What Strait Was Named by Magellan?

The Strait of Magellan (Estrecho de Magallanes) is named after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães), who discovered it in October–November 1520 during the first circumnavigation of the globe (1519–1522).

• Location: Southern tip of South America, separating mainland Patagonia from Tierra del Fuego.
• Significance: Only natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans until the Panama Canal (1914).
• Navigation: 570 km (350 mi) of narrow, winding, tide-swept channels; treacherous winds (williwaws).
• Legacy: Magellan named it Estrecho de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Strait); later renamed in his honor. The Pacific Ocean was also named by him (Mar Pacífico).

Chile administers the strait; it remains a strategic route for ships avoiding Cape Horn or too large for the Panama Canal.