The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 1.80 m (~5′11″) compared to the 1.55 m (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time.

The Argentine Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, as well as the Tierra del Fuego archipelago from the homonymous province, and the southern tip of the Buenos Aires province. The politico-economical Patagonic Region includes the Province of La Pampa.

The Chilean Patagonia embraces the southern part of the region of Los Lagos, and the regions of Aisén and Magallanes.