A sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. Also refers to the outdoor clothing company named after this region.
Spanish, from 'Patagón', meaning 'big foot', named by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 after encountering the Tehuelche people whom he described as giants. The name evolved from Portuguese/Spanish 'pata' (paw/foot) + augmentative suffix.
Magellan's crew reported meeting 'giants' in Patagonia, but this was likely due to the Tehuelche people's impressive height and their large guanaco-hide boots. The region remains one of the world's last great wildernesses, inspiring the outdoor gear company to adopt its name in 1973.
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