SOUTH AMERICA. ) Climate.—There is abundant rainfall on the west coast and the Chilean archipelago. In the Andes the precipitation, a large part of which is snow, is very heavy. The annual mean increases from 8o to 200 in. on the islands and the coast of the mainland to over 200 in. on the upper western slopes of the high cordilleras. In the cordilleras, as on the west coast, the greater part of the rain or snow falls in winter and this seasonal distribution prevails throughout the Argentine table-land north of the Santa Cruz river. Only along a narrow strip at the foot of the Andes is there plentiful rainfall on the table-land. East of this sub-Andine zone the table-land is semi-arid with the rainfall diminishing rapidly from west to east. South of the Santa Cruz river the rainfall increases somewhat and the rainy season changes from winter to early summer, December being the rainiest month at Puerto Gallegos. Winds from the Atlantic ocean bring some rain to the coast, but they rarely penetrate far inland on account of the great prevalence of westerly winds throughout the whole of Patagonia. On the table-land these west winds are particularly violent and diminish only slightly in winter. On the west coast the mean summer temperatures are low-58° F at Puerto Montt 28' S. lat.) in 'the month of January, and 38° F on the Evangelistas islands (52° 24' S. lat.). The winters are mild, the mean temperature for July being 45° F at Puerto Montt and 38° F on the Evangelistas. Winters are fairly cold in the sub-Andine zone; the mean temperature for July at the valley of 16 de Octubre (43.9 S. lat., 71° 25' W. long.), the most southerly station in the zone for which there are weather records, is 35.7° F. The summers are moderately warm, the mean temperature for January at 16 de Octubre being 57° F; but no month of the year is free from frosts. On the the mean temperature for January at San Antonio is 72.6° F, at Comodoro Rivadavia 66.5° F, at Santa Cruz 6o.6° F. For July the mean temperatures at these points are F, 44.6° F and 33° F, respectively. (For
fauna and flora see ARGENTINA.) Population.—The original inhabitants of Patagonia are now nearly extinct. Occasional families or groups of Alakalufs and Yahgans are still to be found on the islands of the Chilean archi pelago. (See TIERRA DEL FUEGO.) On the Patagonia table-land one may still find small encampments of Tehuelches and other aboriginal tribes and there is still a small colony of mixed Tehuelches and Araucanians inthe Senguerr valley south of San Martin, but pure bloods are very scarce. The Tehuelches, re markable for their great stature (they average 6 ft. to 6 ft. 4 in.) were the dominant race. Other tribes were 'the Pehuenches, Ranqueles, Pampas and Araucanians.
Except on Chiloe island the precipitous coasts of the islands and the dense forests that come down to the water's edge on the mainland have prevented white settlement west of the Andes other than the temporary camps of wood-cutters at the most accessible points. Since the founding of Punta Arenas (now Magallanes) in 1843 settlement in that section has developed rapidly. The town itself has grown to a population of 24,307 and is the commercial centre, not only of that section of Chile but of the southern part of the Argentine Territory of Santa Cruz as well. Cattle-raising was the original industry in the Punta Arenas region, but sheep were introduced in 1879 and since 1885 sheep-raising, which is better adapted than cattle-raising to the climate here as in most parts of Patagonia, has spread rapidly until sheep ranches cover all of the northern part of Tierra del Fuego and the mainland not only as far as the international boundary but beyond into the southern part of Santa Cruz whose settlement was effected by colonists working northward from the Punta Arenas 'region. Considerable gold has been mined in this section of Chile, but operations have now practically ceased. Coal is mined near Magallanes and the sawing of lumber, chiefly for the Argentine trade, from logs brought from as far north as the Peninsula of is an important and growing industry.