Patagonia: The History of the Southernmost Region in South America

The name, "Patagonia" comes from an observation made by Ferdinand Magellan, who visited the region during his historic expedition around the world. Marveled by the height of the indigenous people, he referred to the region as a “land of giants.” Those giants were the Tehuelches, named by Magellan's expedition as Patagones, and the chronicles of that trip, written by Antonio Pigafetta, popularized the term “Patagones,” a term that refers to their big feet (in Spanish, “patones” means "of bi...