Coig
| Coig | ||
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| Data | ||
| location | Patagonia ( Argentina ) | |
| River system | Coig | |
| muzzle |
Atlantic Ocean Coordinates: 50 ° 57 ′ 0 ″ S , 69 ° 10 ′ 0 ″ W 50 ° 57 ′ 0 ″ S , 69 ° 10 ′ 0 ″ W
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| length | 300 km | |
| Catchment area | 26,376 km² | |
The Coig ( Spanish Río Coig , also: Coyle ) is a river in the extreme south of Argentina .
geography
The approximately 300 km long river has its source in the southernmost foothills of the Andes chain . From there it flows through the hill country and the adjacent plains of southern Patagonia in a roughly eastward direction (approximately following the 51st degree of southern latitude) . The catchment area that is drained by the river is 26,376 km²; this corresponds roughly to the area of Brandenburg. The landscapes through which the Río Coig flows are predominantly cool-temperate steppes (pampas). In its first few kilometers, the still narrow Coig flows through Lago Esperanza , a lake approx. 8 km long and approx. 420 m above sea level. Below the village of Gobernador Mayer , the most important tributary flows into the Brazo Sur del Río Coig (= "southern arm"). Other important tributaries are the Río Pelque , which opens above Esperanza, and the Arroyo Italiano . In the center of the Bahía Grande , a large bay that forms the southernmost section of the Argentine coast, the Coig finally flows into the Atlantic Ocean . Shortly before it flows into the sea, it splits into two arms that surround the river island of Isla Alargada . The mouth of the river forms a ría , a funnel-shaped, fjord-like bay cut deep into the coast. Sometimes the Coig is considered to be the (natural, non-political) southern border of Patagonia.
The entire course of the Coig is located within the province of Santa Cruz , which occupies the southernmost part of the Argentine mainland and is the most sparsely populated region in the country.
Settlement and economic use
As part of the mapping of the Patagonian coast by a Spanish expedition in 1789, the river was given its current name in honor of the explorer Claudio Coig y Sansón .
There are hardly any significant settlements on the banks of the Coig. The most important place was once the port town of Puerto Coyle , located at the estuary , which lost its importance when the Ruta 3 coastal road was relocated. The ruins of Puerto Coyle have been listed as a cultural heritage site since 2005.
The valley of the Coig has a certain importance as a traffic route, as one of the few east-west connecting roads in southern Patagonia runs along here. The river can only be navigated with smaller ships near the mouth; the rest of the river is not navigable. On the banks of the Coig, pasture farming (cattle and sheep husbandry) is predominantly carried out, usually through estancias of often huge dimensions. The Río Coig and its tributaries have rich trout stocks , which attract some sport fishermen.
