group of islands at the tip of South America, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan: they are divided between Argentina & Chile: 28,473 sq mi (73,745 sq km)
chief island of this group, divided between Argentina & Chile: c. 18,000 sq mi (46,620 sq km)
See Tierra del Fuego in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(tē-ĕrˈə dĕl fwāˈgō, tyĕrˈrä dĕl fwĕˈgō)
An archipelago off southern South America separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. The main island, also called Tierra del Fuego, is divided between Chile and Argentina. Smaller islands of the archipelago are administered individually by the two countries. Ferdinand Magellan first sighted Tierra del Fuego in 1520.