Patagonia

Patagonia is the large, sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, spanning parts of both Argentina and Chile and encompassing mountains, glaciers, forests, steppes and extensive coastlines. It is internationally renowned for its wild landscapes and outdoor recreation.

Distinct subregions include the Andean-western zone with glaciers and granite peaks, central Patagonian steppe with wide plains and wind-sculpted vegetation, and southern archipelagos and fjords; popular activities range from glacier trekking and mountaineering to wildlife watching and long-distance road travel. Key destinations within Patagonia include national parks, glacier systems, and coastal reserves that attract hikers, climbers and nature tourists.

The region was long inhabited by indigenous groups such as the Tehuelche and Mapuche peoples before European exploration and settlement in the 19th and 20th centuries; land use has included pastoralism, fishing and, more recently, protected-area conservation and tourism development.

Extending across the southern third of the South American continent, Patagonia covers southern provinces of Argentina and large southern regions of Chile, from roughly the latitude of northern Patagonia southward to Tierra del Fuego.

• Geographic variety: Patagonia encompasses a wide range of landscapes from Andean peaks and ice fields to steppe and coastal fjords, making it a region rather than a single site.