Chonos Archipelago
Encyclopedia
Chonos Archipelago is a series of low mountainous elongated island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s with deep bays, traces of a submerged Chilean Coast Range
Chilean Coast Range
The Chilean Coastal Range is a mountain range that runs from north to south along the Pacific coast of South America parallel to the Andean Mountains, extending from Morro de Arica in the north to Taitao Peninsula, where it ends at the Chile Triple Junction, in the south. The range has a strong...

. Most of the islands are forested with little or no human settlement. The deep Moraleda Channel
Moraleda Channel
Moraleda Channel is a body of water separating the Chonos Archipelago from the mainland of Chile. It is located at . Southward from the mouth of the Aisén Fjord, Moraleda Channel divides into two arms. The east arm, called Canal Costa , is the main one...

 separates the islands of the Chonos Archipelago from the mainland of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and from Magdalena Island.

The largest islands are Melchor Island
Melchor Island
Melchor Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 864 km²....

, Benjamin Island
Benjamin Island
Benjamin Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 618 km²....

, Traiguen Island
Traiguen Island
Traiguen Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 520 km²....

, Riveros Island, Cuptana Island
Cuptana Island
Cuptana Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 320 km²....

, James Island
James Island (Chile)
James Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 388 km²....

, Victoria Island
Victoria Island (Chile)
Victoria Island is an island in the Chonos Archipelago of Chile. It has an area of 354 km²....

, Simpson Island
Simpson Island
Simpson Island is an island in Lake Superior, situated off the north shore at the entrance to Nipigon Bay, in Northern Ontario, Canada. It is located about five km from the mainland and approximately thirteen km southwest of the locality of Rossport...

, Level Island, Luz Island.

Far out in the Pacific is Guamblin Island with the Isla Guamblin National Park. The National park comprises about 106 km². Blue whales can often be seen here.

Some groups of islands are grouped into minor archipelagoes such as the Guaitecas Archipelago
Guaitecas Archipelago
Guaitecas Archipelago is an archipelago in the municipality of Guaitecas in the Aisén province. The Ciprés de las Guaitecas tree is named after the archipelago. The only settlement in the archipelago is Melinka....

. Guaitecas Archipelago have its own municipality and possesses the only settlement in the archipelago, Melinka
Melinka, Chile
Melinka is a Chilean town in Aisén Province, Aisén Region. It is the administrative center of the commune of Guaitecas since 1979. The settlement is named after the wife of the Lithuanian immigrant, F. A. Westhoff, who settled in the area when it was still part of Chiloé Province. The word melinka...

. All islands are part of the Aisén Region.
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