Magellan, Strait Of
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2007
MAGELLAN, STRAIT OF c.330 mi (530 km) long and 2 1 / 2 to 15 mi (4 24 km) wide, separating South America from Tierra del Fuego...continent. Except for a few miles at its eastern end in Argentina, it passes through Chile. The strait, discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, was important in the days of sailing ships, especially before the building of the Panama Canal, and is still used...