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Chonos Archipelago

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Chonos Archipelago is a group of islands in Chile. These islands sit in the Aisén Region. They are long and low. Some parts of the islands have mountains. Deep bays sit between the land. These islands are part of a submerged mountain range.

Most of the islands are covered in green forests. You will see Pilgerodendron forests there. Small cushion plants grow on the ground too. These include plants like Astelia pumila. Some areas have shrubs that grow two meters high. These areas are called shrublands.

People have studied these islands for a long time. José de Moraleda y Montero mapped them in 1793. Robert FitzRoy mapped them in 1834. Enrique Simpson mapped them between 1870 and 1871. Very few people live in the archipelago. The town of Melinka is the only settlement. It is in the Guaitecas Archipelago.

There are many large islands in this group. These include Melchor, Benjamin, and Traiguén islands. Riveros, Cuptana, James, Victoria, Simpson, Level, and Luz islands are also there. Guamblin Island sits far out in the Pacific Ocean. It has a national park. The park is about 106 square kilometers.

The water around the islands is very important. The deep Moraleda Channel separates the islands from the mainland. It also separates them from Magdalena Island. You might see blue whales in the water. They are often seen near Guamblin Island. The islands stay wild and mostly empty of people.

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