Our series on Tiny Disputes takes us to the southern tip of South America, in a region that has been disputed between Chile and Argentina.
Patagonia, the southernmost region of the South American cone, remained under tribal control much longer than the rest of the continent. It is only in the 19th Century, when former Spanish colonies had become sovereign nations, that the two countries rushed to control the region. A first border agreement was signed in 1881. As Chile had started its settlement earlier, it was able to claim the totality of the Strait of Magellan, as well as the western half of largest island of Tierra del Fuego. The Beagle Canal, in its western side, also marked the border between both nations, because the southernmost islands, include Horn Island, the southern tip of the region, were deemed to belong to Chile.
A dispute arose as to who owned three islands in the Canal itself, and the situation remained tense for almost one century, taking both countries to the brink of war in 1978. Both countries agreed to have the Pope arbitrate the dispute, and the Pope's decision was rendered in 1980, ruling the three islands to be Chilean. While initially rejected by the military junta that ruled Argentina, the country reverted to democracy in 1983 and the new democratic government accepted the ruling, which led to a comprehensive treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1984.
The Beagle Canal Dispute
