Riesco Island lies at west of the Brunswick Peninsula

Brunswick Peninsula

Brunswick Peninsula is a large peninsula in Magallanes y la Antártica Region, Patagonia, Chile, at . It is wide at its base in the north, and almost in the south. It measures in length from the base to Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the American mainland. This yields an area of more...

, 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...

. It is one of the largest islands in Chile, with an area of 5110 sqkm. Its highest point is Mount Atalaya at 1830 metres (6,003.9 ft). The island is bordered by two large piedmont embayments: Otway Sound and Skyring Sound. A narrow channel connects both bodies of water and separates the island from mainland Patagonia

Patagonia

Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...

. The island is separated from the southern part of the Muñoz Gamero Peninsula

Muñoz Gamero Peninsula

Muñoz Gamero Peninsula is a peninsula in Chile. It is bordered on the west by the Smyth Channel and is connected to the Patagonia mainland by a narrow isthmus, which separates Skyring Sound from Seno Obstrucción. The peninsula consists of several smaller peninsulas jutting from its central land...

 by another narrow channel.

Riesco Island hosts Chile's largest known coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 reserves, with mining activities dating back to the 19th century. It is thought to contain more than 300 million tonnes of low-quality coal in three deposits located in the colonized portion of the island: Río Eduardo, Elena and Estancia Invierno.

Numerous glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

s can be found on other parts of the island. In the northwest, an icefield is the source of 7 glaciers and Cerro Ladrillero has 12 glaciers on its slopes. In the southwestern portion of the island, Córdova Peninsula marks the eastern limit of the Strait of Magellan

Strait of Magellan

The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...

 and is home to several mountain glaciers.

Riesco is a surname. In Chile, a president

President of Chile

The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...

 named Germán Riesco

Germán Riesco

Germán Riesco Errázuriz was a Chilean political figure, and he served as President of Chile between 1901 and 1906.-Early life:...

 was elected at the beginning of the 20th century. Many places have been named after him, including the Riesco River, a lake, an island and several streets.