Cape Horn | |
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Cabo de Hornos | |
Geography | |
Country | Chile |
Region | Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region |
Subregion | Antártica Chilena Province |
Coordinates: 55°58′48″S 067°17′21″W / 55.98000°S 67.28917°W
Cape Horn (Dutch: Kaap Hoorn , Spanish: Cabo de Hornos), named after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands, is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez Islands), Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and marks where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans collide. For decades it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world. The waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard.