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→Diversity of Patagonia
'''East to West'''
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia Patagonia] consists of surprisingly disparate zones. There are vast open plains in the east of Patagonia with a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonian_Desert dry and wind battered steppe] that spans from the eastern edge of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes Andes] to the Atlantic coast. The western part of Patagonia, due to the rainshadow rain shadow caused by the Andes, is in some regards the opposite. In the west you have the rugged and rainy Pacific coast with countless fjords and islands. An impenetrable forest covers most of this land to the west of the Andes. And in between these two unlike areas – in between the dry plains in the east and the humid fjords in the west - tower the Patagonian Andes. Dormant and recently active volcanoes rise into the sky and glaciers cover all higher summits. During previous glacial periods these glaciers grew to a formidable size and carved deep wide valleys into the Patagonian Andes. These valleys are now partly filled by lakes and get drained by powerful rivers. All this is Patagonia and this diversity creates the mystery and magic of this region.