Who discovered Punta Arenas?

Magallanes is Spanish for Magellan, and was named after Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain. While circumnavigating the earth for Spain, he passed close to the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520. Early English navigational documents referred to this site as Sandy Point.



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The term end of the world refers to Chile being the southernmost country in the world, which is why Chilean Patagonia, the southernmost natural region of the country and at the same time, the southernmost part of the American continent.

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Punta Arenas is one of the world's most southerly ports and serves as an Antarctic gateway city. Since 1977, Punta Arenas has been one of only two free ports in Chile, the other being Iquique in the country's far north.

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Punta Arenas is the capital of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region. It is situated on the continental shore of the Strait of Magellan, at a point almost equidistant between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, 90 kilometers from Cape Froward, the southernmost point of Continental America.

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Punta Arenas is located in Extreme South of Chile. Its history and economic growth is based on maritime commerce, oil extraction, and sheep breeding.

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