Formosa, Argentina
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Formosa is the capital city of the Argentine province of Formosa, on the banks of the Paraguay River, some 1,200 kilometres from Buenos Aires, on National Route 11. It has a population of about 210,000 as per the 2001 census [INDEC].
Formosa is the hub of the provincial industry, that processes the product of its natural resources. The port that serves the Paraguay towards the Paraná River is the main transport means for the provincial production.
Notable sights of the city include the Nuestra Seńora del Carmen Cathedral, the Government House, the Torelli Botanic Forest Garden, the Provincial History Museum (Museo Histórico Provincial), the Estadio Centenario ("Centenary Stadium") football stadium, the Guaicole fauna reserve, the shore of the Paraguay River, the Isla de Oro Island, and the Central Square named after José de San Martín.
The local climate is humid sub-tropical, with average temperatures of 30–45 °C in summer and 12–23 °C in winter. There is a dry season.
The El Pucú Airport (IATA: FMA, ICAO: SARF), at , 7 kilometres south of the city, serves charter flights, and regular flights to Buenos Aires.
[edit] History
The lands were initially inhabited by Toba and Wichí (Mataco) aboriginals. On April 8, 1879 Commander Luis Jorge Fontana founded the settlement that would become the capital of the National Territory of Chaco from 1884 to June 15, 1955, when it gained the status of province.
According some, the name of the city (and the province) comes from the old Spanish word fermosa (currently hermosa) meaning "beautiful". However the city sits in the exact antipodes of the island of Taiwan (see map in the antipodes article), which in the XIX century, when the city was founded, was better known as Formosa island (a name given to it by Portuguese sailors who found its coasts beautiful). This cannot be a coincidence and is probably a better explanation to the fact that the name of the city is exactly Formosa as the island and not Fermosa or Hermosa.
Formosa in mentioned in the novel Travels with My Aunt, by Graham Greene.
[edit] External links
- Official website (Spanish)
- Municipal information — Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.
- National University of Formosa (Spanish)
- La Mañana newspaper (Spanish)
| 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 |
