| Resistencia | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| (From top to bottom; from left to right) Panoramic view of the city; Chaco Government House; Palacio de Justicia of Resistencia; Resistencia Casino & Hotel and the New Bank of Chaco. | |
| Nickname(s): City of sculptures | |
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Resistencia
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Chaco |
| Departments of Argentina | San Fernando |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Aída Ayala |
| Elevation | 50 m (164 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 274,490 |
| Time zone | ART (UTC−3) |
| Area code(s) | 03722 |
| Website | http://www.mr.gov.ar |
Resistencia (pronounced: [resisˈtensja]) is the capital and largest city in the province of Chaco, in northeastern Argentina. At the 2001 census, the population of the Resistencia city proper was 274,490 inhabitants. It is the anchor of a slightly larger metropolitan area, Greater Resistencia, which comprises three more municipalities and has a 2008 population estimate of 377,000. This metro area is the largest in the province, and the eleventh most populous in the country.[1]
Located along the Negro River, a branch of the much larger Paraná river, the area was originally inhabited by some guaycuru aboriginals, such as the tobas. Their resistance to evangelisation postponed an efficient European settlement until the late 19th century.[2] It wasn't until 1865 that a proper settlement was established, and on January 27, 1878, Resistencia was formally established as the territorial capital. The national government supported immigration, and in 1878 the first Italian immigrants arrived. The first City Council was made up entirely of members from that country.
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Resistencia is one of the warmest cities in Argentina, and is known for its extremely hot, humid summer weather with frequent lightning. The climate is subtropical, with a cooler, dryer season and a long, humid summer. Fall and spring are often marked by sudden transitions from summer weather patterns to winter weather patterns.
During the summer, temperatures attain highs of 30°C (86F) to 35°C (95F) on a daily basis, often up to 38°C (100F). The record temperature is 42.3°C (108.1F). Nights are warm and sticky, between 19°C (66F) and 25°C (77F), and afternoon thunderstorms are common. The transition to fall is slow: March's temperatures are very similar to midsummer, and April is still warm with an average high of 26°C (79F) and a low of 17°C (63F), and rainfall is very abundant: 284 mm, or 11.2 in during that month. The dry, cool season starts in May and lasts until September. During its peak in June and July, the average high is 20°C (68F) and the average low is 10°C (50F), with rainfall below 50 mm (2 in) in a month. These averages reflect the fact that there are two distinct weather patterns that alternate in the winter: the northerly, tropical pattern, and the southerly pattern of the Pampas: thus, there are periods of very warm, dry weather (25°C to 30°C, or 77F to 86F) with warm nights (15°C, or 59F) followed by strong southerly winds, often accompanied with drizzle and temperatures that hover around 10°C (50F) for days at a time (creating a surprisingly cold feeling), followed by dry air and blue skies and cold nights (2°C to 7°C, or 36F to 45F) and pleasant, cool days between 15°C and 20°C (59F to 68F). Light frost occurs under very calm conditions with cold air in place; usually measured temperatures will hover between 0°C and 3°C (32F to 37F) but frost will cover the ground. On occasion, however, under very cold weather patterns, measured temperatures reach -2°C (28F), with a record low of -3.8°C (25F).
The city's economy, originally based on agriculture and trade, has evolved into the service sector in recent decades. According to the national statistics agency, the city is the poorest in the country, with the 55.6% if its inhabitants below the income poverty line in 2006.[3][4]
Resistencia is known nationally as the "city of sculptures" and "open air museum," due to the more than 500 monuments and other works of art spread among its streets.[5]
The city organizes the Biennial International Sculptures Contest since 1988; after the contest, the sculptures remain in the city for public display in parks or sidewalks. Since 1997, the event has been sponsored by UNESCO.[6] Resistencia is also home to a number of museums, including the René Bruseau Provincial Museum of Fine Arts, the Augusto Schulz Museum of Natural History, the Juan Alfredo Martinet Museum of Anthropology, the Ichoalay Cultural Museum, and the Ertivio Acosta Museum of Man in Chaco.
The city has been served by Resistencia International Airport since 1965; its terminal, completed in 1971, was designed by renowned modernist architect Amancio Williams. Its access via highways includes National Route 11 (north to south), National Route 16 (westbound), and the General Belgrano Bridge, which has connected Resistencia to its twin port city of Corrientes since 1973. Following the closure of rail lines in the area during the privatization of the nation's railways in the early 1990s, the city's rail links were re-established with the opening of the provincially-funded Sefecha line in 1997.[7]
Resistencia has four sister cities: