| Río Gallegos | |||
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Río Gallegos
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Argentina | ||
| Province | Santa Cruz | ||
| Department | Güer Aike | ||
| Elevation | 20 m (66 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 79,144 | ||
| Time zone | ART (UTC−3) | ||
| CPA base | Z9400 | ||
| Dialing code | +54 2966 | ||
Río Gallegos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ɣaˈʃeɣos]) is the capital of the Patagonia province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. It has a population of about 79,000 as per the 2001 census [INDEC], while at 2009, the estimated population may be well over 100,000. The city sits on the estuary of the Gallegos River, 2,636 km (1,638 mi) south from Buenos Aires.
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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 (Spanish: 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 War, the city airport was base of Argentine Air Force Mirage III interceptors and A-4 Skyhawks strike aircraft.
Argentina's former president during 2003-2007, Néstor Kirchner, was mayor of Río 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 stop at Río Gallegos once a month.
The climate is semiarid, windy and cold, with snow during the winter. It is one of the windiest cities on earth, with winds above 50 km per hour being commonplace, and over 100 km per hour not exceptional. Winters average 5ºC (41F) during the day and -2ºC (28F) at night, but can reach -20ºC (-4F) on occasion. Summers are extremely windy and cloudy, with days reaching a cool 19ºC (66F) and nights dropping to a relatively cold 7ºC (45F). Cold weather can occur at any time, and despite the very low precipitation, bad weather with light drizzle and clouds is quite common.
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