Tucumán

Cities and towns
in Argentina
San Miguel de Tucumán
Province Tucumán
Department Justicialist Party
Location 26°49′ S 65°13′ W
Elevation 450 m AMSL
Area 90 km²
Population 525,853
Demonym tucumano
CPA base T4000
Phone code +54 381
Mayor Domingo Amaya
Party Justicialist Party

San Miguel de Tucumán (usually referred to as simply Tucumán) is the largest city in northern Argentina, with a population of 525,853 per the 2001 census [INDEC]. The metropolitan area totals 806,000, making it the fifth-largest in the country. It is the capital of the province of Tucumán. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish Diego de Villarroel travelling south from Peru and was moved to the present site in 1685.

Government House of the Province.

The city is bordered on the north by Las Talitas (Tafí Viejo), on the east by Banda del Río Salí and Alderetes (Cruz Alta), on the west by the city of Yerba Buena, and on the south by Lules.

The city sits on the slopes of the Aconquija mountains, the easternmost mountain range before the large Chaco-Pampean flats. It is the commercial center of an irrigated area that produces large quantities of sugarcane, rice, tobacco, and fruit, and provides the province with its nickname, the Garden of the Republic. The National University of Tucumán (1914) and the Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North (1965) are in the city.

Night view of the metropolitan area.

On July 9, 1816 a congress gathered in Tucumán declared the independence from Spain, which did not officially recognize it until 1862. The meeting place of the congress, the House of Tucumán, has been reconstructed as a national monument.

Contents

Tourist attractions

Tucumán: 9 de Julio Park.

Cultural Life and Education

The Cathedral at Sunset.
Tucumán: Colonial-Style door.
Tucumán: La Merced Church.
President's offices, University of Tucumán.
Temple of St. Francis.
Independence House, where Argentina's Declaration of Independence was signed in 1816.
Partial view of downtown.
The Portal Tucumán Shopping Centre.
Offices of La Gaceta, Tucuman's principal daily newspaper.

For decades, San Miguel de Tucumán has been one of the most outstanding cultural spots in the country, in part, due to the influence of the prestigious National University of Tucumán. It has been the birthplace and/or the home of well-known personalities such as folk singer Mercedes Sosa, Rutgers University literature professor and noted author Tomas Eloy Martínez, musician Miguel Ángel Estrella, botanist Miguel Lillo, painter Luis Lobo de la Vega, and many others.

Two large theaters (San Martín and Alberdi) and several smaller and independent theaters offer a wide array of events, including plays, concerts, operas, and ballet, all year round. The Septiembre Musical is by far the most important cultural event during the year. This music festival, generally held at the Independencia Square, brings together several local and national artists who perform different musical styles ranging from folk music to rock.

There are two public universities in the city, the National University of Tucumán and the National Technological University, and two private one, the Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North and the Saint Paul T University.

Tucumán football has experienced an upturn in recent years. The two major football clubs were both promoted in the 2007-08 season. In 2008-09, San Martin now plays in Argentine football's premier league while Atlético plays in the National "B" league and as of mid-December were fourth in the table. This is San Martin's first appearance in the premier league since 1992 and Atlético is at its highest point in the last 100 years and appears primed for its own ascension to Argentina's major league either at the end of this season or next. Atlético's home pitch is Estadio Monumental while San Martin's grand old stadium, La Ciudadela, at Bolívar and Pellegrini has just undergone some much-needed renovations.

San Martin's ascension has provided a major-league feel to the city. In addition to that, Tucumán has made many advancements over the last five years. In 2006, las garritas (women who stand on platforms in the center of the city and direct traffic) were replaced by stoplights. In 2007, a giant shopping mall, Portal Tucumán, with a six-screen cinema complex was opened in suburban Yerba Buena. 2008 saw the opening of a second major shopping center in Yerba Buena which also boasts a cinema complex, Solar de Cerro. In 2009, Abasto tucumano will open. This will be the most ambitious of the new shopping complexes. Located in the middle-class neighborhood of Abasto, it will be one block from Alem Avenue and four blocks from San Martin's aforementioned La Ciudadela stadium. Abasto tucumano will feature underground parking and another cinema complex.

In addition, roads and highways have improved dramatically over the last five years. These improvements can be attributed to the progressive leadership of second-term provincial governor José Alperovich. Alperovich has negotiated with Aerosur, a Bolivian airline to bring direct flights to and from Miami to Tucumán (with a stop in Sucre). Now, once a week, there is a direct flight from Miami to Tucumán. Alperovich hopes that many tourists will come directly to Tucumán without having to enter the country through Buenos Aires. This move has further enhanced the city's major-league image and could infuse more capital into the city.

The most quaint and charming of all Latin-American customs still remains--the siesta. All businesses except for restaurants and the post office close from 1 PM to 5 PM on weekdays. Tucumán has been long nicknamed the "Garden of the Republic." Some 30 years ago, city planners decided to flaunt it by planting orange trees around the city. Today, another unique and charming feature of the provincial capital is its orange-bearing trees which line many of its streets.

Last August, the city was site of the first trial to bring justice to war criminals from the 1976-1983 dictatorship. Luis Menendez, a former colonel, was convicted for crimes against humanity including the kidnapping and disappearance of a senator on the night of the golpe (coup). What better city to play host to this historic first than the place where the country's independence was declared?

Transportation

Mate de Luna Avenue, suburban commuters' main thoroughfare.

The city is served by several bus lines that have routes within the city limits and some others that connect it to the neighboring cities of Yerba Buena, El Manantial, Tafi Viejo, Las Talitas, Banda del Rio Salí and Alderetes.

The Benjamín Matienzo International Airport is the city's airport (though located 12 km east of the city, in the neighboring department of Cruz Alta) serving over 250,000 passengers a year. There are daily flights to Buenos Aires, Jujuy and Santiago del Estero. The Mauricio Gilli Aerodrome is a Private Airport, located 16km West from the city, for Private Aviation. It's mostly known as Aeroclub.

There are two weekly railway service to the Retiro station in Buenos Aires departing from the Bartolomé Mitre station located near downtown (in Plaza Alberdi).

San Miguel de Tucumán boasts one of the largest bus stations in Argentina. The 30,000 m² "Terminal del Tucumán" (opened in 1994) is the point from where hundreds of bus services arrive from and depart to almost all of the largest and mid-size cities throughout the country.

Media

San Miguel de Tucumán is home to two free-to-air television stations (Channel 8 and Channel 10), five newspapers (La Gaceta, El Siglo, El Periódico, El Tribuno and La Ciudad), three cable television companies (CCC, ATS, and TCC) and several radio stations.

Natives of Tucumán

External links

Provincial capitals of Argentina

La Plata, Buenos Aires · San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Catamarca · Resistencia, Chaco · Rawson, Chubut · Córdoba, Córdoba · Corrientes, Corrientes · Paraná, Entre Ríos · Formosa, Formosa · San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy · Santa Rosa, La Pampa · La Rioja, La Rioja · Mendoza, Mendoza · Posadas, Misiones · Neuquén, Neuquén · Viedma, Río Negro · Salta, Salta · San Juan, San Juan · San Luis, San Luis · Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz · Santa Fe, Santa Fe · Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero · Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego · San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán

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