Chubut Province

( Details)

- Total - Percentage of Argentina

224,686 km ² 8.12

- Total 2001 - Density

413 237 inhabitants 1.8 inhabitants / km ²

Chubut is one of the five provinces of Argentina Patagonia. It extends from the Andes mountains in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The northern and southern borders with the provinces of Río Negro and Santa Cruz were once relatively arbitrarily drawn with a ruler. The name comes from the Río Chubut, the only major river in the region.

Geography and climate

While the Andes, which rarely reach heights of over 2,500 m in this region are mainly covered by moist forests, are in the cuesta in the rest of the province Steppenvegation and low scrubland ( Monte ) is predominant. The climate is temperate: Summers are warm with 17 ° to 22 ° C in the lowlands, while the winters are moderately cold with 2 ° to 7 ° C. The rainfall varies between 150 mm in the east and up to 1500 mm in the humid forest areas of the Andes.

Bathed the province of West to East is dammed the Río Chubut, which forms an elongated Canyon and Florentino Ameghino and its reservoir. In the center of the province there are two large salt lakes, Lago pattern and Lake Colhué Huapí that enable a significant oasis around the town of Sarmiento. In this region, there are also two petrified forests that are protected.

Population

The population in the province has been growing for decades, steadily, from 190,000 ( 1970) 263,000 (1980) and 357,000 ( 1991) to 413 237 inhabitants ( 2001). Nevertheless, the population density in Chubut is still very low. With an area of 224,686 km ² approximately two residents come to a square kilometer. However, there live alone approximately 385,000 in the four most populous departments with the five major cities. In all other departments, the density is less than 1.0 inhabitants / km ², partly under 0.1 inhabitants / km ².

Major cities

In Chubut, there are only a handful of major cities:

Rawson ( 22,000 pop. ), The provincial capital
Trelew ( 120,000 inhabitants)., An industrial city near Rawson, Airport ( IATA code REL ) with compounds among others to Buenos Aires and El Calafate
Puerto Madryn ( 65,000 pop. ), Starting point for excursions to the Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo after, therefore, especially tourism, as well as fishing and aluminum industry
Comodoro Rivadavia ( 140,000 pop. ) In the south of the province on the Atlantic coast; the pumped around Comodoro Rivadavia oil covers almost 30 % of Argentina needs
Esquel ( 30,000 pop. ) In the foothills

Other smaller limited significant places are the Farming Gaiman in the valley of the Río Chubut, Sarmiento in the center of the province, the tourist town of El Maitén in the Andes and the fishing port Camarones on the Atlantic coast.

History

Since about 8000 BC, the Patagonia region has been inhabited by humans who migrated slowly from the north (originally coming from Asia via the Beringia ). They lived a nomadic hunter-gatherers. In travelogues in the 19th century - for example, George and Florence Dixie pattern - they are called Patagonians or tehuelche; their own name is Aoniken'k. From the 18th century it is also increasingly on immigration over the Cordilleras of Mapuche from Chile today. The two nations have now largely culturally fused together ( Tehuelche Mapuche ). Mapudungun ( the Mapuche language ) is still spoken, the language of Aokinken'k or tehuelche other hand, is almost completely extinct.

The colonization of the region by Europeans took place in the second half of the 19th century, especially after the desert campaign of Julio Argentino Roca in large part by the Welsh, a fact which is still in many names of places or events, but also to the appearance older buildings can be read.

Policy

The executive power is exercised in the province of Chubut by the Gobernador. This is elected every four years by direct vote. The Gobernador is advised by a cabinet of ministers, which the Minister of State selected by him ( Ministro de Estado ) or Executive Minister ( Ministro Coordinador ) projects. Legislative power is exercised in a legislature of 27 members, which projects the Deputy Gobernador ( Vice Gobernador ).

Administrative divisions

Chubut is divided into 15 departments:

Economy

In the southeast, around the city of Comodoro Rivadavia, oil and natural gas is promoted, so this area is the economic leader of the province. In the northeast, in the lower valley of the Río Chubut, agriculture (particularly orchards ) that provides the same is true of some valleys of the Andes around Esquel, as well as the area around Sarmiento in the center. Tourism is significant: as found in the northeast, the tourist center of Puerto Madryn with the Valdés Peninsula, continue the seaside resorts of Playa Unión and Rada Tilly and the winter sports center La Hoya are worth mentioning in the Andes.

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