The Giants of South America - Patagonia

As a gnome, I am vertically challenged. Do you know what I mean by that? Yes sir ree - I am short! I am only a wee bit shorter than a shrub and next to humans I feel so small but boy Patagonia was named after giants. I didn't know that. Did you?

I have some things I am learning that I wanted to share with the class.

Land of the Giants

Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. Located in Argentina and Chile, it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 1.80 m (~5'11") compared to the 1.55 m (~5'1") average for Spaniards of the time. Tehuelches is a collective name for some native tribes of Patagonia. They are also called Patagonians

Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of Patagonia, divided between Argentina and Chile. An archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands.

Climate

The prevailing winds are westerly, and the westward slope has a much heavier precipitation than the eastern in a rainshadow effect. A rain shadow is an area of land that has suffered desertification (desert like) from proximity to mountain ranges. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. Did you guys study the Water Cycle yet?