipalidadtimaukel.cl/ link]
|-
| Tierra del Fuego || [[Primavera, Chile|Primavera]] || align="right" | 4,614 || align="right" | 1,016 || align="right" | 545 || align="right" | [http://www.municipalidaddeprimavera.cl/ link]
|-
| Tierra del Fuego || [[Porvenir, Chile|Porvenir]] || align="right" | 6,983 || align="right" | 5,465 || align="right" | 5,907 || align="right" | [http://www.muniporvenir.cl/ link]
|-
| [[Última Esperanza Province|Última Esperanza]] || [[Torres del Paine, Chile|Torres del Paine]] || align="right" | 6,470 || align="right" | 739 || align="right" | 180 || align="right" | [http://www.torresdelpayne.cl/ link]
|-
| Última Esperanza || [[Natales]] || align="right" | 48,974 || align="right" | 19,116 || align="right" | 18,505 || align="right" | [http://www.muninatales.cl/ link]
|}
{{Magellan and Chilean Antarctia Region Communes Map|float=center|width=500}}

==Demographics==

The population of Magallanes is one of the lowest in Chile, as one of the last regions colonized.

In the 1854 census counted 158 settlers, concentrated in Punta Arenas. The native population in 1830, according to King, amounted to approximately 2,200, with about 400 in western Patagonia and approximately 1,600 in the southern Straits.

The census of 1875 recorded 1,144 inhabitants and in 1895 the population had risen to 5,170 inhabitants, mostly concentrated in the city of Punta Arenas and its surroundings.

The installation of the cattle ranches attracted people from Europe (mostly Croats, British, Swiss and Italians) and southern Chile (mostly from [[Chiloé Archipelago]]), which greatly increased the population of the region.

Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia; Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in Chile. There is a higher proportion of non-Spanish Europeans there as well (especially Scots and Greeks), and descendants of Germans, Dutch, Danes and other Scandinavians, Russians and Portuguese peoples.

From the late 18th century to the opening of the [[Panama Canal]] in 1914, thousands of trans-oceanic voyages stopped by Punta Arenas as the most convenient strait between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The settlement of Punta Arenas and the Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region is a result of its historic use as a hub for international travel.

In the 1907 census, the Territory of Magellan had 17,330 inhabitants, distributed as follows:
– City of Punta Arenas: 12,785 hab.
– Patagonia Chilena: 1,094 hab.
– Pen. of Brunswick: 1,062 hab.
– Tierra del Fuego: 1,626 hab.
– Beagle Channel: 184 inhabitants.
– Last Hope: 392 inhabitants.
– Baker River: 187 inhabitants.

This proportional distribution has persisted, with the bulk of the regional population in the city of Punta Arenas, and in the provincial capitals [[Puerto Natales]], [[Porvenir, Chile|Porvenir]] (Spanish for "future") and [[Puerto Williams]], one of the world's southernmost cities.

In the past 50 years, the population has increased moderately as shown below, but the region still has one of the lowest population densities in the country. The population remains mostly urban and concentrated in Punta Arenas.

'''Census'''
* 1952: 55,206 hab.
* 1960: 73,358 hab.
* 1970: 89,443 hab.
* 1982: 131,914 hab.
* 1992: 143,198 hab.
* 2002: 150,826 hab.
* 2017: 165,593 hab.
* 2024: 166,537 hab.

The most populated cities are Punta Arenas (132,363 inhabitants), Puerto Natales (24,152) Porvenir (6,809), Cabo de Hornos (1,750) and Primavera (431).<ref name="census2024" />

==Education==
[[University of Magallanes|University of Magellan]] ([[UMAG]]) is a university in the southern [[Chile]]an city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the [[Chilean Traditional Universities]]. The University of Magellan was established in 1981 during the economic reforms of Chile's [[military regime]] as the successor of [[Universidad Técnica del Estado]]'s Punta Arenas section.  Universidad Técnica del Estado had established the Punta Arenas section in 1961. The University of Magellan have campuses in [[Punta Arenas]] and [[Puerto Natales]] as well as a university centre in [[Puerto Williams]]. University of Magellan publishes the humanities and social sciences journal ''[[Magallania]]'' twice a year.

==Gallery==
<gallery align="center" caption="Some views of the Magallanes Region">
File:Cuernos del Paine Raulito.jpg|[[Torres del Paine]]
File:Punta Arenas-View1.jpg|[[Punta Arenas]]
File:Natales rc 012.JPG|[[Puerto Natales]]
File:Porvenir-View.jpg|[[Porvenir, Chile|Porvenir]]
File:Puerto Williams1.JPG|[[Puerto Williams]] with [[Dientes del Navarino]] in the background
File:Villa Las Estrellas.  Vista nocturna.jpg|[[Villa Las Estrellas]]
File:Villa-Las-Estrellas-Antarctica.JPG|The Chilean settlement of Villa Las Estrellas on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons-inline|Category:Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region}}
*[[Chilean Antarctic Territory]]
*[[Cerro Toro]]
*[[Eberhard Fjord]]
*[[Flag of Magallanes]]
*[[Tierra del Fuego Gold Rush]]
*[[Governorate of New León]]
*[[Southern Patagonian Ice Field dispute]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note|refs=
<ref name=Note01>Total area listed here is the continental Magallanes region. With the [[Chilean Antarctic Territory]], the total area is {{convert|1382291.10|km2|sqmi}}. </ref>
<ref name=Note02>If the Chilean Antarctic Territory is considered, the population density of the Magallanes Region is {{convert|0.13|km2|sqmi}}.</ref>}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* C. Michael Hogan (2008) ''Cueva del Milodon'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18820 The Megalithic Portal]
*{{cite book |last=Pisano Valdés |first=E.|author-link=Edmundo Pisano |date=1977|chapter=Fitogeografía de Fuego-Patagonia chilena. I.-Comunidades vegetales entre las latitudes 52 y 56º S|location=Punta Arenas |title=[[Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia]]|volume=VIII |ref=Pisano1977|language=es}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150602041340/http://www.goremagallanes.cl/ Gobierno Regional Magallanes y Antártica Chilena] official website {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss1/art43/ Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6225676.stm BBC article: "Lake disappears suddenly in Chile"]

{{Regions of Chile}}
{{Communes in Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region}}
{{Magallanes Region rivers and lakes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magallanes y la Antartica Chilena Region}}
[[Category:Magallanes Region| ]]
[[Category:Patagonia]]
[[Category:Regions of Chile]]