Beagle Channel cartography since 1881

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The Beagle Conflict
Main Article: Beagle conflict
1881–1970: Beagle Channel cartography
1971–1977: Beagle Channel Arbitration
1977–1978: Direct Negotiations
1978: Operation Soberanía
1979–1984: Papal Mediation
1984: Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1984
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The Beagle Channel, discovered 1830, was one of the last ones to be colonized by Chile and Argentina. The cold weather, the long distances from other habitated regions and the shortage of transport and subsistence kept it far from the governmental task.

In the maps exhibited in this page it is possible to appreciate the ignorance of the geography of navigators and explorers of the zone and also the statesmen who had to decide on the borders. Nevertheless, when the Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina was signed, in the Beagle Channel zone at least the main islands were known.

The Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration says:

There can be no doubt that in the immediate post-Treaty period, that is to say from 1881 to at least 1887/88, Argentine cartography in general showed the PNL group as Chilean;[1]

Argentine scientists Carlos Escudé and Andrés Cisneros in his academic work Historia general de las relaciones exteriores de la República Argentina give a résumé of the Boundary Treaty of 1881:

De acuerdo con una serie de fuentes, la actitud de la clase política argentina parece haber coincidido, entre 1881 y 1902, con la interpretación del tratado de 1881 que tienen los chilenos y que luego adoptarían la Corte Arbitral y el Papa en la cuestión del Beagle. En otras palabras, que la intención de los signatarios del tratado de 1881 fue la de otorgar las islas a Chile.[2]

(Translation: "According with a series of sources, the attitude of the Argentine political class seems to have agreed, between 1881 and 1902, with the interpretation of the Boundary Treaty of 1881 that have the Chileans and soon would adopt the Arbitration Court and the Pope in the Beagle's question. In other words, that the intention of the signatories of the treaty of 1881 was the one to grant the islands to Chile.")

The same opinion shares the authors Karl Hernekamp[3], Annegret I. Haffa[4] and Andrea Wagner[5] in their works mentioned in the reference.

Contents

[edit] Map in "La Ilustración Argentina", 1881

Partial reproduction of the first Argentine map showing the boundaries laid down in the Boundary Treaty of 23 July 1881, appeared in "La Ilustracion Argentina" issue of 10 November 1881 in Buenos Aires. The copy reproduced here is one handed to the British Minister Plenipontentiary in Buenos Aires by Dr. Bernardo de Irigoyen, Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs who negotiated and signed the Boundary Treaty. The original is located in the official British Archives. The British Minister sent it to his Government with the comment that the dark shaded area "comprising the Strait of Magellan, half of Tierra del Fuego and all the southern islands, represent was actually has been ceded to Chile by the recent Treaty."[6]

[edit] Official map of the Argentine Republic, 1883

The first official Argentine map, partially reproduced, after the Boundary Treaty of 1881. It was ordered to be drawn up by the then Argentine Minister of the Interior, Bernardo de Irigoyen (who has previously been Minister of Foreign Affairs in which quality he has signed the Boundary Treaty of 1881) for inclusion in an official publication issued by the Director of the National Statistics Office, Dr. Francisco Latzina, in 1883 under the title "The Argentine Republic as a field for European Imigration" [7]. This was published in Spanish, English, German, French and Italian in an edition of 120.000 copies. On the official map all the islands located south of the Beagle Channel are shown under Chilean Sovereignty.

[edit] Official map of the Republic of Chile, 1883

This official map of Chile, partially reproduced here, 'was drawn up on the orders of the Chilean Government for use in primary schools in the Republic and with a view to the most recent data' by Alejandro Bertrand in 1884. The author, an engineer, was member of the Boundary Commissions charged with marking out the Chilean-Argentine Frontier. At the time the map was approved by the Chilean Hydrographic Office. On the map all the islands south of the Beagle Channel as far as Cape Horn are shown as being under Chilean sovereignty. All Chilean maps have shown this border line since 1881.

[edit] Map of the "Instituto Geográfico Argentino", 1886

In 1882 the Argentine Geographic Institute decided to issue a general map and an atlas of the Argentine Republic. The task was put in the hands of the well known Professor of the (Argentine) University of Córdoba, Arturo Seelstrang, who had already brought out a map of the Republic in 1875. The Atlas was 'constructed and published' by the institute 'under the auspices of the National Government'. Plate XXVII of the Atlas, reproduced here, was headed Governoship of Tierra del Fuego and the Malvinas Islands and were drawn up in 1885 and published the following year. As may be observed, said map shows the boundary line running through the centre of the Beagle Channel, indicating Picton, Nueva and Lennox Islands an all the other islands and islets extending southwards as far as Cape Horn as being under Chilean sovereignty.

[edit] General Map of the Argentine Republic and neighbouring countries 1886

General Map of the Argentine Republic and neighbouring countries, 1886. The map shown here states that it was "made according to the latest official data" and "in the light of the latest plans and sketches" by Francisco Moreno, Argentine expert on the Commission for marking out the frontier with Chile, and by Lieutenant-Colonel José Olascoaga, Head of the "Military Typographic Office"[8].

At the bottom, right, the map bears the inscription in the Library of Congress.

As may be observed, the international boundary is traced along the centre of the Beagle Channel, showing Picton, Nueva and Lennox and all the other islands and islets extending southwards as far as Cape Horn as being under Chilean sovereignty.

[edit] Map of Francisco Latzina, 1888

This map, partially reproduced here, is included in the book Geography of the Argentine Republic published in Buenos Aires in 1888 by Francisco Latzina, National Director of the Argentine Statistics Institute and member of numerous scientific societies. In the extreme southern region, the international boundary is traced along the centre of the Beagle Channel and stretches to the south of the Isla de los Estados. Here it shows Picton, Nueva and Lennox Islands and all other islands and islets extending southward as far as Cape Horn as being under Chilean sovereignty.

[edit] Map of "Tierra del Fuego y Malvinas", 1888

This map was also drawn by the Peruvian geograph Mariano Paz Soldán. See also this version of the same work.

[edit] Map of the Argentine Republic and neighbouring Countries, 1889

The map partially reproduced here was drawn up in Buenos Aires in 1889 by J. Duclout and published by E. Nolte.

In the southern region the international boundary is shown traced through the centre of the Beagle channel, continuing beyond the eastern mouth of the Channel, indicating Picton, Nueva and Lennox Islands and all other islands and islets extending southward as far as Cape Horn as being under Chilean sovereignty

[edit] First Argentine official map with a different line of the border, 1898

This partially reproduced map corresponds to that titled Preliminary Map of the Southern Region of the Argentine Republic which was included as No. XIV in the Argentine Evidence submitted by the Argentine Government to British Arbitration in 1898-1902. It is the first official map of Argentina showing in the area of the Beagle Channel a different frontier from the one established in the Boundary Treaty with Chile of 1881. As may be seen from the map, the boundary line deviates from the Beagle Channel towards Picton and Richmond Passages to end up between Lennox and Nueva Islands. In that way Picton and Nueva Islands appear as Argentine and Lennox Island as Chilean. The islands and islets extending southward as far as Cape Horn continue to be shown as under Chilean sovereignty. It should be recalled that there was no question concerning the territories to the south of the Magellan Strait in the British Arbitration of 1898-1902. Thus neither Chile nor Argentina made any specific reference to the boundary shown on the Argentine map reproduced here.

[edit] The southern regions of the Republics of Argentina and Chile, 1904

This map, whose southern part is reproduced here, is included in Col. Sir Thomas Holdich's work "The Countries of the King's Award" written immediately after his work on the British arbitration of 1898-1902. After the British Arbitral Award of 1902 and during the course of the work marking out the frontier line indicated therein, Col. Holdich visited the Beagle Channel zone which was not included in the arbitration. In the Beagle Channel region the map marks the international boundary as passing through the latter up to beyond its eastern mouth. Picton, Nueva and Lennox Islands and all the other islands extending southwards as far as Cape Horn are shown as under Chilean sovereignty.

Other Europeans maps showing the same zone:

[edit] Map of the Argentine Army, 1905

This reproduction of the map 'Map of the division of the Argentine territory into Military regions 1905' was included in the Military Bulletin of the Argentine Ministry of War, Year IV, vol. I, 1 May 1905, No. 140. The Argentine military regions are distinguished by different colours, all territories located south of the Beagle Channel as far as Cape Horn have been omitted and thus understood to be under Chilean sovereignty.

[edit] "Nuevo Mapa de la República Argentina". Oficina de Cartografía Argentina, 1914

Partial reproduction of the "Nuevo Mapa de la República Argentina", 1914, prepared by por Pablo Ludwig. Picton and Nueva appear under Argentine, Lennox under Chilean sovereignty.

[edit] Sheet 'Ushuaia' from "Instituto Geográfico Militar de Argentina", 1967

Rebuild of the sheet 'Ushuaia' from the es:Instituto Geográfico Militar (Argentina), 1967 edition. Only the borderline and the oceanic Toponymy are copied from the copyrighted original. A similar map was issued in 1948.

The international boundary shown in the Beagle Channel zone corresponds to the Argentine claim in the area which the arbitral decision of 18 April 1977 put a definitive end. Nueva Island is not shown on the map, and Picton and Lennox Islands are partially shown, coloured as belonging to the Argentine Republic. Nevertheless all the other islands and islets extending southward as far as Cape Horn figure as under Chilean sovereignty.

Curiously in the official Argentine map the geographic nomenclature "OCÉANO ATLÁNTICO SUR" (South Atlantic Ocean) appears inserted to the south of Hoste Island and in the western region of Wollastone and Hermit Islands, in other words more than one degree longitude west of Cape Horn, thus contradicting the (1978) Argentine thesis concerning the ocean toponymy in the region of the extrem south of America, that the Cape Horn was the border between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Book of Admiral Isaac Francisco Rojas approved by the Argentine Ministry of Education, 1979

This image shows a facsimile of the map appeared in the cover of the book compiled by of Admiral (R) es:Isaac Francisco Rojas, former vice-president of Argentina and former Chief of the Argentine Navy, and Arturo Medrano "Argentina en el Atlántico Chile en el Pacífico". It is approved by the Argentine Ministry of Education for teaching in schools and high schools.

The book justifies, as they say, the Argentine claim over the islands. Not only Picton, Nueva, Lennox and all islands east from Cape Horn meridian are Argentine Territories but also the east side of Navarino island with the Chilean village of Puerto Toro appears under Argentine sovereignty.

[edit] Newspaper "Clarin" of Buenos Aires after sinking of ARA-Belgrano, 1982

After Sinking of ARA General Belgrano, the newspaper "Clarín" of Buenos Aires published a detailed map of the zone, with a scale, geographic coordinates, a general location map and a little map with the Argentine claim over the Antarctic in order to explain the war event to the reader. The black circle with the number "1" shows the place where the ARA Belgrano sunk. The circle with the number "2" shows the place of the last radio contact with the Argentine ship ARA Alferez Sobral. The full first page of the newspaper can be seen under El historiador.

The original map is approximately 25 cm width and 25 cm height and contents also the names of the main islands of the conflict with Chile: Picton, Nueva, Lennox and Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos).

In this map all islands south and east of Navarino island appear then under Argentine sovereignty: Picton, Nueva, Lennox, Freycinet, Deceit, Wollaston, Hall, Cape Horn, Hermite, Herschel, Gratil, Grevy, Bayly, Augustus, Snipe, Terhalten, Jerdam, etc.

At that time Argentina requested Chilean support at the TIAR against the United Kingdom.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration, §148
  2. ^ Historia general de las relaciones exteriores de la República Argentina
  3. ^ Karl Hernekamp, op.cit., Page 13: Noch während der Amtszeit Irigoyens, der unter den Präsidenten Avellaneda und Roca den Vertrag von 1881 ausgehandelt hatte, interpretierten ganz augenscheinlich Argentinien wie Chile die für die Beagle-Region einschlägigen Bestimmungen übereinstimmend dahingehend, daß PNL unter die Klausel "südlich des Kanals" fielen, demnach chilenisches Territorium seien. Bestätigt wird dies durch die zeitgenössische Kartographie, gleichgültig, ob argentinischer, chilenischer oder sonstiger Herkunft.
  4. ^ A.I. Haffa (Op. cit. Page 96)
  5. ^ Andrea Wagner, Op.cit. Page 106 :Resumé:Es existierten verschiedene argentinische Karten, die die Rechtauffassung Chiles widerspiegelten, v.a. in der Zeit unmittelbar nach dem Abschluß des Grenzvertrages von 1881. Das chilenische Kartenmaterial war dagegen stets einheitlich geblieben, und hat nur die chilenische Auffassung wiedergegeben.
  6. ^ Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration, §122
  7. ^ Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration, §126-128
  8. ^ Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration, §148

[edit] Bibliography

  • Beagle Channel Arbitration between the Republic of Argentina and the Republic of Chile, Report and Decision of the Court of Arbitration
  • Mark Laudy: The Vatican Mediation of the Beagle Channel Dispute: Crisis Intervention and Forum Building in Words Over War of Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.
  • Alejandro Luis Corbacho: Predicting the Probability of War During Brinkmanship Crises: The Beagle and the Malvinas Conflicts, Universidad del CEMA, Argentina, Documento de Trabajo No. 244, September 2003, Spanish Language
  • Karin Oellers-Frahm: Der Schiedsspruch in der Beagle-Kanal-Streitigkeit, Berichte und Urkunden: Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, German Language
  • Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile: Relaciones Chileno-Argentinas, La controversia del Beagle. Genf 1979, English and Spanish Language
  • Andrea Wagner: Der argentinisch-chilenische Konflikt um den Beagle-Kanal. Ein Beitrag zu den Methoden friedlicher Streiterledigung. Verlag Peter Lang, Frankfurt a.M. 1992, ISBN 3-631-43590-8, German Language
  • Karl Hernekamp: Der argentinisch-chilenisch Grenzstreit am Beagle-Kanal. Institut für Iberoamerika-Kunde, Hamburg 1980, German Language
  • Andrés Cisneros y Carlos Escudé, "Historia general de las Relaciones Exteriores de la República Argentina", Las relaciones con Chile, Cema, Argentina, Buenos Aires. Spanish Language
  • Annegret I. Haffa: Beagle-Konflikt und Falkland (Malwinen)-Krieg. Zur Außenpolitik der Argentinischen Militarregierung 1976-1983. Weltforum Verlag, München/Köln/London 1987, ISBN 3-8039-0348-3, German Language
  • Isaac F. Rojas und Arturo Medrano: Argentina en el Atlántico Chile en el Pacífico. Editorial Nemont, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1979, in spanischer Sprache.
  • Isaac F. Rojas, La Argentina en el Beagle y Atlántico sur 1. Parte. Editorial Diagraf, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Spanish Language
  • Carlos Escudé und Andrés Cisneros: Historia general de las relaciones exteriores de la República Argentina (here), in spanischer Sprache.
  • Fabio Vio Valdivieso: La mediación de su S.S. el Papa Juan Pablo II, Editorial Aconcagua, Santiago de Chile, 1984, Spanish Language
  • Alberto Marín Madrid: El arbitraje del Beagle y la actitud argentina. 1984, Editorial Moisés Garrido Urrea, id = A-1374-84 XIII, Spanisch Language
  • Luis Alberto Romero, Argentina in the twentieth Century. Pennsilvania State University Press, translated by James P. Brennan, 1994, ISBN 0-271-02191-8
  • Divisionsgeneral (a.D.) Juan E. Gugliamelli: Cuestión del Beagle. Negociación directa o diálogo de armas (Trans.:The Beagle-Question, direct Negotiations or Dialog of the Weapons), in Spanish Language. (Book compiled from articles of Argentine Magazin "Estrategia", Buenos Aires Nr:49/50, enero-febrero 1978, erschienen sind.
  • General Martín Antonio Balza und Mariano Grondona: Dejo Constancia: memorias de un general argentino. Editorial Planeta, Buenos Aires 2001, ISBN 9504908136, Spanish Language
  • Francisco Bulnes Serrano und Patricia Arancibia Clavel: La Escuadra En Acción. Chile, Editorial Grijalbo, 2004, ISBN 9562582116, Spanish Language

[edit] External links

Chilean protest because Argentine map 2006. Hielos Continentales is the last border issue between Chile and Argentina and the borderline at this place, as both government explicit agreed, is to be excluded of any map.

Others:

  • Newspaper Clarín, Buenos Aires, 5 Mai 1997 about an Argentine map that sets an Argentine Village in Chile.
  • Newspaper El Mercurio, Santiago de Chile, 13 August 1998 about an Argentine Map that shows the Islands Picton, Nueva y Lennox under Argentine Sovereignty (14 years after the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984). Beside, an Argentine official document declares "Los Hielos Continentales, las Islas Malvinas, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur son argentinos".


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