| Introduction |
|
 Patagonia is a geographic region encompassing the southern expanse of South America and spanning through the countries of Argentina and Chile. The Andes mountains command the west and south while the east is blanketed with plateaus and plains. The area is generally considered to be bordered to the north by the Rio Colorado which slices through the continent. The southern most tip of South America only 1000km from Antarctica and the islands surrounding it including the Tierra del Fuego archipelago also are considered part of Patagonia.The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan to describe the native people. This name was thought to mean 'big feet' and referred to the native peoples of the Tehuelches tribe. It is also thought that the word patagón could come from the name of a giant in a Spanish book called Primaleon, apparently a favorite novel of Magellan. The accounts from the expedition claimed that these people were giants and at least double the height of average humans. Despite the amazing accounts, with an average height in Spain at the time of 1.55 m or 5'1'', the Techuelches who have an average height of 1.80 m or 5'11" must have seemed like giants. The stories of these native 'giants' created much talk in Europe for years to come. Patagonia is an immense region; its area of about 1,000,000 sq. km but is only sparsely populated. The population is roughly 1.5 million inhabitants of which the vast majority live in larger towns. The economy of the area is closely tied to it's natural resources, and agriculture especially sheep farming is the principal economic activity. Some people estimate that sheep outnumber humans by at least 5 to 1, and some say as much as 20 to 1. The geographic diversity offers a bit of everything to please the eyes and the restless souls of travellers. Some go to see the vast expanses semi-arid steppes - desert-like plains that are constantly buffeted by strong winds and support only the hardiest plant, animal, and human life. The massive glaciers on their snails pace descent from the, or the sight of millions of nesting penguins sunning themselves along the coast prove that this is one of the earth's final frontiers. The sheer remoteness of the area is staggering. There is almost as much diversity in culture as there is in landscape, from the wild-west Gaucho culture, to the indigenous Mapuche people and even the Welsh colony of Gaiman, where you can always get a cup of proper tea. The climate is not as forbearing as some would believe. Many different micro-climates exist within Patagonia due to a wide variation in altitudes, currents and latitudes affecting the area, making it hard to peg down a set rule. The eastern territory is warmer than the west, most notably in the summer months when the southern equatorial current blows into the eastern shores. In the south the The mean annual temperature is 11 °C (52 °F) and the average extremes 25.5 °C (78 °F) and −1.5 °C (29.5 °F) while in the north the annual temperature is 15 °C (59 °F) and the range much greater. Along with a huge range in temperatures precipitation also varies throughout the region from an annual precipitation of 4,000 to 7,000 mm in Torres del Paine to in some parts of the eastern plains less than 200 mm annually. I felt an immediate connection to Patagonia the first time I visited, the remoteness and wildness appeals to my inner adventurer. Coming from a tiny country like Belgium the vastness of space consistently surprises me. In addition to this, the wild west atmosphere appeals to my inner little boy. I think that Patagonia presents the best possible relationship between man and nature, humans are respectful of nature because it is the only way they can survive. I have said before and still believe that Patagonia remains one of my favorite places in all the world. The Andes and the Cordillera offer some of the best and most remote adventures available in the world! |
