Ushuaia

On Argentina tours, located on the southwest shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia is the port and capital city of the Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina. It is commonly believed to be the southernmost city in the world, however, this is sometimes disputed by the smaller Puerto Williams in Chile.

There has been human habitation in Tierra de Fuego dating back around 10,000 years ago with the Selk’nam Indians. The southern group, the Yámana people, lived in the area that is now Ushuaia. The British ship the HMS Beagle arrived in the channel that now shares its name in 1833 to survey Tierra del Fuego. Missionaries arrived in 1870 establishing a small settlement while the first Argentine citizens arrived in 1873. The beginning of the 20th century saw Ushuaia become centred around a prison built by the Argentine government who hoped to increase the Argentine population, following the example of the British in Tasmania, Australia.