Magallanes Region
The Magallanes Region (locally [maɣaˈʝanes]), officially the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region (Spanish: Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena), is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It is the southernmost, largest, and second least populated region of Chile. It comprises four provinces: Última Esperanza, Magallanes, Tierra del Fuego, and Antártica Chilena.
Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region
Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena | |
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Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): "Prima en Terra Chilensis" (Latin for First in Chilean Land) | |
Map of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region | |
| Coordinates: 53°10′S 70°56′W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Capital | Punta Arenas |
| Provinces | Magallanes, Chilean Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego, Última Esperanza |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Jorge Flies Añón (IND) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 132,291.1 km2 (51,077.9 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 1 |
| Highest elevation | 3,623 m (11,886 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2017 census) | |
| • Total | 165,593 |
| • Rank | 15 |
| • Density | 1.3/km2 (3.2/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • Total | $3.021 billion (2014) |
| • Per capita | $18,447 (2014) |
| ISO 3166 code | CL-MA |
| HDI (2019) | 0.864 very high |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Magallanes's geographical features include Torres del Paine, Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego island, and the Strait of Magellan. It also includes the 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.
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.
Since 2017, the region has had its own time zone. It uses the summer time for the whole year (UTC−3).