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World in Progress: Tierra del Fuego's lives and past

Michael Marek
January 27, 2021

Tierra del Fuego, or the "Land of Fire", the southermost tip of South America had been inhabited for millenia by indigenous people before the first European sailors arrived 500 years ago. The rugged landscape still attracts travelers, and lives continue to be harsh in this rugged part of the world.

https://p.dw.com/p/3oUBs

Tierra del Fuego: Harsh lives and a global history 

Tierra del Fuego, or the Land of Fire, is on the southern tip of South America. The landscape with its fjords, glaciers and even rainforests is beautiful, but it can also be a pretty harsh place for the people living there. Europeans first set foot there 500 years ago when they were looking for a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans around Cape Horn. It became the main trading route between the Indies and Europe for centuries. But most of the indigenous Yagán did not survive their encounter with the white intruders. By the early 20th century, they had almost been wiped out. Michael Marek traveled to Tierra del Fuego to find out about the past and present of this unique part of the world. 

Report: Michael Marek

Presenter: Natalie Muller