An archipelago off southern South America separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. The main island, also called Tierra del Fuego, is divided between Chile and Argentina. Smaller islands of the archipelago are administered individually by the two countries. Ferdinand Magellan first sighted Tierra del Fuego in 1520.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
