Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Santa Cruz
Provincia de Santa Cruz (Spanish) | |
---|---|
Province of Santa Cruz | |
UTC−3 (ART) | |
ISO 3166 code | AR-Z |
HDI (2021) | 0.854 very high (5th)[3] |
Website | www |
Santa Cruz Province (Spanish: Provincia de Santa Cruz, Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsanta ˈkɾus], "Holy Cross") is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country, in Patagonia. It borders Chubut Province to the north, and Chile to the west and south, with an Atlantic coast on its east. Santa Cruz is the second-largest province of the country (after Buenos Aires Province), and the least densely populated in mainland Argentina.
The indigenous people of the province are the
History
The
In the middle of the 18th century, the
Between 1825 and 1836 there were a series of explorations of the regions, including that of Charles Darwin in 1834. In 1860 commander Luis Piedrabuena established a base on Isla Pavón in the estuary of Puerto Deseado.
In 1878 the Government of
At the beginning of the 20th century, a large European immigration began to arrive to the almost uninhabited zone; Spanish, Germans, British and Slavs were the most numerous among them. They came mainly to escape the growing conflicts of World War I, and were attracted by the wool industry of the area. The beginning of the war meant a sharp reduction in the amount of exports, bringing a serious economic crisis to Santa Cruz.
The ideals of
In 1944, the Military zone of Comodoro Rivadavia was created, which encompassed the northern part of the National Government of Santa Cruz and the southern part of Chubut Province. This jurisdiction lasted until the abolition of the measures in 1955. The Territory of Santa Cruz acquired province status in 1957.
In 1973, voters in Santa Cruz elected
The return to democracy in Argentina in 1983 brought new, mostly young leadership to Santa Cruz's elected posts, among them a well-known local
Presiding over four years of expansion totalling 42% (the best performance for the Argentine economy since the 1880s),[6] Pres. Kirchner steered record spending into public works (particularly those in his province, as is customary for Argentine presidents).
On the 20th Century both countries had another
Geography
The province is generally divided into 2 distinct regions: The
From the centre to the Atlantic coast in the east, the landscape is dominated by plateaus.[15] These plateaus are made up of basalt rock occur in stepped sequences.[16] The plateaus are of different ages with the older –of Neogene and Paleogene age– being located at higher elevations than Pleistocene and Holocene lava plateaus and outcrops.[16] There are isolated pockets of hills and depressions within this region.[15] In Gran Bajo de San Julián, the Laguna del Carbón is 105 meters below sea level, and is the lowest point in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.[15] On the Atlantic coast, it is characterised by cliffs.[15]
Hydrography
The main rivers in the province are the Deseado River (Spanish: Río Deseado), Chico River (Spanish: Río Chico), Santa Cruz River (Spanish: Río Santa Cruz), Coig River (Spanish: Río Coig), and the Gallegos River (Spanish: Río Gallegos).[15] These rivers all originate from the Andes which then drain into the lakes before moving eastwards to empty into the Atlantic Ocean.[15]
Climate
The
Temperatures
The mean temperatures for the province are relatively cold for its latitude due to the cold Falkland Current.[17] The extreme northeast coast is by far the mildest area, with annual temperatures around 8 to 9 °C (46.4 to 48.2 °F) with temperatures inland being 1 °C to 2 °C lower.[17] The coldest temperatures are found in the southern parts of the province with an annual mean of 6 °C (42.8 °F) although in the western parts of the province which are at higher altitudes, the mean can be below 5 °C (41.0 °F) and even below 0 °C (32.0 °F) at the highest elevations.[17] In the summer, mean temperatures range from 16 °C (60.8 °F) in the North to around 12 °C (53.6 °F) in the south. However, temperatures can reach up to 35 °C (95.0 °F) in all parts of the province except at the highest elevations.[17] Winters are cold throughout the province, with more uniform temperatures than during the summer; July temperatures average 4 °C (39.2 °F) in the North to 2 °C (35.6 °F) in the southern parts.[17] Temperatures can plummet below −20 °C (−4.0 °F) in the interior while at the coast, it infrequently drops below −15 °C (5.0 °F).[17]
Precipitation
Owing to the Andes, they block most of the incoming frontal systems and as a result, most of the rainfall occurs in the western side of the Andes, in which precipitation rapidly decreases eastward.[17] Much of the province receives less than 200 millimetres (8 in) of precipitation a year while in the Andean region which is under more influence from the Pacific, it can receive more than 1,000 millimetres (39 in).[17] Precipitation mainly falls in the form of light rain with heavy rain and thunderstorms being rare, with these two only occurring during the summer.[17] In all parts of the province, more precipitation occurs in the winter than in the summer.[17]
Wind
The prevalent wind directions are from the west, southwest and northwest and together, these occur 60% of the time.[17] Northern parts of the province tend to have more northwest winds than the southern parts of the province. With few landmasses south of 46°S, the province is dominated by strong winds throughout the year. Summers are windier than winters.[17] The strongest winds are found in the Andean region while the weakest are found in the coastal areas.[17] With a mean wind speed of 10 metres per second (33 ft/s), the province is the windiest in Argentina.[17] Gusts can reach up to 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) in some places.[17]
Sunshine
Although most of the province is dry, the province is relatively cloudy.[17] The percent of cloudy days ranges from 50% in the north to 60% in the south.[17] Average daily sunshine hours range from 6 hours/day in the North to 4 hours/day in the south with the lowest in the coastal areas in the south.[17]
Statistics
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Río Gallegos[18]
|
13.8 (56.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 10.8 (51.4) | 7.6 (45.7) | 4.2 (39.6) | 1.4 (34.5) | 1.2 (34.2) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 7.8 (46.0) |
El Calafate[19] | 13.1 (55.6) | 12.9 (55.2) | 10.8 (51.4) | 7.6 (45.7) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.6 (34.9)) | 0.7 (33.3) | 2.6 (36.7) | 5.3 (41.5) | 8.3 (46.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.3 (54.1) | 7.5 (45.5) |
Gobernador Gregores[20] | 14.1 (57.4) | 14.5 (58.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 9.0 (48.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.4 (48.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 14.2 (57.6) | 8.5 (47.3) |
Puerto Deseado[21] | 15.5 (59.9) | 15.3 (59.5) | 13.3 (55.9) | 10.4 (50.7) | 6.7 (44.1) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.6 (38.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 14.4 (57.9) | 9.9 (49.8) |
Puerto San Julián[18] | 16.3 (61.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.8 (49.6) | 6.2 (43.2) | 3.4 (38.1) | 3.2 (37.8) | 4.8 (40.6) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.1 (59.2) | 9.9 (49.8) |
Puerto Santa Cruz[20] | 14.3 (57.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 4.7 (40.5) | 2.0 (35.6) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | 6.1 (43.0) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.4 (52.5) | 13.1 (55.6) | 8.4 (47.1) |
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Río Gallegos[18]
|
27.7 (1.09) | 27.1 (1.07) | 26.7 (1.05) | 26.7 (1.05) | 26.9 (1.06) | 18.3 (0.72) | 19.2 (0.76) | 16.9 (0.67) | 13.3 (0.52) | 16.9 (0.67) | 22.7 (0.89) | 25.9 (1.02) | 268.3 (10.56) |
El Calafate[19] | 12.5 (0.49) | 7.8 (0.31) | 13.8 (0.54) | 25.4 (1.00) | 30.6 (1.20) | 21.3 (0.84) | 25.8 (1.02) | 21.1 (0.83) | 15.8 (0.62) | 12.3 (0.48) | 9.1 (0.36) | 13.9 (0.55) | 209.4 (8.24) |
Gobernador Gregores[20] | 28.5 (1.12) | 17.5 (0.69) | 13.0 (0.51) | 9.0 (0.35) | 24.0 (0.94) | 15.5 (0.61) | 17.0 (0.67) | 10.5 (0.41) | 10.5 (0.41) | 14.5 (0.57) | 10.5 (0.41) | 14.5 (0.57) | 185.0 (7.28) |
Puerto Deseado[21] | 21.3 (0.84) | 15.5 (0.61) | 15.9 (0.63) | 25.4 (1.00) | 30.2 (1.19) | 24.6 (0.97) | 27.0 (1.06) | 15.8 (0.62) | 13.1 (0.52) | 15.2 (0.60) | 9.5 (0.37) | 14.1 (0.56) | 227.6 (8.96) |
Puerto San Julián[18] | 14.3 (0.56) | 22.5 (0.89) | 23.4 (0.92) | 19.1 (0.75) | 31.1 (1.22) | 33.7 (1.33) | 22.5 (0.89) | 18.3 (0.72) | 14.3 (0.56) | 17.3 (0.68) | 14.9 (0.59) | 20.2 (0.80) | 251.6 (9.91) |
Puerto Santa Cruz[20] | 21.1 (0.83) | 12.7 (0.50) | 18.8 (0.74) | 12.5 (0.49) | 21.3 (0.84) | 14.7 (0.58) | 14.2 (0.56) | 14.0 (0.55) | 12.7 (0.50) | 10.2 (0.40) | 13.0 (0.51) | 16.6 (0.65) | 181.8 (7.16) |
Economy
Santa Cruz, with a small population and rich in natural resources, has long had one of Argentina's most prosperous economies. Its 2006 output was estimated at US$3.3 billion or a per capita income of US$16,553.[22] In 2011 Santa Cruz had the highest per capita income of Argentina, US$36,550.[23][failed verification]
Its economy, with the possible exception of
The coal production at Río Turbio, Argentina's only active coal mine, is of around one million m3 per year. Mining includes gold (Cerro Vanguardia Mine), clay, gypsum, salt and others.
The second most important productive activity is that associated with
Sea fishing, and its later industrialization at the fishing ports of Puerto Deseado, Puerto San Julián, Puerto Santa Cruz and Río Gallegos produces prawn, squid, hake and dozens of others. Most of the production is frozen and exported.
There is little agriculture due to the arid nature of the soil. There is a small timber industry fed by both forests and planted trees, of which the wood of the
Tourism
Santa Cruz's most visited destination is Los Glaciares National Park and a number of glaciers of which the Perito Moreno Glacier is the most famous. Nearby El Calafate has an airport that connects the area with Buenos Aires and Trelew.
Some 200 kilometres north of El Calafate is the village of
600 kilometres further north of El Chaltén, by the dirt road
Perito Moreno National Park and its lakes, north of Los Glaciares, are rarely visited. Besides trekking, other sports practised on the west side of the province are sport fishing, rafting and climbing.
In the east, the
Government
The provincial government is divided into three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoints the cabinet; the
The Constitution of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina forms the formal law of the province.
In Argentina, the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal Police but the additional work is carried out by the Santa Cruz Provincial Police.
Political division
The province is divided into the following 7 departments:
Department (Capital)
- Corpen Aike (Puerto Santa Cruz)
- Deseado Department (Puerto Deseado)
- Río Gallegos)
- Lago Argentino (El Calafate)
- Lago Buenos Aires (Perito Moreno)
- Magallanes (Puerto San Julián)
- Río Chico (Gobernador Gregores)
Sports
Boxing Club de
See also
- Hippidion saldiasi
- Southern Patagonian Ice Field dispute
- Laguna del Desierto incident
References
- ^ "Nuevos datos provisorios del Censo 2022: Argentina tiene 46.044.703 habitantes". Infobae. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ "TelluBase—Argentina Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
- ^ "El mapa del desarrollo humano en Argentina" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 25 June 2023.
- S2CID 161730330.
- ^ Cepernic Archived 2009-06-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Statistical Abstract of Latin America. UCLA Press, 1990.
- ISBN 9781610690249.
- ^ Karen I. Manzano Iturra (2019). "SOUTHERN ICE FIELDS. CONTROVERSIES ABOUT THE CHILEAN–ARGENTINIAN FRONTIER (1990-2012)". Revista "Política y Estrategia". 134.
Within the neighborhood borders, Chile and Argentina have held several border disagreements, most of which have been settled by the end of the 20th century. From this perspective stands out Southern Ice Fields (Chile) or Continental Ice (Argentina), which have one of the most important water reserves in the southern hemisphere, since its glaciers feed a number of bodies of water in Patagonia. However, their discussion prompted diplomatic negotiations in the 1990s, to delimit the section of each country, which was settled by the 1998 Agreement. This article aims to analyze the discussions generated around Southern Ice Fields between 1990 and 2012, framed in a strong bilateral relationship that has progressed the points of agreement between the two countries, but has failed to delimit definitely this point, which can be crucial in the freshwater conversations of the future.
- ^ Nicolás Vivar (October 21, 2020). "Chile y Argentina: Un conflicto histórico en Campos de Hielo Sur" (in Spanish). Glaciares Chilenos. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ René Peri Fagerström (1994). ¿La geografía derrotada?: el arbitraje de Laguna del Desierto, Campos de Hielo patagónico sur. SERSICOM F&E Ltda.
- ^ Juan Ipinza (April 26, 2021). "El Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur ¿es mejor un mal arreglo que un buen juicio" (in Spanish). Infodefensa. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Orellana, Pía (September 2, 2020). "El límite en Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur: Un problema incómodo pendiente" (in Spanish). El Líbero. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ Stenger Larenas, Iván (1998). Teniente Merino: Héroe Nacional de la Soberanía. Carabineros' Printing.
- ^ René Peri Fagerström (1994). A la sombra del Monte Fitz Roy. Salón Teniente Merino.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Fisonomía Provincial: Relieve e Hidrografía" (in Spanish). Gobierno de la Provincia de Santa Cruz. Archived from the original on 22 September 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ a b Mazzoni, Elizabeth; Rabassa, Jorge (2010). "Inventario y clasificación de manifestaciones basálticas de Patagonia mediante imágenes satelitales y SIG, Provincia de Santa Cruz" [Inventory and classification of basaltic occurrences of Patagonia based on satellite images and G.I.S, province of Santa Cruz] (PDF). Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina (in Spanish). 66 (4): 608–618.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Provincia de Santa Cruz–Clima Y Metéorologia" (in Spanish). Secretaria de Mineria de la Nacion (Argentina). Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Estadísticas Climatológicas Normales - período 1981-2010" (in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Lago Argentino Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Provincia de Santa Cruz - Clima Y Meteorologia: Datos Meteorologicos Y Pluviometicos" (in Spanish). Secretaria de Mineria de la Nacion (Argentina). Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Klimatafel von Puerto Deseado, Prov. Santa Cruz / Argentinien" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "El déficit consolidado de las provincias rondará los $11.500 millones este año" (in Spanish). Instituto Argentino para el Desarrollo de las Economías Regionales. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Welcome to the US Petabox". Archived from the original on 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Gold Corp. Cerro Negro - Environment Stewarship" (PDF). goldcorp.com. 2014. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
- OCLC 741938981. GALE|CX2122500028 – via Gale General OneFile.