Viedma
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| Basic data | |||
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| Surface: | 8,813 km 2 | ||
| location | 40 ° 48 ′ S , 63 ° 0 ′ W | ||
| Height above d. M .: | 12 m | ||
| Population (2015): | 78,100 | ||
| Density: | 8.9 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Agglomeration : | Viedma-Carmen de Patagones | ||
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| administration | |||
| Province : |
 Río Negro
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| Department : | Adolfo Alsina | ||
| Mayor: | Pedro Pesatti, JSRN | ||
| Others | |||
| Postal code : | R8500 | ||
| Telephone code: | 02920 | ||
| Viedma's website | |||
Viedma is the capital of the Río Negro Province in southern Argentina . It is located 30 kilometers above the mouth of the Río Negro River in the South Atlantic . Viedma and the neighboring town of Carmen de Patagones on the other side of the river form a twin town with a total of about 77,000 inhabitants, with 47,000 on Viedma and 30,000 on Carmen de Patagones.
Geography and climate
.PNG)
Viedma is located in the valley of the water-rich Río Negro , but the surrounding area has a desert-like character, mainly due to the stony soil and the dry, windy climate. Therefore, irrigated agriculture is practiced there today . The surrounding area is part of the Patagonian layered plains , a thorn bush steppe with almost complete absence of trees.
history
The name Viedma goes back to Francisco de Viedma , who explored the Río Negro to build a fortress on the river. In 1779 a fortress was founded in the area of today's Viedmas , but it was soon abandoned and moved to the north bank of the Río Negro (today's Carmen de Patagones). Nevertheless, after a while an agricultural colony was established here. In 1878 Viedma became the capital of the Río Negro National Territory, which was declared a province in 1955. In 1986, President Raúl Alfonsín wanted to relocate the capital of Argentina from Buenos Aires to Viedma as part of a decentralization plan, but the economic crisis (1987–1991) and the subsequent change of power ruined the implementation of the plan. In the second half of the 1980s , large estates around Viedma were bought by land speculators in the hope of a change of capital, and the number of immigrants also skyrocketed . As a result, broad sectors of poverty emerged and unemployment is now the highest in Patagonia.
economy
While Carmen de Patagones and the surrounding area have long been a center of agriculture and livestock , Viedma's economy has long been dependent on administrative posts. Today, in the valley of the Río Negro, agriculture is also practiced with the help of artificial irrigation, while investments in the tourism sector are concentrated, especially in the scenic seaside resort of El Cóndor, 28 kilometers south, and the sea lion colony Punta Bermeja .
Attractions
In Carmen de Patagones several buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved, which are built in the colonial and neo-colonial style. These include the La Carlota house , the fortress tower and the Nuestra Señora del Carmen church . The city of Viedma, on the other hand, is modern and devoid of architectural sights.
sons and daughters of the town
- Johannes Edmund Vecchi (1931–2002), Superior General of the Order of the Salesians of Don Bosco
Web links
- IFAM statistics data (Spanish)
- Portal of the Province of Río Negro (Spanish)
- LiveArgentina.com - City information (Spanish)
- Tourist information at Interpatagonia.com (Spanish)