Patagonian sheep farming boom

Economic history of Chile
Colonial era Colonial mining Real Situado Hacienda Encomienda Alerce logging Century of wheat Bourbon reforms
Early republic Independence debt Silver rush Wheat cycle Early coal mining Long Depression
Saltpetre Republic Saltpetre War "Oreros" and "Papeleros" Sheep-farming boom Tierra del Fuego gold rush Meat riots Great Depression
Internal growth Copper mining during World War II CORFO (Production Development Corporation) UN Economic Commission Land reform Copper nationalization Vuskovic plan
Return of liberalism Chicago Boys El ladrillo 1982 crisis "Miracle of Chile" Asian crisis 2004 energy crisis
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Buenos Aires

Valparaíso

Fortín Conesa

Río Gallegos

Punta Arenas

Puerto Stanley

Cerro Castillo

Falkland Islands

Última Esperanza Sound

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Location of some localities mentioned in the article.

In late 19th and early 20th centuries, sheep farming expanded across the Patagonian grasslands making the southern regions of Argentina and Chile one of the world's foremost sheep farming areas. The sheep farming boom attracted thousands of immigrants from Chiloé and Europe to southern Patagonia.^[1] Early sheep farming in Patagonia was oriented towards wool production but changed over time with the development of industrial refrigerators towards meat export.^[2] Besides altering the demographic and economic outlook of Southern Patagonia the sheep farming boom also changed the steppe ecosystem.^[3]

Sheep farming in Patagonia was carried out in an estancia system.^[4] Each of these estancias was administered from a casco central (a central complex of buildings) where administrators, foremen and workers lived.^[4]

Sociedad Explotadora de Magallanes possessed more than 200,000 sheep by 1901.^[5]