Ushuaia
Ushuaia, a former penal colony, is claimed to be the southernmost city in the world. It is the capital and port of Tierra del Fuego province, located on southwest shores of the Beagle Channel. The park is located 11 km (6.8 mi) to the west of the city of Ushuaia, on National Road 3. Ushuaia provides the main approach to the park through the highway or through the Southern Fuegian Railway. The modern city is set in brightly coloured houses on the Beagle channel shores in the backdrop of snow covered mountains of Martial mountains in the north.
The southern group of the Selk’nam, the Yaghan people (also known as Yámana), occupied what is now Ushuaia, living in continual conflict with the northern inhabitants of the island. Wasti H. Stirling, an Anglican missionary, settled here in 1870 and started to convert Yaghan tribes, the natives, the original residents of the Beagle Channel. Prior to this, Charles Darwin had arrived here in 1832. The name "Ushuaia" is a derivative of the Yaghan language. After an Argentine naval base was established in 1884, the island was divided between Argentina and Chile. During the 1880s, many gold prospectors came to Ushuaia, following rumors of large gold fields, which proved to be false. In later years, Argentinian President Roca established a penal colony in the region in 1902, on nearby Staten Island, which resulted in its development. Prisoners were the main work force and were employed to construct the city and exploit the forests of the now Tierra del Fuego National Park. The train lines were also built by the prisoners, covering an area of 25 km (16 mi), which started from the Maipú Monte Susana camp and ran through the park. The city is now an important tourist center as the departure point not only for the park but also for voyages to Antarctica.
Read more about this topic: Tierra Del Fuego National Park