The Strait of Magellan is a picturesque world of glaciers and rocks, which was discovered and first passed from October 21 to November 28, 1520. Until the Panama Canal was built, the strait was crucial for world trade. It is still used by ships that go around the southernmost side of South America. The Pacific and Atlantic oceans are connected at this point, however, this route went down in history as unpredictable and difficult. In some places of the Magellanian Strait is very narrow, given the strong winds and currents, the passage through it may be unsafe. Nowadays, everyone can see the unusual places that the early explorers saw. Many cruise companies in America offer to travel along the famous strait and explore the picturesque coast, covered with cliffs and glaciers.
Fernan Magelan - navigator and discoverer, was born into a noble family in 1480. He received an excellent education, was passionate about astronomy, studied cosmography and navigation. From his youth, his dream was to open a new route to the "islands of spices." He was the first to develop an expedition plan. When the Portuguese king did not approve of his intentions, he decided to enlist the support of the Spanish monarch Charles V. Thus, in 1519, Fernand Magelan sailed from the kingdom with five Spanish ships. The seafarer never left the belief that somewhere else there is a different route to Asia, western.
On All Saints Day, in November 1520, a strong storm drove the ships into a narrow strait that was bordered by cliffs and glaciers. Then the team did not even realize how difficult the journey was waiting for her ahead. They sailed almost 600 km. along the strait that Magellan called the “Strait of All Saints,” and a little later the Spanish king renamed it the Strait of Magellan in honor of the famous and brave navigator.
For many years, the discoverer was the only captain who managed to pass this strait without loss. Not one of his ships was wrecked. He is also the first to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.
The Strait of Magellan was for a long time the shortest route and an important trade route between the western coast of America and Europe. Colonization of coastal lands did not work, although Spain has repeatedly tried to develop this territory. Severe food shortages and severe climatic conditions led to tragedies. Only in the 19th century did colonization succeed. The Strait of Magellan was controlled by the Chilean authorities. In 1848, the port city of Punta Arenas was founded here, which until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 was one of the most significant ports in the world.
The strait is located between mainland South America and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. It is almost completely located in the territorial waters of Chile, only the eastern tip belongs to Argentina. Its length is almost 570 km, and its width is from 2 km in narrow places and up to 20 km in the widest.
One of the most significant events in the history of the XVI century are the travels of Fernand Magellan. It was he who managed to prove that the Earth has the shape of a ball. A passage was opened from the Atlantic, and for the first time Europeans managed to cross the largest ocean - the Pacific. Also during the expedition, Columbus's assumptions that the land occupies most of the Earth’s surface were refuted. Magellan found that everything was exactly the opposite. He left a great mark in history, his heroism was imitated, he was admired. All notes during the trip were kept by A. Pigafetta, who participated in this expedition as a volunteer. His historical notes are characterized by accuracy of presentation and are accompanied by special explanations.