Patagonia

The word Patagonia is supposed to be derived from Patagones, the name given to the Tehuelche Indians, the region’s original inhabitants, by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. According to legend, Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator who led the first European expedition into the area, named the Tehuelche after Patagon, a dog-headed monster from Amads of Gaul, a 16th-century Spanish romance.

Location:

The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonian Steppe, is Argentina’s largest desert and the world’s eighth largest by area, covering 673,000 square kilometres (260,000 mi2). It is largely in Argentina, and is bordered on the west by the Andes and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina. The desert divides into the Cuyo Region and the Monte to the north. Shrubby and herbaceous plant species dominate the middle section of the steppe, although grasses replace bushes to the west, where precipitation is higher. The deserts are made up of alternating tablelands and massifs, which are divided by river basins and canyons. The steppe’s western regions are home to glacial lakes and valleys that lead to barren mountains or cold temperate forests.

Climate and Weather:

The northern zone is semiarid, with annual mean temperatures ranging from 54 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (12 to 20 degrees Celsius); recorded maximum temperatures range from 106 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (41 to 45 degrees Celsius), and minimum temperatures range from 12 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit (11 to 5 degrees Celsius). Sunshine is most abundant interior to the northwest, where it is scarce around the shore. The annual rainfall ranges from 3.5 to 17 inches (90 to 430 millimetres). The prevailing winds are dry, chilly, and strong, blowing from the southwest.

The climate in the southern zone is cold and dry, with higher temperatures at the shore than inland and strong west winds. The average yearly temperature ranges from 40 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 13 degrees Celsius), with maximum temperatures around 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) and minimum temperatures between 16 and 27 degrees Fahrenheit (9 and 33 degrees Celsius). Winter brings heavy snowfall, and frosts can occur at any time of year.

Flora and Fauna:

Plant:

The vegetation along Patagonia’s western border, which is mostly deciduous and coniferous forests, is similar to that seen in the surrounding cordillera. The wide tableland region is separated into two zones: northern and southern, each with its own distinct vegetation.

The broader northern steppe zone stretches south to almost 46° S latitude. Monte vegetation—xerophytic (drought-tolerant) scrub forests—is found in the north, giving way to open bushland with widely spaced thickets between 3 and 7 feet high in the south. Grasses thrive in sandy environments, while salt flats are dominated by halophytic (salt-tolerant) grasses and plants. South of 46° S, the southern, more dry zone begins. The vegetation is low and sparse, and it requires almost no water.

Animal:

Herons and other waders, predators such as the protected eagle, sparrow hawk, and chimango (or beetle eater), and the nearly extinct rhea are among the Patagonian birds (nandu). The nesting sites of the Magellanic penguin can be found along the shore (Spheniscus magellanicus). A long-eared bat is one of the bat species. Armadillos, pichis (little armadillos), foxes, ferrets, skunks, mountain cats, and pumas, as well as the Patagonian cavy (or mara) and various burrowing rodents like the vizcacha and tuco-tuco, can all be found. The guanaco, a camelid, is the most notable of the bigger mammals, having been hunted almost to extinction.

Fish are scarce in the rivers and lakes, but some have been supplemented with salmon and trout. Off the coast, however, marine fish, crustaceans, and mollusks are abundant.

In 1999, the Valdés Peninsula, on Patagonia’s Atlantic coast, was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whales, elephant seals, and sea lions are among the marine creatures that call its waters home. Rheas, maras, and guanacos can also be found on the peninsula.

Conclusion:

The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonian Steppe, is a semiarid scrub plateau that spans nearly all of mainland Argentina’s southern half. It is Argentina’s largest desert and the world’s eighth largest desert by area, covering 673,000 square kilometres (260,000 sq mi).

The Patagonian Andes to the west, the Colorado River to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Strait of Magellan to the south roughly define the territory.

Patagonia also includes the territory south of the strait (Tierra del Fuego), which is shared by Argentina and Chile. The desert divides into the Cuyo Region and the Pampas to the north.

Shrubby and herbaceous plant species dominate the centre regions of the steppe. Bushes are replaced by grasses towards the west, where precipitation is higher.