Patagonian sheep farming boom Patagonian sheep farming boom 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. Early sheep farming in Patagonia was oriented towards wool production but changed over time with the development of industrial refrigerators towards meat export. Besides altering the demographic and economic outlook of Southern Patagonia the sheep farming boom also changed the steppe ecosystem. Sheep farming in Patagonia was carried out in a
North Patagonian Massif North Patagonian Massif The North Patagonian Massif or Somún Cura Massif (Spanish: "Macizo Norpatagónico", "Macizo Nordpatagónico" or "Macizo de Somún Cura") is a massif in northern Patagonia located in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro and Chubut. The massif is a plateau surrounded by sedimentary basins. The North Patagonian Massif covers an area of approximately . The massif rises above the surrounding topography reaching a maximum of above sea level. Compared to neighboring areas, the North Patagonian Massif has thicker continental crust. The massif consists of a basement formed by Cambro-Ordovician rocks, overlain by the Middle Silurian Sierra Grande Formation.