Santa Fe, Argentina
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Santa Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the port of Colastiné on the Paraná River. Santa Fe has about 369,000 inhabitants as per the 2001 census [INDEC]. The metropolitan area has a population of 454,238, making it the ninth largest in Argentina.
Santa Fe is the commercial and transportation center for a rich agricultural area that produces grain, vegetable oils, and meats. The city is the seat of the Catholic University of Santa Fe (inaugurated in 1959), the National University of the Littoral (first founded as the Provincial University in 1889, and which changed to its current name in 1919), several museums, and a number of buildings erected during colonial times.
Santa Fe was originally founded in the nearby site of Cayastá (where there is an historical park containing the burial place of Hernandarias, the first American-born governor in South America) in 1573. It was moved to the present site in 1653 due to the constant floodings of the Cayastá River. The city became provincial capital in 1814, when the territory of the province of Santa Fe was separated from the province of Buenos Aires by the National Constituent Assembly.
The city in its current location is still not immune to flooding. On 29 April 2003 the Salado River, which empties into the Paraná near Santa Fe, rose almost 2 m in a few hours following heavy rainfall, and caused a catastrophic flood. No less than 100,000 people had to be evacuated, and large sections of the city remained under water more than a week later.
Santa Fe is linked to Rosario (170 km to the south), the largest city in the province, by the Brigadier Estanislao López Highway and by National Route 11, which continues south towards Buenos Aires.
[edit] Notable natives
- Writer Osvaldo Bayer
- Swimmer Diego Degano
- Poet and writer Ezequiel Martínez Estrada
- Provincial caudillo and governor Estanislao López
- Boxers Carlos Monzón and Carlos Baldomir
- NBA basketball players Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino
- F1 driver and then politician Carlos Reutemann
- Catholic bishop Edgardo Gabriel Storni
- Plastic artist Ricardo Supisiche
- Poet, writer and playwright Francisco Urondo
[edit] References
- Municipal information — Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.
- Inforama — Municipal information at the official website of the Santa Fe provincial government.
- Santa Fe photos
- Santa Fe en un solo sitio
| Provincial Capitals of Argentina (by Province) |
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Buenos Aires • Catamarca • Chaco • Chubut • Córdoba • Corrientes • Entre Ríos • Formosa • Jujuy • La Pampa • La Rioja • Mendoza • Misiones • Neuquén • Río Negro • Salta • San Juan • San Luis • Santa Cruz • Santa Fe • Santiago del Estero • Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and The South Atlantic Islands • Tucumán |
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