View source for Punta Arenas

{{Short description|City in Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, Chile}}
{{About|the city in Chile|the city in Costa Rica|Puntarenas|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name          = Punta Arenas
|native_name =
|other_name             = Sandy Point<br/>Magallanes
|settlement_type        = [[List of cities in Chile|City]], [[Communes of Chile|commune]], and port
|image_skyline          = Montaje Punta Arenas.png
|image_caption    = '''Top''':Panoramic view of downtown Punta Arenas, from La Cruz Hills, '''Second''':Sara Braun Palace ([[:es:Palacio Sara Braun|Palacio Sara Braun]]), Ferdinand Magellan Monument in Muñoz Gamero Square ([[:es:Plaza Muñoz Gamero|Plaza Muñoz Gamero]]) '''Third''':[[Sacred Heart Cathedral, Punta Arenas|Punta Arenas Sacred Heart Cathedral]], [[Cemetery of Punta Arenas]], '''Fourth''':Shepherd Monument, Goleta Ancud Monument, '''Bottom''':An overview of [[Strait of Magellan]], from Costanera area (all item from left to right)  
|image_flag             =
|flag_size              = 150
|image_shield           = Escudo de Punta Arenas.svg
|shield_size            = 100px
|image_map              = Comuna de Punta Arenas.svg
|map_caption            =
|pushpin_map            = Chile
|pushpin_label_position = bottom
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in Chile
|coordinates             = {{coord|53|10|S|70|56|W|region:CL-MA|display=inline,title}}
|coor_pinpoint = city
|coordinates_footnotes =
|motto                 = "''[[Labor omnia vincit]]''"<br/>("Work conquers all")
|subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Chile}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Chile|Region]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[Provinces of Chile|Province]]
|subdivision_name1 =  {{Flag|Magallanes y Antártica Chilena}}
|subdivision_name2 = [[Magallanes Province|Magallanes]]
|established_title = Founded as
|established_date = Punta Arenas
|established_title2 = Foundation
|established_date2 = 18 December 1848
| government_footnotes =<ref name="Munitel">{{cite web |url = http://www.puntaarenas.cl |title = Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades |access-date = 27 January 2011 |language = es |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628223717/http://www.puntaarenas.cl/ |archive-date = 28 June 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name="Official">{{cite web |url = http://www.puntaarenas.cl |title = Municipality of Punta Arenas |access-date = 27 January 2011 |language = es |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628223717/http://www.puntaarenas.cl/ |archive-date = 28 June 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>
| government_type         = Municipality
| leader_party = [[National Renewal (Chile)|National Renewal]]
| leader_title            = [[Alcalde]]
| leader_name = Claudio Radonich
| unit_pref               = Metric
| area_footnotes          =<ref name="INE">{{cite web |url= http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |title= National Statistics Institute |access-date= 27 January 2010 |language= es |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101220210200/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |archive-date= 20 December 2010 |url-status= live }}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 17846.3
| elevation_footnotes     =
| elevation_m             = 34
| population_total        = 127454
| population_as_of        = 2012 Census
| population_footnotes    =<ref name="INE"/>
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_blank1_title = Urban
| population_blank1       = 116005
| population_blank2_title = Rural
| population_blank2       = 3491
| population_demonym      = Puntarenian
| demographics_type1      = Sex
| demographics1_footnotes =<ref name="INE"/>
| demographics1_title1    = Men
|postal_code_type =
|postal_code =
|area_code =56 + 61
|website = [http://www.puntaarenas.cl Official website] {{in lang|es}}
|footnotes =
| pushpin_map_narrow = yes
| demographics1_info1     = 60,616 (2002)
| demographics1_title2    = Women
| demographics1_info2     = 58,880 (2002)
| timezone               = [[Time in Chile#Time Zones|CLT]]
| utc_offset             = −3
|blank_name              = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
|blank_info              = [[Oceanic climate#Subpolar variety (Cfc, Cwc)|Cfc]]
}}

[[File:PArenas Magallanes.JPG|thumb|1920 memorial to [[Ferdinand Magellan]] in Punta Arenas, 2007]]

'''Punta Arenas''' ({{IPA|es|ˈpunta aˈɾenas}}, historically known as '''Sandy Point''' in English) is the capital [[List of cities in Chile|city]] of [[Chile]]'s southernmost [[Regions of Chile|region]], [[Magallanes Region|Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena]]. Although officially renamed as '''Magallanes''' in 1927, the name was changed back to Punta Arenas in 1938. The city is the largest south of the [[46th parallel south]] and the most populous southernmost [[List of cities in Chile|city in Chile]] and the [[Americas]]. Due to its location, it is also the coldest coastal city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in [[Latin America]]. Punta Arenas is one of the world's most southerly ports and serves as an [[Antarctic Gateway Cities|Antarctic gateway city]]. Punta Arenas is the world's southernmost city with more than 100,000 inhabitants and claims the title of southernmost city in the world, although that title is also claimed by [[Ushuaia]] in Argentina, which lies farther south but is slightly smaller than Punta Arenas.

Since 1977, Punta Arenas has been one of only two [[List of free ports|free ports]] in Chile, the other being [[Iquique]] in the country's far north.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://diario.latercera.com/2012/04/01/01/contenido/negocios/27-105200-9-zona-franca-de-aysen-tendra-caracteristicas-similares-a-las-de-iquique-y-punta.shtml |title= Zona franca de Aysén tendrá características similares a las de Iquique y Punta Arenas| trans-title= Aysén free zone will have characteristics similar to those of Iquique and Punta Arenas| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140422031606/http://diario.latercera.com/2012/04/01/01/contenido/negocios/27-105200-9-zona-franca-de-aysen-tendra-caracteristicas-similares-a-las-de-iquique-y-punta.shtml |archivedate= 22 April 2014 | work= [[La Tercera]]| date= 1 April 2012| language= es| access-date= }}</ref>{{efn-ua|Punta Arenas itself is not a "free port": Outside the city there is a "zona franca" where certain products can be imported into the country under a reduced-tax regime.}} Located on the [[Brunswick Peninsula]] north of the [[Strait of Magellan]], Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a small [[penal colony]] to assert sovereignty over the Strait. During the remainder of the 19th century, Punta Arenas grew in size and importance due to increasing maritime traffic to the west coasts of South and North America. The city's growth was also due to waves of European immigrants, mainly from [[Croatia]] and [[Russia]], attracted by a [[Tierra del Fuego gold rush|gold rush]], and [[Patagonian sheep farming boom|sheep farming boom]] in the 1880s and early 20th century. The largest sheep company, which controlled 10,000 square kilometres in Chile and Argentina, was based in Punta Arenas, and its owners lived there.

Since its founding, Chile has used Punta Arenas as a base to defend its sovereignty claims in the southernmost part of South America. That led to the Strait of Magellan being recognized as Chilean territory in the [[Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina]]. Punta Arenas' geopolitical importance has remained high in the 20th and 21st centuries due to its logistic significance in accessing the [[Antarctic Peninsula]].

Since 2017, the city and its region have been on their [[Time in Chile#Time zones|own time zone]], using summer time throughout the year (UTC−3). The city is supplied with water from the [[San Juan River (Chile)|San Juan River]].<ref name="BCNhidro">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bcn.cl/siit/nuestropais/region12/hidrografia.htm |title=Hidrografía Región de Magallanes |access-date=2022-03-02 |website= bcn.cl| publisher= Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile |language=es}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name ''Punta Arenas'' whose literal translation would be "Point Sands", is actually derived from the Spanish term ''Punta Arenosa'', a literal translation of the English name "Sandy Point".

The name Sandy Point derives from the [[English expedition to Valdivia|voyage of John Narborough]] in 1669-1671. He wrote in his account:

{{Blockquote|Sand-Point [sic] is a mean low Point, lies out more than the other Points of the shore, and a few trees grow on it.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Edmundson |first1= William |title=A History of the British Presence in Chile: From Bloody Mary to Charles Darwin and the Decline of British Influence |date=2009 |publisher=[[Springer Publishing|Springer]]|isbn=9780230101210 |page=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WVjCAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA115 |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref>}}

The English 18th-century explorer [[John Byron]] is sometimes erroneously credited with naming the area.

The city has also been known as ''Magallanes''. Today that term is normally used to describe the administrative region which includes the city.

Punta Arenas has been nicknamed "the city of the red roofs" for the red-painted metal roofs that characterized the city for many years. Since about 1970, the availability of other colours in protective finishes has resulted in greater variety in the characteristic metal roofs.

==Geography==
Located on the [[Brunswick Peninsula]], Punta Arenas is among the largest cities in [[Patagonia]]. In 2012, it had a population of 127,454.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.ine.cl/ine/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/censo2002/mapa_interactivo/mapa_interactivo.htm |title= Interactive map, INE Census 2002, Chile| website= ine.cl| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20061120051028/http://www.ine.cl/ine/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/censo2002/mapa_interactivo/mapa_interactivo.htm |archivedate= 20 November 2006 }} (Click on XII Region and then on Punta Arenas)</ref> It is roughly {{cvt|1,419|km}} from the coast of Antarctica and {{cvt|635|km}} from [[Ushuaia]], the capital of the Argentine province of [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra Del Fuego]].

The Magallanes region is considered part of Chilean [[Patagonia]]. Magallanes is Spanish for [[Ferdinand Magellan|Magellan]], and was named after Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer sailing for [[Spain]]. While circumnavigating the Earth for Spain, he passed close to the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520. Early English navigational documents referred to this site as "Sandy Point."

The city proper is located on the north-eastern shore of Brunswick Peninsula. Except for the eastern shore, containing the settlements of Guairabo, Rio Amarillo and Punta San Juan, the peninsula is largely uninhabited. The municipality of Punta Arenas includes all of Brunswick Peninsula, as well as all islands west of the ''[[Tierra del Fuego (main island)|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]]'' and north of [[Cockburn Channel|Cockburn]] and [[Magdalena Channel|Magdalena]] channels.

The largest of those are:
* [[Santa Inés Island]]
* [[Desolación Island]]
* [[Dawson Island]]
* [[Aracena Island]]
* [[Clarence Island, Chile|Clarence Island]]
* ''Carlos Island''
* ''Wickham Island''

Except [[Dawson Island]], which had a population of about 301 in 2002, the islands are largely uninhabited. [[Clarence Island, Chile|Clarence Island]] had a population of five.

===Climate===
[[File:Punta Arenas con nieve.jpeg|thumb|left|250px|Snow in winter, 2014]]

Due to its far southern latitude, Punta Arenas has a [[subpolar oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfc'', [[Trewartha climate classification]] ''Eolk''). The seasonal temperature in Punta Arenas is greatly moderated by its proximity to the ocean, with average lows in July near {{cvt|-1|°C|°F}} and highs in January of {{convert|14|°C|°F}}.

It is known for stable constant temperatures, which vary only slightly with the seasons. Rainfall is highest in April and May, and the snowy season runs throughout the Chilean winter (June until September). As in most of [[Patagonia]], average annual precipitation is quite low, only {{cvt|15|in|mm|order=flip}}, because of a [[rain shadow]] created by the Andes. The average temperature does not go below {{cvt|1|°C|°F}}.<ref name="Punta Arenas article">{{cite web| url= http://www.letsgochile.com/locations/patagonial/magallanes-xii/punta-arenas |title= Punta Arenas |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090227150806/http://www.letsgochile.com/locations/patagonial/magallanes-xii/punta-arenas |archivedate= 27 February 2009 |website= Letsgochile.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref> The city is also known for its high winds (up to {{cvt|130|km/h|disp=sqbr}}), which are strongest during the summer. City officials have put up ropes between buildings in the downtown area to assist pedestrians with managing the strong downdrafts.{{citation needed|reason=A source that corroborates the officials putting up ropes is needed|date=November 2015}}

After 1986, Punta Arenas became the first significantly populated city in the world to be affected directly by the thinning [[ozone layer]]. Its residents are considered to be exposed to potentially damaging levels of [[ultraviolet radiation]].<ref name=NYT03Mar95>{{cite web |first=Calvin |last=Sims |date=3 March 1995 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/03/world/punta-arenas-journal-a-hole-in-the-heavens-chicken-little-below.html?n=Top%2FNews%2FScience%2FTopics%2FAir%20Pollution |title= Punta Arenas Journal; A Hole in the Heavens (Chicken Little Below?) |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=16 May 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130510143528/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/03/world/punta-arenas-journal-a-hole-in-the-heavens-chicken-little-below.html?n=Top%2FNews%2FScience%2FTopics%2FAir%20Pollution |archive-date=10 May 2013 |url-status=live }}{{update after|2013|8}}{{update inline|date=August 2013}}</ref><ref name= PPPv18i6>{{Cite journal
  | last = Abarca
  | first = Jaime F
  |author2=Casiccia, Claudio C.
   | title = Skin cancer and ultraviolet-B radiation under the Antarctic ozone hole: southern Chile, 1987–2000
  | journal = Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine
  | volume = 18
  | issue = 6
  | pages = 294–302
  | publisher = John Wiley & Sons A/S
  | date =  9 December 2002
  | doi = 10.1034/j.1600-0781.2002.02782.x
| pmid=12535025| s2cid = 25748826
 }}<br />'''Abstract.'''<br />"Background: Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city in the world (53°S),<br /> with a population of 154,000."{{update after|2013|8}}{{update inline|date=August 2013}}</ref>{{update after|2013|8}}

{{Weather box
|location = Punta Arenas (1991–2020, extremes 1888–present)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 25.0
|Feb record high C = 28.7
|Mar record high C = 26.0
|Apr record high C = 22.5
|May record high C = 16.0
|Jun record high C = 16.0
|Jul record high C = 12.0
|Aug record high C = 14.0
|Sep record high C = 19.0
|Oct record high C = 23.5
|Nov record high C = 24.9
|Dec record high C = 27.0
|year record high C = 28.7
|Jan high C = 16.3
|Feb high C = 16.1
|Mar high C = 15.4
|Apr high C = 12.1
|May high C = 8.8
|Jun high C = 5.5
|Jul high C = 4.9
|Aug high C = 7.0
|Sep high C = 10.2
|Oct high C = 12.9
|Nov high C = 14.2
|Dec high C = 15.2
|year high C = 11.6
|Jan mean C = 10.7
|Feb mean C = 10.3
|Mar mean C = 8.9
|Apr mean C = 6.6
|May mean C = 4.2
|Jun mean C = 1.9
|Jul mean C = 1.7
|Aug mean C = 2.7
|Sep mean C = 4.6
|Oct mean C = 6.4
|Nov mean C = 8.3
|Dec mean C = 9.7
|year mean C = 6.3
|Jan low C = 5.9
|Feb low C = 5.4
|Mar low C = 3.9
|Apr low C = 2.2
|May low C = 0.1
|Jun low C = -1.5
|Jul low C = -1.5
|Aug low C = -1.0
|Sep low C = 0.0
|Oct low C = 0.6
|Nov low C = 3.5
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 1.9
|Jan record low C = -1.0
|Feb record low C = -2.4
|Mar record low C = -4.0
|Apr record low C = -8.4
|May record low C = -10.6
|Jun record low C = -18.7
|Jul record low C = -14.2
|Aug record low C = -12.0
|Sep record low C = -9.6
|Oct record low C = -4.8
|Nov record low C = -3.0
|Dec record low C = -1.0
|year record low C = -18.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 38.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 31.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 42.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 45.1
|May precipitation mm = 36.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 31.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 30.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 29.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 24.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 24.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 23.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 31.8
|year precipitation mm = 390.2
|Jan humidity = 69
|Feb humidity = 72
|Mar humidity = 75
|Apr humidity = 80
|May humidity = 84
|Jun humidity = 86
|Jul humidity = 85
|Aug humidity = 82
|Sep humidity = 77
|Oct humidity = 72
|Nov humidity = 69
|Dec humidity = 69
|year humidity = 77
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 8.3
|Feb precipitation days = 7.4
|Mar precipitation days = 8.4
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 7.7
|Jun precipitation days = 6.7
|Jul precipitation days = 7.0
|Aug precipitation days = 7.0
|Sep precipitation days = 5.7
|Oct precipitation days = 5.8
|Nov precipitation days = 6.0
|Dec precipitation days = 7.5
|year precipitation days = 86.3
|Jan sun = 224.9
|Feb sun = 187.3
|Mar sun = 157.4
|Apr sun = 118.5
|May sun = 95.4
|Jun sun = 71.7
|Jul sun = 85.5
|Aug sun = 118.9
|Sep sun = 147.0
|Oct sun = 201.1
|Nov sun = 216.4
|Dec sun = 232.5
|year sun = 1856.6
|source 1 = Dirección Meteorológica de Chile<ref name=climatenormals>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230527033934/https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/datosNormales/520006
| archive-date = 27 May 2023
| url = https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/datosNormales/520006
| title = Datos Normales y Promedios Históricos Promedios de 30 años o menos 
| publisher = Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
| language = es
| access-date = 27 May 2023}}</ref><ref name=promediotemp>{{cite web
| url = https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/promedioTemperatura30/520006/2020
| title = Datos Normales y Promedios Históricos Promedios de 30 años o menos
| access-date = 27 May 2023
| publisher = Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
| language = es
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230527033939/https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/promedioTemperatura30/520006/2020
| archive-date = 27 May 2023
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref name = DMC>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171020140839/http://164.77.222.61/climatologia/publicaciones/Estadistica_ClimatologicaIII.pdf
| archive-date = 20 October 2017
| url = http://164.77.222.61/climatologia/publicaciones/Estadistica_ClimatologicaIII.pdf
| title = Estadistica Climatologica Tomo III
|pages=512–37
| access-date = 15 January 2013
| publisher = Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil
| language = es
| date = March 2001}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[NOAA]] (precipitation days 1991–2020),<ref>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230804191158/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Chile/CSV/Carlosibanezaeropuertopuntaarenas_85934.csv
| archive-date = 4 August 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Chile/CSV/Carlosibanezaeropuertopuntaarenas_85934.csv
| title = Carlos Ibanez Aeropuerto Punta Arenas Climate Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = 4 August 2023}}</ref> Méteo Climat (record highs only)<ref name = MeteoClimat>{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/station-541-1888-2015.php
| title = Station Punta Arenas
| publisher = Méteo Climat
| access-date = 10 February 2015}}</ref>}}

==History==
{{see also|Spanish colonization attempt of the Strait of Magellan}}

[[File:Casa España, Punta Arenas, Magallanes, Chile.jpg|thumb|Casa España, established in 1917 by the ''Spanish Society of Socorros Mutuos''. It was formed between 1936 and 1938. Plaza de Armas ([[Muñoz Gamero Park]]).]]

[[File:Avenida Cristóbal Colón, Punta Arenas, Magallanes, Chile.jpg|thumb|Christopher Columbus Avenue, the location of the Old Machine House, built in 1890 by Croatians, 2017]]

Two early [[Spanish Chilean|Spanish]] settlements were attempted along this coast (on the Straits of Magellan). The first was founded in 1584 and was called ''Nombre de Jesús.'' It failed due to the harsh weather and difficulty in the settlers' obtaining food and water, and the enormous distances from other Spanish ports. A second colony, ''Ciudad del Rey don Felipe'', was attempted about 80 kilometres south of Punta Arenas. This became known later as ''[[Puerto del Hambre]]'', which translates to ''Port Famine''. Spain had established these settlements in an attempt to protect its shipping and prevent piracy by [[English people|English]] [[pirate]]s, by controlling the Straits of Magellan. An English [[privateer]], [[Thomas Cavendish]], during his [[Thomas Cavendish's circumnavigation|circumnavigation]], rescued the last surviving member of Puerto del Hambre in 1587.<ref>Martinic, Mateo, (2000) Rey don Felipe: Historical facts (in Spanish). Productora Gráfica Andros Ltda, 100 p. http://www.memoriachilena.cl/602/w3-article-10388.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304223457/http://www.memoriachilena.cl/602/w3-article-10388.html |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>Moss, Chris, (2008). Patagonia: A cultural History. Oxford University Press, New York, 299 p.</ref>

===Penal colony===
{{further|Chilean colonization of the Strait of Magellan}}
In 1843 the [[Chilean government]] sent an expedition to build a fort and establish a permanent settlement on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. It built and commissioned a schooner called ''Goleta Ancud'' which, under the command of [[John Williams Wilson]] of the Chilean Navy, transported a crew of 21 people ([[captain (naval)|captain]], eighteen crew, and two women), plus cargo, to accomplish the mandate. The founding act of the settlement took place on 21 September 1843.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Braun-Menéndez |first1=Armando |year=1968 |title=Fuerte Bulnes: Colección Cruz del Sur; 10 |language=es |publisher=Francisco de Aguirre |edition=2nd |url=https://www.amazon.com/Fuerte-Bulnes----Biblioteca-Francisco-Aguirre/dp/B00OTVV6FE/ref=sr_1_3_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449783635&sr=1-3&keywords=Fuerte+Bulnes}}</ref>

The fort was well-positioned on a small rocky [[peninsula]], but the location could not support a proper civilian settlement. With that in mind, in 1848, the military governor, José de los Santos Mardones, decided to move the settlement to its current location, along the ''Las Minas'' river, and renamed it Punta Arenas.

In the mid-19th century, Chile used Punta Arenas as a penal colony and a disciplinary posting for military personnel with "problematic" behaviour. It also settled immigrants there. In December 1851, a prisoners' [[Mutiny of Cambiazo|mutiny led by Lieutenant Cambiaso]], resulted in the murder of Governor Muñoz Gamero and the resident priest, and the destruction of the church and the hospital.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.interpatagonia.com/puntaarenas/historia_i.html |title=Punta Arenas, History and Legends |publisher=Interpatagonia.com |access-date=16 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419151046/http://www.interpatagonia.com/puntaarenas/historia_i.html |archive-date=19 April 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The mutiny was put down by [[William Houston Stewart|Commander Stewart]] of {{HMS|Virago|1842|6}} assisted by two Chilean ships: ''Indefatigable'' and ''[[Meteoro (brigantine)|Meteoro]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2260 |title=History HMS ''Virago'' |publisher=Pdavis.nl |access-date=16 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415022651/http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2260 |archive-date=15 April 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://patlibros.org/iam/index.php |title= Brown, Charles H., "Insurrection at Magellan. Narrative of the Imprisonment and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown," '' Chilian Convicts'' |agency= Geo. C. Rand |location= Boston |year= 1854 |edition= Second |publisher= hosted at Patlibros.org |access-date= 16 May 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120208025714/http://patlibros.org/iam/index.php |archive-date= 8 February 2012 |url-status= live }}</ref>

In 1867, President [[José Joaquín Pérez]] issued a decree offering land grants in an effort to get Chileans or foreigners to settle around Punta Arenas.  The first British immigrants arrived in 1867, and their number increased as [[sheep farming]] grew in the [[Magallanes Region|Chilean Magallanes]].  The greatest immigration continued to be by the British until 1906, when Croatians surpassed them in numbers.<ref name=William>{{cite book |last1=Edmundson |first1=William |title=A History of the British Presence in Chile: From Bloody Mary to Charles Darwin and the Decline of British Influence |url=https://archive.org/details/historybritishpr00edmu |url-access=limited |date=2009 |publisher=Palgrave MacMillan |location=New York |isbn=9780230114838 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historybritishpr00edmu/page/n129 117]-125}}</ref>

An 1877 mutiny, known as ''El motín de los artilleros'' (Mutiny of the Artillerymen), led to the destruction of a large part of the town and the murder of many civilians not directly associated with the prison. In time the city was restored. The growth of the sheep farming industry and the [[Tierra del Fuego Gold Rush|discovery of gold]], as well as increasing trade via sailing ships, attracted many new settlers, and the town began to prosper.

===Economic boom===
Between about 1890 and 1940, the [[Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region|Magallanes region]] became an important sheep-raising region, with one company (''[[Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego]]'') controlling over {{convert|11000|km2}}.  In 1910, Sociedad Explotadora merged with Sociedad Ganadera, resulting in a company possessing 3 million [[hectare]]s in southern Chile and Argentina, with over two million head of sheep.<ref name=William/>{{rp|120–125}}  The headquarters of this company and the residences of the owners were in Punta Arenas. The Sarah Braun Museum is now established at the former Braun-Menéndez mansion, in the centre of Punta Arenas.

The Punta Arenas harbour, although exposed to storms, was considered one of the most important in Chile before the construction of the [[Panama Canal]]. It was used as a [[coaling station]] by the [[steamships]] transiting between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today it is mostly used by tourism cruises and scientific expeditions.

===Modern city===
The city is often a base for Antarctic expeditions, along with [[Ushuaia]] (Argentina) and [[Christchurch]] (New Zealand).<ref>[http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=391&sid=1298418 Punta Arenas example] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219211609/http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=391&sid=1298418 |date=19 February 2008 }}<br /> [http://www.cruise-reviews.com/reviews/destinations/destinationdetail2.asp?fReviewID=180 Ushuaiaexample] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219180536/http://www.cruise-reviews.com/reviews/destinations/destinationdetail2.asp?fReviewID=180 |date=19 February 2008 }}<br /> [https://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/2671/antarctica-holiday-classic-cruise Ushuaiaexample] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208123432/http://www.responsibletravel.com/Trip/Trip101420.htm |date=8 February 2008 }}<br /> [http://www.smallgrouptours.net/Antarctica_Classic.html Ushuaiaexample] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220072235/http://www.smallgrouptours.net/Antarctica_Classic.html |date=20 February 2008 }}<br /> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3683431.stm "New Zealand is still the jumping-off point for today's expeditions to Antarctica, and the home of several Antarctic research institutes."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080826070920/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3683431.stm |date=26 August 2008 }}, BBC News<br /> [http://www.pacificislandbooks.com/antarctica.htm "Christchurch... is still the major jumping off point for Antarctica. It hosts the International Antarctic Centre, a place well worth a visit."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219145803/http://www.pacificislandbooks.com/antarctica.htm |date=19 February 2008 }}, Pacific Island Books</ref>

{{wide image|Punta Arenas panorama 1.JPG|800px|Panoramic view of Punta Arenas, 2016}}
[[File:PilotoPardo.jpg|thumb|Monument to Piloto [[Luis Pardo]], a Chilean Naval Officer who led the 1916 expedition to save Sir Ernest Shackleton's crew members, stranded on [[Elephant Island]], 2023]]
[[File:CruiserCarabineros.jpg|thumb|A Carabineros de Chile vehicle parked on Pdte. Julio A. Roca in Punta Arenas, 2023]]

==Demography==
[[File:Vista Sur.jpg|thumb|220x220px|The ''[[County of Peebles (ship)|County of Peebles]]'' and ''Cavenga'' are used as a [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]] for the harbour at Punta Arenas, 2023]]

In 2012 Punta Arenas recorded a population of over 127,000 inhabitants for the (2012 Census) by the [[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]]. The population grew by 5.1% (5,830 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses and further rose to 127,454 at the 2012 Census.<ref name="INE"/>

The city was populated by many colonists from [[Spain]] and [[Croatian Chilean|Croatia]] in the mid-nineteenth century, and many of their descendants remain. Other national ethnic groups represented are [[German Chilean|German]], [[English Chilean|English]], [[Italian Chilean|Italian]], [[Swiss Chilean|Swiss]] and [[Irish Chilean|Irish]].

[[Croatian people|Croatian immigration]] to Punta Arenas was a crucial development in the region of [[Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region|Magallanes]] and the city in particular. Currently, this influence is still reflected in the names of shops, streets and many buildings. Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in the whole of Chile.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Punta Arenas is home to the southernmost Hindu temple in the world, which is used by the relatively small, but significant, [[Sindhis|Sindhi]] community in Punta Arenas. Sindhi merchants began arriving in the area during the early 1900s, and today constitute one of the largest communities of [[Indians in Chile]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-08-02|title=Keeping cultures alive: Sindhis and Hindus in Chile|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/keeping-cultures-alive-sindhis-and-hindus-in-chile/story-SArpBs0aDiHbhOXqjazqIP.html|access-date=2021-12-30|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Haksar|first=Nandita|title=Punta Arenas: Did you know of the Chilean town where a Sindhi man set up a business outpost in 1905?|url=https://scroll.in/article/883496/punta-arenas-did-you-know-of-the-chilean-town-where-a-sindhi-set-up-a-business-outpost|access-date=2021-12-30|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Laurence M Gould.JPG|thumb|220x220px|Ice breaker [[RV Laurence M. Gould|RV ''Laurence M. Gould'']] in Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas is an important point in the supply of [[Research stations in Antarctica|Antarctic bases]] in [[West Antarctica]], 2006]]

By 2006 the economy of Punta Arenas and the region had diversified. Chile's principal oil reserves are close by, along with some [[Coal mining in Chile|low-grade coal]].<ref>{{Cite report |title=Política Enérgetica Magallanes y Antártica Chilena 2050 |year=2017 |url=https://energia.gob.cl/sites/default/files/documentos/energia-magallanes-2050.pdf |access-date=2022-06-13 |page=17 |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref name=Worldcoal>{{cite report |author-last=Hackley|author-first=Paul C.|author-last2=Warwick|author-first2=Peter D.|author-last3=Alfaro|author-first3=Guillermo H.|author-last4=Cuebas|author-first4=Rosenelsy M.|date=2006|title=World Coal Quality Inventory: South America |chapter=World Coal Quality Inventory: Chile |chapter-url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1241/Chapter%204-Chile.pdf |publisher=USGS |pages=90–131 |access-date=February 23, 2017 }}</ref>

Agricultural production, including sheep and cattle, continues to play a significant role.

Tourism has contributed to the city's economy and steady growth. Tourist destinations include the Cathedral and other notable churches, the city cemetery, and the statue of Magellan. Some cruise ships to Antarctica depart from Punta Arenas's port, which also serves as a hub for many cruise lines that travel along the channels and fjords of the region.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}

A scheduled ferry service connects Punta Arenas with the main island of [[Tierra del Fuego]], and a less frequent ferry runs to the Chilean town of [[Puerto Williams]].{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

==Education==
[[University of Magallanes]] (UMAG) is in the southern [[Chile]]an city of Punta Arenas. It is part of the [[Chilean Traditional Universities]]. The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during the [[neoliberal]] reforms of Chile's [[military regime]] as the successor of [[University of Santiago, Chile#Universidad Técnica del Estado|Universidad Técnica del Estado]]'s Punta Arenas section. Universidad Técnica del Estado had established the Punta Arenas section in 1961.

The University of Magallanes has campuses in Punta Arenas and [[Puerto Natales]] as well as a university centre in [[Puerto Williams]]. University of Magallanes publishes the humanities and social sciences journal ''[[Magallania]]'' twice a year.

There is a German school, Deutsche Schule Punta Arenas.<ref>"[http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160312191648/http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf Archive]). [[Bundestag]] (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved 12 March 2016. p. 23/51.</ref>

==Culture==
===Museums===
* '''Braun Menéndez Regional Museum''' ({{langx|es|Museo Regional Braun Menéndez}})
The museum is located in the Braun Menéndez Palace, which is a National Monument. Since February 1983, the "Magallanes Regional Museum" has been operating here, which has material from the contemporary history of the region.

* '''Salesian Regional Museum Maggiorino Borgatello''' ({{langx|es|Museo Regional Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello}})
The museum is located at Avenida Bulnes no. 374, next to the Santuario María Auxiliadora. It is the most important in the area, and has a complete collection of species from the region and the [[Selkʼnam people|Selkʼnam]] culture. Samples from [[Antarctica]] are also on display.
It was created in 1893 by the [[Salesians of Don Bosco|Salesians]] religious congregation, and is maintained by voluntary contributions made by the community.

* '''Naval and Maritime Museum of Punta Arenas''' ({{langx|es| Museo Naval y Marítimo de Punta Arenas}})
The museum is located at Pedro Montt No. 981, next to the Military Museum. It holds a historical collection of the [[Chilean Armed Forces]] during the colonization of the territory of [[Magallanes Region|Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica]].

* '''Nao ''Victoria'' Museum''' ({{langx|es|Museo Nao Victoria}})

[[File:NaoVictoria.JPG|thumb|240x240px|[[Victoria (ship)|''Nao Victoria'']], Magellan's ship replica, in the [[Museo Nao Victoria]] Punta Arenas, 2011]]

{{Main|Museo Nao Victoria (Chile)}}
The museum is located 7.5&nbsp;km north on Route Y-565 to Rio Seco. This museum exhibits a full-size replica of the first ship ever to circumnavigate the world: Ferdinand Magellan's ''[[Victoria (ship)|Nao Victoria]].''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naovictoria.cl |title=Museum website |publisher=Naovictoria.cl |access-date=16 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207011620/http://www.naovictoria.cl/ |archive-date=7 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since October 2011, the museum has displayed a full-size replica of the ''[[Voyage of the James Caird|James Caird]]'', used by [[Ernest Shackleton]] during his [[Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition]] with the [[Endurance (1912 ship)|''Endurance'']].

* '''Museum of Remembrance''' ({{langx|es|Museo del Recuerdo}})

[[File: Carreta Museo del Recuerdo.JPG|thumb|Museum of Remembrance, 2010]]

The Museum of Remembrance of the [[University of Magallanes]] Instituto de la Patagonia displays examples of heritage buildings, old machinery and tools. They are part of an Open Museum, with high attendance and regional identity and a significant number of foreign visitors, especially during the spring, summer and autumn seasons. It has 8 heritage wooden buildings; 40 antique vehicles and transport of great historical value; machines; and innumerable tools, mainly associated with livestock and oil production.

==Administration==
As a "comuna" (commune) Punta Arenas is a third-level [[administrative division of Chile]] administered by a [[municipal council]], headed by an [[alcalde]] who is directly elected every four years. The 2016–2020 alcalde is Claudio Radonich ([[National Renewal (Chile)|National Renewal]]).<ref name="Munitel" /><ref name="Official" />

Within the [[electoral divisions of Chile]], Punta Arenas is represented in the [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]] by Sandra Amar ([[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]]), Karim Bianchi (IND-[[Radical Party of Chile|PRSD]]) and Gabriel Boric ([[Social Convergence|CS]]) as part of the 60th electoral district, which includes the entire [[Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region]]. The commune is represented in the [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] by Carlos Bianchi Chelech (Ind.) and Carolina Goic B. ([[Christian Democratic Party (Chile)|DC]]) as part of the 19th senatorial constituency (Magallanes Region).

==Transportation==
[[File:Comuna de Punta Arenas.svg|thumb|175px|Map of the Punta Arenas commune in Magallanes Region]]
[[Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport|Carlos Ibáñez del Campo]] airport is located 20 kilometers from the city centre. Rental car services, [[duty-free shop]]s and custom office services are available in the building (there is no duty-free shop in the terminal, despite the representations of tourist literature). Airlines serving the airport include [[LATAM Chile]] and [[Sky Airline]], as well as charter flights.  The civilian airport and the military airport make up the larger complex.

The city has sea, land, and air connections. By road, a connection to other regions of Chile requires passing through Argentine territory.<ref name="Punta Arenas article" /> By sea, several cruises and ferries can take visitors to the city, although the costs are higher because they include stops at tourist sites along the route.

==Notable people==
* [[Gabriel Boric]] (1986–), [[President of Chile]] (2022–)
* [[Sara Braun]] (1862–1955), businesswoman 
* [[María Teresa Castañón]] (born 1978), politician 
* [[Ana Delfosse]] (1931–2017), Argentine racing driver and [[Formula One]] mechanic 
* [[Marina Latorre]] (1925–), writer, journalist and gallerist
* [[Juan Marino Cabello]] (1920–2007), composer, writer, screenwriter, bandleader and lyricist
* [[Mateo Martinic]], historian and writer
* [[Mariana Cox Méndez]] (1871–1914), writer, feminist
* [[Julio Milostich]] (1966–), actor

==Twin towns – sister cities==
Punta Arenas is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Estadísticas e Información Territorial de la Comuna de Punta Arenas|url=https://www.puntaarenas.cl/estadistica_comunal/estadisticas.html|website=puntaarenas.cl|publisher=Punta Arenas|language=es|access-date=2021-12-20}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham]], United States
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Harbin]], China<ref>{{cite web |title=哈尔滨市|url=http://www.hljswb.gov.cn/3g/newsshow.php?cid=57&lanmu=4&id=521|website=hljswb.gov.cn|publisher=Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government|language=zh|access-date=2021-12-20}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz|Río Gallegos]], Argentina
<!--Split - twinning ended-->
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Ushuaia]], Argentina.

==See also==
* [[1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquake]]
* [[Croatian Chilean]]
* [[Immigration to Chile]]
* [[Southernmost settlements]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Punta Arenas}}
{{Wikivoyage|Punta Arenas}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191215142218/http://www.portalpuntaarenas.cl/ portal de la ciudad]
* [http://www.welcomepatagonia.com/travel/punta-arenas-home.php Portal de la Ciudad]
* [http://www.puntaarenas.cl Municipalidad de Punta Arenas]
* [http://www.laprensaaustral.cl La Prensa Austral]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-53.140869,-70.912628&spn=0.144161,0.125570&t=k&hl=en Satellite picture by Google Maps]

{{Communes in Magallanes Region}}
{{Large cities of Chile}}
{{Pirates}}
{{American Capital of Culture}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Punta Arenas| ]]
[[Category:Port cities in Chile]]
[[Category:Capitals of Chilean regions]]
[[Category:Communes of Chile]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1848]]
[[Category:Capitals of Chilean provinces]]
[[Category:Populated places in Magallanes Province]]
[[Category:Strait of Magellan]]
[[Category:Former penal colonies]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Strait of Magellan]]
[[Category:1848 establishments in South America]]
[[Category:Brunswick Peninsula]]