Monte León National Park

Coordinates: 50°14′S 69°00′W / 50.233°S 69.000°W / -50.233; -69.000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Monte León National Park
Parque Nacional Monte León
Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Nearest cityPuerto Santa Cruz
Coordinates50°14′S 69°00′W / 50.233°S 69.000°W / -50.233; -69.000
Area62,168 ha (621.68 km2; 240.03 sq mi)
EstablishedOctober 20, 2004 (2004-10-20)[1]
Governing bodyArgentine National Parks Administration

Monte León National Park (

Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Established on 20 October 2004,[1] it houses a representative sample of the steppe and Patagonian coast biodiversity in good state of conservation, as well as several paleontological sites of high value. It runs along 36 km (22 mi) of the southern Argentine Sea
coastline.

History

About 10,000–13,000 years ago, hunter-gatherer groups took advantage of the area's varied coastal environment, full of food resources. The Tehuelche people, descendants of the first settlers, expanded land use, developing a greater exchange with other, farther away groups. The arrival of the first European settlers triggered major changes in the original populations: the gradual increase of product exchange dependency and loss of territory caused migrations towards the west of the province and the incorporation of the original settlers into rural tasks.

In early 1876, during the presidency of

Magallanes with orders of sinking any Argentine vessels in the area. The French boat Jeanne-Amelie, authorized by Avellaneda's administration, was boarded and its crew imprisoned by the Chilean forces, an incident that worsened the bilateral relationship
. Two years later Chile once again seized a vessel in Monte León: this time it was the United States' ship Devonshire, and the action put both countries at the verge of war.

Alberto María De Agostini
also visited it in the early 20th century.

Park logo with Magellanic penguin

The Estancia Monte León belonged to the Southern Patagonia Sheep Farming Company Limited, which exploited it as a

sheep farm
. It was sold in 1920 to the Braun family, who continued this business until 2006. The extraction of guano was profitable until 1930.

In 1996 Monte León was proposed to be included in the National Park System of Argentina. Francisco Erize, former director of the

NGO
.

In 2000, through the NGO

Congress
, making Monte León the first continental marine park of Argentina.

Description

Monte León consists of high

sandbars
that are uncovered in low tide. The park's coastal sector represents about 1% of the Argentine mainland shoreline.

  • Monte León National Park scenery
  • Monte Cabeza de León ("Lion Head Mount"), the rock formation the park is named for
    Monte Cabeza de León ("Lion Head Mount"), the rock formation the park is named for
  • Sandstone cliffs over the park's beach
    Sandstone cliffs over the park's beach
  • Beach in low tide
    Beach in low tide
  • Beach in low tide
    Beach in low tide
  • A herd of guanacos in the neighboring grasslands
    A herd of guanacos in the neighboring grasslands

Climate

The park has a cold

arid or semi-arid climate with a mean annual temperature of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F).[2] Temperatures during the winter months can fall below 0 °C (32.0 °F) while they can exceed 30 °C (86.0 °F) during summer.[2] The park averages 250 mm (9.8 in) of rainfall per year, which is concentrated in fall and winter.[2] Average annual wind speeds range between 15 and 20 km/h (9.3 and 12.4 mph), although the park can experience gusts up to 100 km/h (62 mph).[2]

Biodiversity

The park is home to large colonies of Magellanic penguins.

The

Carlos Spegazzini, the founder of botany
in Argentina, identified several hitherto unknown grass species when researching the area as part of a scientific expedition financed by Italy.

Aboriginal people used

calafate resin as a sort of chewing gum, a custom that chroniclers linked to the good health and cleanliness of their dentures. The wild thyme
is widely used in the local cuisine. Several other plant species found in the park also have medicinal uses. As is usual for desert climates, harsh winters are often followed by spectacular blooms of colorful flowers.

Monte León is also home to about twenty species of coastal and marine birds: several varieties of

ñandús
(rheas).

Very large populations of fish roam the cold sea waters. The park is also home to several large

guanacos. The park is the only place in the world where pumas feed on penguins.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Ley No. 25945, 12 de noviembre de 2004, B.O., (30526), 1 (in Spanish); sanc.: 20 de octubre de 2004, prom.: 10 de noviembre de 2004
  2. ^ a b c d "Parque Nacional Monte León" (in Spanish). Administración de Parques Nacionales. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  3. ^ Catchpole, Karen; CWO (2020-04-16). "Monte León National Park in Patagonia Argentina". Trans-Americas Journey. Retrieved 2022-05-11.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monte León National Park.

Further reading

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