Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz
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- This article is about the city. For the river, see Gallegos River.
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Río Gallegos is the capital of the Patagonic province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. It has a population of about 79,000 as per the 2001 census [INDEC]. The city sits on the estuary of the Gallegos River, about 2,636 km south from Buenos Aires.
The river was first sighted by a European in 1525 by the explorer Jofré De Loaiza, and was called San Idelfonso River. Simón de Alcazaba's 1535 expedition was the first to name the river "Río Gallegos". The area was not settled by Europeans until much later, with one of the earliest recorded indications of habitation in 1885, when the Argentine government wished to better express its sovereignty over southern Patagonia — a naval base was created which increased the development of the town. Between 1912 and 1920, the government encouraged settlers from the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas and southern Chile with preferential farming conditions. Some 3,000 arrived and boosted the town. As sheep-farming increased, Río Gallegos became the principal port for exporting sheep and their products. The Pioneers Museum is a preserved old Patagonian house exhibiting the life of the early settlers.
In 1888, then-governor Ramón Lista decided to move the Territorial Capital from Puerto Santa Cruz to Río Gallegos. Official ratification of this decision came on 19 May 1904. In 1957, the Territory of Santa Cruz was declared a Province, with Mario Cástulo Paradelo as its first Governor.
In the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War, the city airport was base of Argentine Air Force Mirage III interceptors and A-4 Skyhawks strike aircraft.
Argentina's current president, Nestor Kirchner, was mayor of Rio Gallegos between 1987 and 1991.
Today, Río Gallegos is an important city of the far south Argentina, with military bases and an international airport. Flights between Chile and Mount Pleasant airbase at the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas stop at Río Gallegos once a month.
[edit] References
- Municipality of Río Gallegos — Official website.
- Municipal information — Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.
- Argentum21 - Rio Gallegos
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