<P> Patagonian Welsh has developed to be a distinct dialect of Welsh, different from the several dialects used in Wales itself; however speakers from Wales and Patagonia are able to communicate readily . Toponyms throughout the Chubut Valley are of Welsh origin . </P> <P> A total of 1,220 people undertook Welsh courses in Patagonia in 2015 . </P> <P> The Welsh people first arrived in Patagonia in 1865 . They had migrated to protect their native Welsh culture and language, which they considered to be threatened in their native Wales . Over the years the use of the language started to decrease and there was relatively little contact between Wales and the Chubut Valley . The situation began to change when many Welsh people visited the region in 1965 to celebrate the colony's centenary; since then the number of Welsh visitors increased . </P> <P> In 1945 and 1946 the BBC World Service broadcast radio shows in Patagonian Welsh . </P>

Why is there a welsh community in patagonia