The island of Tierra del Fuego, where Ushuaia is located, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years, making Tierra del Fuego’s history of great value. The first inhabitants of the island were the Onas and the Yaghan, who lived in small communities and were dedicated to hunting and fishing. The island took its name from the fire that the indigenous people used to light for heating and cooking.
In 1520, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to reach the island, although he did not disembark. In the seventeenth century, the Spanish began to settle on the island and began to missionize the indigenous people. In the 19th century, the island was divided between Argentina and Chile, and Ushuaia was founded as a penal colony in 1884. During World War I, Ushuaia became an important port for the Argentine Navy and was used as a base for the construction of submarines. Today, Ushuaia is a tourist city and is known as the “end of the world”.
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