Alberto de Agostini National Park
| Alberto de Agostini National Park | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category II (national park)
|
|
Marinelli Glacier
|
|
 |
|
| Location |
Magallanes Region, Chile  Chile
|
| Nearest city | Punta Arenas |
| Coordinates | 54°44′57″S 70°26′23″W / 54.74906°S 70.43967°WCoordinates: 54°44′57″S 70°26′23″W / 54.74906°S 70.43967°W |
| Area | 14,600 km2 (5,637 sq mi) |
| Established | January 22, 1965 |
| Governing body | National Forest Corporation (Chile) |
Alberto de Agostini National Park (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβerto ðe aɣosˈtini]) is a Protected Area created on land that was formerly part of "Hollanda" forest reserve and "Hernando de Magallanes National Park". It covers 14,600 km2 (5,637 sq mi) and includes the Cordillera Darwin mountain range, which is the final land-based stretch of the Andes before it becomes a chain of mountains appearing as small islands that sink into the Pacific Ocean and the Beagle Channel.
The park, along with Cabo de Hornos National Park, was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. As part of the Magallanes Sub-Polar (or Sub-Antarctic) Evergreen Rainforest, UNESCO highlights the area’s "mosaic of contrasting ecosystems and unique and singular characteristics on a world level."
Several tidewater glaciers and steep fjords can be found in the park. It also comprises the Gordon, Cook and Londonderry islands, as well as part of Hoste Island (excluding the Hardy Peninsula and other portions).
The park is named after one of the most important Salesian priests in Chilean history, Father Alberto Maria De Agostini. The Italian missionary, explorer, photographer and writer is known for his discoveries, photographs and maps of the region.
The region was visited by Charles Darwin, who encountered its native Fuegian peoples in the Murray Channel. Fuegian peoples include the Selk'nam, Haush, Manek'enk and Yaghan), the latter settling the lands along the channel approximately 10,000 years ago. The encounter would be of vital importance when the scientist sat down to write his theory on human evolution. Other areas of the park, such as the picturesque Agostini Fjord, were only discovered in the past century.
...
Wikipedia