The Magallanes Region (locally [maɣaˈʝanes]), officially the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region (Spanish: Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena) or Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctica Region in English, is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It is the southernmost, largest, and second least populated region of Chile. It comprises four provinces: Última Esperanza, Magallanes, Tierra del Fuego, and Antártica Chilena. The region takes its name from the Strait of Magellan which runs through it, which was in turn named after Ferdinand Magellan, the leader of the European expedition that discovered it.
Magallanes's geographical features include Torres del Paine, Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego island, and the Strait of Magellan. It also includes the Antarctic territory claimed by Chile. Despite its large area, much of the land in the region is rugged or closed off for sheep farming, and is unsuitable for settlement. 80% of the population lives in the capital Punta Arenas, a major market city and one of the main hubs for Antarctic exploration.
