Punta Arenas (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpuntaaˈɾenas], historically known asSandy Point in English) is the capitalcity ofChile's southernmostregion,Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although the city officially was renamedMagallanes in 1927, its name was changed back to Punta Arenas in 1938. The city is the largest south of the46th parallel south and the most populous southernmostcity in Chile and theAmericas. Due to its location, it is also the coldest coastal city with more than 100,000 inhabitants inLatin America. Punta Arenas is one of the world's most southerly ports and serves as anAntarctic gateway city. Punta Arenas is the world's southernmost city with more than 100,000 inhabitants and claims the title of southernmost city in the world, although that title is also claimed byUshuaia in Argentina, which lies farther south but is slightly smaller than Punta Arenas.
Since 1977, Punta Arenas has been one of only twofree ports in Chile, the other beingIquique in the country's far north.[4][A] Located on theBrunswick Peninsula north of theStrait of Magellan, Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a smallpenal colony to assert sovereignty over the Strait. During the remainder of the 19th century, Punta Arenas grew in size and importance due to increasing maritime traffic to the west coasts of South and North America. The city's growth was also due to waves of European immigrants, mainly fromCroatia andRussia, attracted by agold rush, andsheep farming boom in the 1880s and early 20th century. The largest sheep company, which controlled 10,000 square kilometres in Chile and Argentina, was based in Punta Arenas, and its owners lived there.
Since its founding, Chile has used Punta Arenas as a base to defend its sovereignty claims in the southernmost part of South America. That led to the Strait of Magellan being recognized as Chilean territory in theBoundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina. Punta Arenas' geopolitical importance has remained high in the 20th and 21st centuries due to its logistic significance in accessing theAntarctic Peninsula.
Since 2017, the city and its region have been on theirown time zone, using summer time throughout the year (UTC−3). The city is supplied with water from theSan Juan River.[5]
The namePunta Arenas whose literal translation would be "Point Sands", is actually derived from the Spanish termPunta Arenosa, a literal translation of the English name "Sandy Point".
The name Sandy Point derives from thevoyage of John Narborough in 1669-1671. He wrote in his account:
Sand-Point [sic] is a mean low Point, lies out more than the other Points of the shore, and a few trees grow on it.[6]
The English 18th-century explorerJohn Byron is sometimes erroneously credited with naming the area.
The city has also been known asMagallanes. Today that term is normally used to describe the administrative region which includes the city.
Punta Arenas has been nicknamed "the city of the red roofs" for the red-painted metal roofs that characterized the city for many years. Since about 1970, the availability of other colours in protective finishes has resulted in greater variety in the characteristic metal roofs.
Located on theBrunswick Peninsula, Punta Arenas is among the largest cities inPatagonia. In 2012, it had a population of 127,454.[7] It is roughly 1,419 km (882 mi) from the coast of Antarctica and 635 km (395 mi) fromUshuaia, the capital of the Argentine province ofTierra Del Fuego.
The Magallanes region is considered part of ChileanPatagonia. Magallanes is Spanish forMagellan, and was named after Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer sailing forSpain. 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."
The city proper is located on the north-eastern shore of Brunswick Peninsula. Except for the eastern shore, containing the settlements of Guairabo, Rio Amarillo and Punta San Juan, the peninsula is largely uninhabited. The municipality of Punta Arenas includes all of Brunswick Peninsula, as well as all islands west of theIsla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and north ofCockburn andMagdalena channels.
It is known for stable constant temperatures, which vary only slightly with the seasons. Rainfall is highest in April and May, and the snowy season runs throughout the Chilean winter (June until September). As in most ofPatagonia, average annual precipitation is quite low, only 380 mm (15 in), because of arain shadow created by the Andes. The average temperature does not go below 1 °C (34 °F).[8] The city is also known for its high winds (up to 130 km/h [81 mph]), which are strongest during the summer. City officials have put up ropes between buildings in the downtown area to assist pedestrians with managing the strong downdrafts.[citation needed]
After 1986, Punta Arenas became the first significantly populated city in the world to be affected directly by the thinningozone layer. Its residents are considered to be exposed to potentially damaging levels ofultraviolet radiation.[9][10][needs update]
Climate data for Punta Arenas (1991–2020, extremes 1888–present)
Casa España, established in 1917 by theSpanish Society of Socorros Mutuos. It was formed between 1936 and 1938. Plaza de Armas (Muñoz Gamero Park).Christopher Columbus Avenue, the location of the Old Machine House, built in 1890 by Croatians, 2017
Two earlySpanish settlements were attempted along this coast (on the Straits of Magellan). The first was founded in 1584 and was calledNombre de Jesús. It failed due to the harsh weather and difficulty in the settlers' obtaining food and water, and the enormous distances from other Spanish ports. A second colony,Ciudad del Rey don Felipe, was attempted about 80 kilometres south of Punta Arenas. This became known later asPuerto del Hambre, which translates toPort Famine. Spain had established these settlements in an attempt to protect its shipping and prevent piracy byEnglishpirates, by controlling the Straits of Magellan. An Englishprivateer,Thomas Cavendish, during hiscircumnavigation, rescued the last surviving member of Puerto del Hambre in 1587.[16][17]
In 1843 theChilean government sent an expedition to build a fort and establish a permanent settlement on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. It built and commissioned a schooner calledGoleta Ancud which, under the command ofJohn Williams Wilson of the Chilean Navy, transported a crew of 21 people (captain, eighteen crew, and two women), plus cargo, to accomplish the mandate. The founding act of the settlement took place on 21 September 1843.[18]
The fort was well-positioned on a small rockypeninsula, but the location could not support a proper civilian settlement. With that in mind, in 1848, the military governor, José de los Santos Mardones, decided to move the settlement to its current location, along theLas Minas river, and renamed it Punta Arenas.
In the mid-19th century, Chile used Punta Arenas as a penal colony and a disciplinary posting for military personnel with "problematic" behaviour. It also settled immigrants there. In December 1851, a prisoners'mutiny led by Lieutenant Cambiaso, resulted in the murder of Governor Muñoz Gamero and the resident priest, and the destruction of the church and the hospital.[19] The mutiny was put down byCommander Stewart ofHMS Virago assisted by two Chilean ships:Indefatigable andMeteoro.[20][21]
In 1867, PresidentJosé Joaquín Pérez issued a decree offering land grants in an effort to get Chileans or foreigners to settle around Punta Arenas. The first British immigrants arrived in 1867, and their number increased assheep farming grew in theChilean Magallanes. The greatest immigration continued to be by the British until 1906, when Croatians surpassed them in numbers.[22]
An 1877 mutiny, known asEl motín de los artilleros (Mutiny of the Artillerymen), led to the destruction of a large part of the town and the murder of many civilians not directly associated with the prison. In time the city was restored. The growth of the sheep farming industry and thediscovery of gold, as well as increasing trade via sailing ships, attracted many new settlers, and the town began to prosper.
Between about 1890 and 1940, theMagallanes region became an important sheep-raising region, with one company (Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego) controlling over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi). In 1910, Sociedad Explotadora merged with Sociedad Ganadera, resulting in a company possessing 3 millionhectares in southern Chile and Argentina, with over two million head of sheep.[22]: 120–125 The headquarters of this company and the residences of the owners were in Punta Arenas. The Sarah Braun Museum is now established at the former Braun-Menéndez mansion, in the centre of Punta Arenas.
The Punta Arenas harbour, although exposed to storms, was considered one of the most important in Chile before the construction of thePanama Canal. It was used as acoaling station by thesteamships transiting between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today it is mostly used by tourism cruises and scientific expeditions.
The city is often a base for Antarctic expeditions, along withUshuaia (Argentina) andChristchurch (New Zealand).[23]
Panoramic view of Punta Arenas, 2016
Monument to PilotoLuis Pardo, a Chilean Naval Officer who led the 1916 expedition to save Sir Ernest Shackleton's crew members, stranded onElephant Island, 2023A Carabineros de Chile vehicle parked on Pdte. Julio A. Roca in Punta Arenas, 2023
In 2012 Punta Arenas recorded a population of over 127,000 inhabitants for the (2012 Census) by theNational Statistics Institute. The population grew by 5.1% (5,830 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses and further rose to 127,454 at the 2012 Census.[3]
The city was populated by many colonists fromSpain andCroatia in the mid-nineteenth century, and many of their descendants remain. Other national ethnic groups represented areGerman,English,Italian,Swiss andIrish.
Croatian immigration to Punta Arenas was a crucial development in the region ofMagallanes and the city in particular. Currently, this influence is still reflected in the names of shops, streets and many buildings. Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia.[citation needed]
Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in the whole of Chile.[citation needed]
Punta Arenas is home to the southernmost Hindu temple in the world, which is used by the relatively small, but significant,Sindhi community in Punta Arenas. Sindhi merchants began arriving in the area during the early 1900s, and today constitute one of the largest communities ofIndians in Chile.[24][25]
By 2006 the economy of Punta Arenas and the region had diversified. Chile's principal oil reserves are close by, along with somelow-grade coal.[26][27]
Agricultural production, including sheep and cattle, continues to play a significant role.
Tourism has contributed to the city's economy and steady growth. Tourist destinations include the Cathedral and other notable churches, the city cemetery, and the statue of Magellan. Some cruise ships to Antarctica depart from Punta Arenas's port, which also serves as a hub for many cruise lines that travel along the channels and fjords of the region.[citation needed]
The city of Punta Arenas hosts a number of international relations institutions, such as the Regional Unit of International Affairs (URAI) of the Regional Government of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, responsible for analyzing and managing the region's bilateral and multilateral relations with Latin America and the rest of the world; the Tourism and International Relations Commission of the Regional Council of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica; the regional office of theNational Migration Service; the regional office of theGeneral Directorate for Export Promotion (ProChile); and the Department of Migration and International Police of theInvestigations Police.[28]In the field of higher education internationalization, the main actor in Punta Arenas is the Directorate of International Relations of theUniversity of Magallanes.[29]
University of Magallanes (UMAG) is in the southernChilean city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during theneoliberal reforms of Chile'smilitary regime as the successor ofUniversidad Técnica del Estado's Punta Arenas section. Universidad Técnica del Estado had established the Punta Arenas section in 1961.
The University of Magallanes has campuses in Punta Arenas andPuerto Natales as well as a university centre inPuerto Williams. University of Magallanes publishes the humanities and social sciences journalMagallania twice a year.
There is a German school, Deutsche Schule Punta Arenas.[30]
Braun Menéndez Regional Museum (Spanish:Museo Regional Braun Menéndez)
The museum is located in the Braun Menéndez Palace, which is a National Monument. Since February 1983, the "Magallanes Regional Museum" has been operating here, which has material from the contemporary history of the region.
Salesian Regional Museum Maggiorino Borgatello (Spanish:Museo Regional Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello)
The museum is located at Avenida Bulnes no. 374, next to the Santuario María Auxiliadora. It is the most important in the area, and has a complete collection of species from the region and theSelkʼnam culture. Samples fromAntarctica are also on display.It was created in 1893 by theSalesians religious congregation, and is maintained by voluntary contributions made by the community.
Naval and Maritime Museum of Punta Arenas (Spanish:Museo Naval y Marítimo de Punta Arenas)
The museum is located at Pedro Montt No. 981, next to the Military Museum. It holds a historical collection of theChilean Armed Forces during the colonization of the territory ofMagallanes and Chilean Antarctica.
The museum is located 7.5 km north on Route Y-565 to Rio Seco. This museum exhibits a full-size replica of the first ship ever to circumnavigate the world: Ferdinand Magellan'sNao Victoria.[31] Since October 2011, the museum has displayed a full-size replica of theJames Caird, used byErnest Shackleton during hisImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition with theEndurance.
Museum of Remembrance (Spanish:Museo del Recuerdo)
Museum of Remembrance, 2010
The Museum of Remembrance of theUniversity of Magallanes Instituto de la Patagonia displays examples of heritage buildings, old machinery and tools. They are part of an Open Museum, with high attendance and regional identity and a significant number of foreign visitors, especially during the spring, summer and autumn seasons. It has 8 heritage wooden buildings; 40 antique vehicles and transport of great historical value; machines; and innumerable tools, mainly associated with livestock and oil production.
Within theelectoral divisions of Chile, Punta Arenas is represented in theChamber of Deputies by Sandra Amar (UDI), Karim Bianchi (IND-PRSD) and Gabriel Boric (CS) as part of the 60th electoral district, which includes the entireMagallanes and Antartica Chilena Region. The commune is represented in theSenate by Carlos Bianchi Chelech (Ind.) and Carolina Goic B. (DC) as part of the 19th senatorial constituency (Magallanes Region).
Map of the Punta Arenas commune in Magallanes Region
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo airport is located 20 kilometers from the city centre. Rental car services,duty-free shops and custom office services are available in the building (there is no duty-free shop in the terminal, despite the representations of tourist literature). Airlines serving the airport includeLATAM Chile andSky Airline, as well as charter flights. The civilian airport and the military airport make up the larger complex.
The city has sea, land, and air connections. By road, a connection to other regions of Chile requires passing through Argentine territory.[8] By sea, several cruises and ferries can take visitors to the city, although the costs are higher because they include stops at tourist sites along the route.
^Punta Arenas itself is not a "free port": Outside the city there is a "zona franca" where certain products can be imported into the country under a reduced-tax regime.
^Abarca, Jaime F; Casiccia, Claudio C. (9 December 2002). "Skin cancer and ultraviolet-B radiation under the Antarctic ozone hole: southern Chile, 1987–2000".Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine.18 (6). John Wiley & Sons A/S:294–302.doi:10.1034/j.1600-0781.2002.02782.x.PMID12535025.S2CID25748826. Abstract. "Background: Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city in the world (53°S), with a population of 154,000."[needs update][needs update]
^"Estadistica Climatologica Tomo III"(PDF) (in Spanish). Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. March 2001. pp. 512–37. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 October 2017. Retrieved15 January 2013.
^Hackley, Paul C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Alfaro, Guillermo H.; Cuebas, Rosenelsy M. (2006)."World Coal Quality Inventory: Chile"(PDF). World Coal Quality Inventory: South America (Report). USGS. pp. 90–131. Retrieved23 February 2017.
^"Migration".www.pdichile.cl. Retrieved21 February 2025.
^"哈尔滨市".hljswb.gov.cn (in Chinese). Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government. Archived fromthe original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved20 December 2021.
