Resistencia, Chaco

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
Resistencia

Location of Resistencia within Argentina

Coordinates: 27°27′05″S 58°59′12″W / 27.45139°S 58.98667°WCoordinates: 27°27′05″S 58°59′12″W / 27.45139°S 58.98667°W
Country Argentina
Province Chaco
Departments of Argentina San Fernando
Government
 • Mayor Aída Ayala
Area
 • Total 562 km2 (217 sq mi)
Elevation 20 m (164 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 274,490
 • Density 490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone ART (UTC−3)
Area code(s) 0362
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] It is located along the Negro River, a tributary of the much larger Paraná river, opposite the city of Corrientes, Corrientes Province.

The area was originally inhabited by some guaycuru aboriginals, such as the tobas. Their resistance to evangelisation postponed efficient European settlement until the late 19th century.[2] Not until 1865 was a proper settlement 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 originating from that country.

Climate

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 humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification Cfa), 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 to 35 °C (86.0 to 95.0 °F) on a daily basis, and occasionally up to 38 °C (100.4 °F). The record temperature is 43.5 °C (110.3 °F) on November 2, 2009.[3] Nights are warm and sticky, between 19 to 25 °C (66.2 to 77.0 °F), 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 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) and a low of 17.0 °C (62.6 °F), and rainfall is very abundant: 284.9 millimetres (11 in) during that month.[4] The dry, cool season starts in May and lasts until September. During its peak in June and July, the average high is 20 °C (68.0 °F) and the average low is 10 °C (50.0 °F), with rainfall below 50 millimetres (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 to 30 °C (77.0 to 86.0 °F)) with warm nights (15 °C (59.0 °F)) followed by strong southerly winds, often accompanied with drizzle and temperatures that hover around 10 °C (50.0 °F) for days at a time (creating a surprisingly cold feeling), followed by dry air and blue skies and cold nights (2 to 6 °C (35.6 to 42.8 °F)) and pleasant, cool days between 15 and 20 °C (59.0 and 68.0 °F)). Light frost occurs under very calm conditions with cold air in place; usually measured temperatures will hover between 0 and 3 °C (32.0 and 37.4 °F) but frost will cover the ground. On occasion, however, under very cold weather patterns, measured temperatures reach −2 °C (28.4 °F), with a record low of −4.7 °C (23.5 °F) on June 29, 1996.[3]

Climate data for Resistencia, Chaco
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 41.8
(107.2)		 42.1
(107.8)		 40.7
(105.3)		 39.1
(102.4)		 35.5
(95.9)		 32.3
(90.1)		 35.5
(95.9)		 38.0
(100.4)		 40.5
(104.9)		 41.7
(107.1)		 43.5
(110.3)		 42.3
(108.1)		 43.5
(110.3)
Average high °C (°F) 33.5
(92.3)		 32.2
(90)		 30.4
(86.7)		 26.2
(79.2)		 23.6
(74.5)		 20.4
(68.7)		 21.1
(70)		 23.0
(73.4)		 24.0
(75.2)		 28.0
(82.4)		 29.7
(85.5)		 32.4
(90.3)		 27.0
(80.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 27.0
(80.6)		 26.1
(79)		 24.4
(75.9)		 21.1
(70)		 17.9
(64.2)		 14.7
(58.5)		 15.0
(59)		 16.8
(62.2)		 17.8
(64)		 21.6
(70.9)		 23.9
(75)		 25.8
(78.4)		 21.0
(69.8)
Average low °C (°F) 21.1
(70)		 20.7
(69.3)		 19.3
(66.7)		 17.0
(62.6)		 13.1
(55.6)		 10.1
(50.2)		 10.1
(50.2)		 11.4
(52.5)		 12.1
(53.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 18.0
(64.4)		 19.3
(66.7)		 15.6
(60.1)
Record low °C (°F) 10.6
(51.1)		 9.0
(48.2)		 5.8
(42.4)		 2.1
(35.8)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 −3.8
(25.2)		 −4.1
(24.6)		 −1.4
(29.5)		 1.4
(34.5)		 5.8
(42.4)		 7.7
(45.9)		 −4.7
(23.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 148.0
(5.827)		 171.2
(6.74)		 200.0
(7.874)		 284.9
(11.217)		 97.0
(3.819)		 87.5
(3.445)		 47.3
(1.862)		 49.5
(1.949)		 81.3
(3.201)		 123.7
(4.87)		 158.1
(6.224)		 108.2
(4.26)		 1,556.7
(61.287)
Avg. precipitation days 9 9 10 11 8 9 7 6 8 9 11 8 105
Average relative humidity (%) 71 75 78 83 82 83 80 76 74 71 73 69 76
Source #1: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional[4]
Source #2: Oficina de Riesgo Agropecuario (record highs and lows)[3]

Economy

The city's economy, originally based on agriculture and trade, has diversified into the service sector in recent decades.

Important companies are headquartered in Resistencia or have its origins in the city, such as Grupo CARSA (owner of more than 100 stores of Musimundo, Corefin financial services and Reposar, a mattresses brand), Cetrogar (home appliances retail with more than 60 stores), STAR (business services), Agros Soluciones, Amarilla Gas, Ghiggeri Motos and Firenze Viajes, among others.

Culture

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 has organized the Biennial International Sculptures Contest since 1988; after each 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.

Transport

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]

Sister cities

Resistencia has five sister cities:

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ INDEC (2008-06-12). "Encuesta Permanente de Hogares" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  2. ↑ Altamirano - Dellamea de Prieto - Sbardella "Comienzos de la labor misional en el Chaco". Subsecretaría de Cultura de la Provincia del Chaco (in Spanish). Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Resistencia, Chaco". Estadísticas meteorológicas decadiales (in Spanish). Oficina de Riesgo Agropecuario. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Datos Estadísticos (Período 1981–1990)" (in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  5. ↑ Silvina Iturralde (2006-06-18). "Resistencia, la ciudad de las esculturas". Clarín.
  6. ↑ Argentine Senate (2006). "Expediente número 3317/06" (in Spanish).
  7. ↑ Ferrolatino: Sefecha

External links

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