History
The island was explored by a French scientific expedition towards the end of the 19th century. There had already been unsuccessful attempts at cattle farming by the Chilean government, after which the island was abandoned. Well into the 20th century, a few Yaghan families lived on the island. These indigenous peoples vanished after contact with adventurers and fishermen. Since then, the island has remained virtually uninhabited. The 1992 census reported a population of six living in three houses in the Hoste census enumeration district, however some if not all this population could be located on one or more of the smaller islands nearby which also belonged to the same district. In 1978, the island served as a station for Chilean warships during Operation Soberania.
Read more about this topic: Hoste Island
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