Río Gallegos
Basic data | ||
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location | 51 ° 37 ′ S , 69 ° 13 ′ W | |
Height above d. M .: | 6 m | |
Population (2015): | 107,000 | |
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administration | ||
Province : | Santa Cruz | |
Department : | Güer Aike | |
Mayor: | Roberto Giubetich , UCR | |
Others | ||
Postal code : | Z9400 | |
Telephone code: | 02966 | |
Río Gallegos website |
Río Gallegos is the capital of the Güer Aike department and the Santa Cruz province in southern Argentina . It is located near the southernmost mainland point in the country, Cabo Vírgenes , near the Atlantic coast and today has around 98,000 inhabitants.
geography
Río Gallegos is located at the mouth of the river of the same name in the Atlantic. The river forms a ten-kilometer-wide basin, the so-called Ría Gallegos . In terms of landscape, the area belongs to the southern layered plain of Patagonia , with a cool , temperate , dry and windy climate.
Río Gallegos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Río Gallegos
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history
A concrete foundation date is not known, but settlement activities in the area did not begin until after the final annexation of the Patagonian territory by Argentina in 1885. In 1895 the settlement became the commercial center of sheep farming in the region, but it was not until 1912 that there was a significant increase in population. which was funded by the state because of the strategic importance of the place. Especially in the last 30 years of the 20th century, the city grew very quickly due to the good framework conditions and is now on the verge of becoming a big city.
economy
For a long time, the city's economy was dominated by sheep farming and the related processing industry, plus the shipping of coal extracted from Río Turbio in the southern Andes. Today also plays tourism a role, mainly because of the relative proximity to the Los Glaciares National Park . Trading in the oil produced in the south of the province is also important. The diversification of the economy in recent years has resulted in a high demand for labor, which has been followed by a wave of immigration, particularly from northern Argentina. In Río Gallegos, in contrast to other parts of the country, despite times of crisis, there is still full employment (3.7% unemployed, 2004).
Río Gallegos is the seat of the Catholic diocese of Río Gallegos .
traffic
Río Gallegos is an important traffic junction on the way to Tierra del Fuego and the extreme south of Chile , which can only be reached via Argentina. Río Gallegos is on Ruta Nacional 40 and Ruta Nacional 3 .
The Rio Gallegos Airport ( IATA code RGL) flying lines like Lade on. The Argentine Air Force Fuerza Aérea Argentina has a Base Aérea Militar Río Gallegos here .
The city is also the only place in Argentina from which there is a flight connection to the Falkland Islands ( called Islas Malvinas in Argentina ). However, as a result of the Falklands War, visits to the islands continue to be subject to severe restrictions for Argentines.
Flights from Buenos Aires to New Zealand , for example , do not take the direct route, but head south along the continent's land mass, then stopping and refueling before crossing the sea in Río Gallegos.
sons and daughters of the town
- Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva (* 1968), Roman Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Río Gallegos
- Néstor Kirchner (1950–2010), politician, President of Argentina (2003–2007)
- Walter Kendel , sculptor
- Julian Barabino , musician
Town twinning
- Punta Arenas , Chile, since 2006
Web links
- Portal of the Río Gallegos (Spanish)
- IFAM population data ( Memento of May 25, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (Spanish)
- LiveArgentina.com - City information ( Memento of April 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (Spanish)