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About Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is the southern part of South America in both Argentina and Chile . It is formed by the Andes mountains to the west and south and plateaus and low plains to the east. The Chilean part is smaller but generally thought to be more beautiful as it is full of mountains, glaciers and rivers whereas much of Argentinian Patagonia is flat..
Chilean Patagonia
The Chilean portion embraces the southern part of the region of Lake district , the regions of Aysen and Magallanes, and adjoining Tierra de Fuego. It excludes those portions of Antarctica claimed by both countries .
Geography of Patagonia
Patagonia is a region that is geographically and climatically diverse. As well as the classic dry southern plains of Argentina , you have the Andean highlands and Lake Districts, the moist Pacific coast, the rocky and frigid Tierra del Fuego . A diverse terrain, but still with one thing in common, everything is shaped in one way or another by the Andean Cordillera, the longest continuous mountain chain on the planet. The Andes are being formed by the Pacific Ocean Nazca Plate pushing under the South American plate. This seismic pressure is being accompanied by volcanic activity. Patagonia still has many active volcanoes and the good outdoor things that go along with them: high mountains, hotsprings, calderas. There are even some petrified forests, formed by volcanic ash burying large tracts of land.
Remote lands and national parks
Even though Patagonia covers one third of the land mass both Chile and Argentina , the population is sparse. This is good news for those who like their outdoors wild and free. Both countries have set some of their most special areas aside as national parks or natural reserves.
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