Patagonia is both the oldest independent nation and oldest native nation of South Terranova. Roman sailors first came into contact with the Tehuel aboriginals of the region in a fishing village interpreted as being called Cotray (near OTL Río Gallegos) in the early 1500's(750+). Whaling, forestry, mining, and herding brought some merchants and traders to the region by the beginning of the 17th century but settlers found little of interest in the arid land. Cotray grew modestly during the increasing presence of the Romans.
Although a large number of the native populace died out from diseases, with the spread of the Miasmata, Cotray's importance as a trading station withered away and most of the traders returned to either the Terranovan colonies or Europe. A small number where known to have stayed and merged into the native population. It would not be until the late 1800's that Romans would be seen again. In that time the aboriginal population began to reassert itself. At the same time a distinct language and culture began to solidify and various native cities and towns farther north and on the western coasts emerged. With the return of Roman (an now also Nihonian) interests in the region, this time with intentions of direct colonisation, in 1906(1153), the various small city states in the south managed to join together in an oligarchic confederation, with its capital at Antisi (Sun-city) not far from Cotray. It is seen more as a matter of undesirable geography rather than native unity that the South Tehuels were spared the damaging effects of colonialism.
During the 1910's Patagonia's government embarked on a programme to build its first and very proud colonies on Suyunchaysuchi (called Exedra Insulae by the Romans (Falkland Islands)) as the establishing of colonies seemed to be the way recognised nations operated. When the Romans established the penal colony Nova Falerone on the islands in 1928(1175), Patagonia reacted with indignation. Patagonian protests on the islands against the penal colony eventually led to much of the facility being burned to the ground with most of those inside still in it in 1929(1176). The Roman response was half-hearted with Antisi and the Suyunchaysuchi colony being bombarded by vaporemes for 4 hours. In the following agreement made, the Roman colony was rebuilt and the Patagonian one allowed to remain. It was not so much a loss however. Nova Falerone remained a small colony of less than 200 and after it was closed up in the 1980's the land was sold to Patagonia in 1982(1229). Suyunchaysuchi as of 2193(1440) remains under colony status with a population of 2517.
In response to the political defeat, and to save face with the citizens as the capital and colony were repaired, the Patagonian government then began an aggressive colonisation effort of Yamnaga island(Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego) in 1933(1180). Aggressive in that the native Yagans; coastal nomads collecting sea shells and fishing; were forcibly expelled from the main colony site of Qucuyen(~San Sebastián). Any land or sea claims made by the colony took the prerogative to deny the Yagans use of the natural resources, but other than this the nomads were largely left alone for the rest of history. The forestry and fishing town of Husi(~Ushuaia) was founded in 1939(1186).
Soon after the discovery of petroleum deposits in the island's north in 1948(1195) the city of Chuepu(~Cerro Sombrero) was built and more immigration to the colony occurred. The island joined the confederation with Qucuyen as the capital in 1967(1214) with a total population of 73 461.
War with Mapyuchi
Since Mapyuchi's independence after the Amplus Arma (2067(1314)) there have been territorial disputes between it and Patagonia over the western coast. In 2094(1341) Patagonia declared war and in short order Mapyuchi lost Chino Island(Chiloé) (and claims to several unnamed, uninhabited islands) and the Kusamura coast(~Los Lagos Region).