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Neuquén(Spanish pronunciation:[newˈken];Mapudungun:Nehuenken) is the capital city of theArgentineprovinceofNeuquénand of theConfluencia Department,located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of theLimayandNeuquénrivers which form theRío Negro,making it part of theecoregionofAlto Valle del Río Negro.The city and surrounding area have a population of more than 340,000, making it the largest city inPatagonia.Along with the cities ofPlottierandCipolletti,it is part of theNeuquén – Plottier – Cipolletticonurbation.
Neuquén
Neuquén Capital | |
|---|---|
 Neuquén, Argentina | |
 Flag  Logo | |
  Neuquén   Neuquén | |
| Coordinates:38°57′09″S68°03′51″W/ 38.95250°S 68.06417°W | |
| Country |  Argentina |
| Province |  Neuquén |
| Department | Confluencia |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Government | |
| •Intendant | Mariano Gaido (MPN) |
| Area | |
•City | 128 km2(49 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 270 m (890 ft) |
| Population (2010 census) | |
| •Urban | 224,685 |
| Time zone | UTC−3(ART) |
| CPA base | Q8300 |
| Dialing code | +54 299 |
| Climate | BWk |
| Website | neuquencapital.gov.ar |
Founded in 1904, it is the newest provincial capital city inArgentina.[1]
Etymology
editThe name of the city comes from theNeuquén River,which inMapuche languagemeans "water that has strength".[2]This name was already used since 1884 for thefederal territory.Since 1902, it was used for the railway station of the town, which at that time was a hamlet called Confluencia. The name of the town was officially chosen in 1904, when it was declared the capital of the territory.[3]It is the only Argentine city that has apalindromename, that is a word which reads the same backward as forward.[4]
Economy
editNeuquén is both an important agricultural center, surrounded by fertile landsirrigatedby the waters of the Limay and Neuquén rivers in an otherwise arid province, and a petrochemical industrial center that receives oil extracted from different points of the province. It belongs economically and geographically to theAlto Valleregion that produces apples, pears, and other fruits.
With the discovery of the Vaca Muerta oil fields west of the city (the third largest shale gas and oil reserves in the world),[citation needed]it has begun to experience a boom in real estate and construction. It is expected that over the next few years the city will experience unprecedented growth as it is the only significant city in the region. It has an airport, shopping centers, office space and institutions to become the center of the operations not only of the oil and gas companies, but also their suppliers.
Transport
editNational Route 22(RN22) is the main road linking Neuquén with the rest of Argentina. Since 2021[5]it runs in eastern-western direction north of the city center through theParque Industrialarea, mostly as a four-lane motorway, linking the city with the Atlantic coast atBahía Blancato the East andTemuco(Chile),San Carlos de BarilocheandZapalato the West and South-West. The former RN22, now calledAvenida General Mosconi,a wide fast-transit avenue, runs in east-western direction through the southern part of the city center and divides the city into two halves.
ThePresidente Perón Airportis 8 kilometres (5 miles) west of the city center near the boundary toPlottierand serves regular flights toBuenos Aires,Córdoba,Salta,Mendoza,Comodoro RivadaviaandSan Martín de los Andes.
TheTren del Vallecommuter railservice links Neuquén with neighbouringCipollettiandPlottier.Freight trains run toBahía BlancaandZapala.
Local transport consists of 30 bus lines, connecting most areas of the city, includingPlottierandLas Perlas.The network is run by bus companiesKo-KoandEmpresa Tigre Iguazú.[6]Additionally, several suburban lines connect the city with other cities and towns in the wider metro area, likeCipolletti,Centenario,Senillosa,General RocaandVilla Regina.
While theRío NegroandRío Limayare navigable, there are no port facilities in Neuquén and nearby cities. There was some commercial navigation in the Alto Valle area in the first half of the 20th century, but it has been abandoned since then.[7]
History
editThis sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(July 2020) |
The first inhabitants of the area were very mobile and moved according to the seasons of the year, climatic conditions, and the abundance of food and game. Around the 16th century the people living in different areas of the province began to beassimilatedby theMapuchepeople.[8]One of the most importanttrailsused by the Mapuches passed through the area of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers.
In the 17th century European explorers arrived in the area of the confluence.
In 1604,Hernando Arias de Saavedradecided to explore the trails to Patagonia. With the support of the ranchers of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Corrientes, he departed from Buenos Aires and passed through the mountains of theSierra de la Ventana.He reached what is now the city of Neuquén and continued on, possibly passing through what is todayAuca Mahuida.
In 1782, departing fromCarmen de Patagones,Basilio Villarinotraveled upstream on theRío Negro.On 23 January 1783, he arrived at the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén Rivers, camping on an island.[9]He then followed the Limay to the confluence of theCollón Curá,then from there to theChimehuin River.[10]
Neuquén as an Argentine Province
editIn 1885, the lands of what was at that time called Confluencia (i.e., "confluence," referring to the two rivers) were auctioned to a few people. Shortly after theConquest of the Desertcampaign conducted by the military over Patagonia, theTehuelcheandPehuenchetribes that inhabited the province of Neuquén were either killed or pushed out of these lands.
Since there was no defined border withChile,the Argentine government reached an agreement with the British-ownedBuenos Aires Great Southern Railwaycompany that was constructing a railway network, mainly inBuenos Aires Province,to build an extension to the town in exchange for lands, in order to populate it. In 1899, the railroad reachedCipollettiinRío Negro province,and three years later, after theconstruction of the bridge,arrived at Neuquén.
Neuquén was officially founded on 12 September 1904, and the capital of the territory was transferred fromChos Malalto the young town. The name "Neuquén" derives from theMapudungunwordnehuenken,meaning drafty, which the native people used in reference to this river.
By 1930, the town had only 5,000 inhabitants. In the 1960s, it acquired a new importance when oil deposits were found in the province by the state companyYPF.The 1970s and 1980s saw massive demographic growth, accompanied by improvements such as the creation of theNational University of Comahuein 1971.
In 2020, SisterMónica Astorga Cremona,a Carmelite nun, founded Costa Limay Sustainable Complex for Transgender Women in Neuquén, the first permanent housing program in the world for transgender people.[11]
Climate
editNeuquén has anarid climate(KöppenBWk).[12]Precipitation is low, averaging 200 millimetres (8 in) per year, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.[13]The mean annual temperature is between 14 and 15 °C (57 and 59 °F).[13]During December and January, the mean temperature in these months is about 23 °C (73 °F) while in July, it reaches below 6 °C (43 °F).[13]Being located far away from any major bodies of water, the thermal amplitude is high along with a largediurnalrange, which indicates continental characteristics of the climate of the city.[13]
Winds are moderately strong throughout the year, which favorsevapotranspiration.[13]Most of the wind comes from the west and the southwest, both of which occur 40–50% of the time.[13]Summers tend to be windier than winters with average wind speeds ranging from a low of 8 km/h (5.0 mph) in July to a high of 16 km/h (9.9 mph) in December.[13]Mean daily sunshine hours range from a high of 11 hours/day in January to a low of 3 hours/day in June.[13]
The highest temperature recorded was 42.3 °C (108.1 °F) on 21 January 1980 while the lowest temperature recorded was −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) on 13 June 1961.[14]
| Climate data for Neuquén, Argentina (1991–2020, extremes 1900–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42.3 (108.1) |
41.6 (106.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
28.1 (82.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
30.7 (87.3) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.7 (98.1) |
40.8 (105.4) |
40.8 (105.4) |
42.3 (108.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.1 (89.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.6 (61.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
13.1 (55.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
27.1 (80.8) |
30.3 (86.5) |
22.6 (72.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.1 (75.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.8 (44.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
14.9 (58.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
14.4 (57.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
1.7 (35.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
8.1 (46.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.3 (36.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 13.5 (0.53) |
12.6 (0.50) |
14.8 (0.58) |
21.9 (0.86) |
26.4 (1.04) |
17.6 (0.69) |
17.9 (0.70) |
9.6 (0.38) |
16.5 (0.65) |
32.9 (1.30) |
17.7 (0.70) |
10.3 (0.41) |
211.7 (8.33) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 43.1 |
| Average snowy days | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 38.1 | 45.4 | 53.6 | 63.0 | 70.2 | 70.9 | 68.0 | 58.8 | 51.1 | 46.5 | 39.9 | 37.2 | 53.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 322.4 | 299.5 | 263.5 | 207.0 | 148.8 | 117.0 | 148.8 | 176.7 | 189.0 | 248.0 | 279.0 | 282.1 | 2,681.8 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 10.4 | 10.6 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 7.4 |
| Percentpossible sunshine | 69.3 | 76.3 | 66.7 | 65.0 | 48.3 | 42.0 | 44.3 | 55.3 | 54.0 | 63.3 | 66.0 | 60.0 | 59.2 |
| Source 1:Servicio Meteorológico Nacional[15][16][17][18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Secretaria de Mineria (percent sun 1961–1990),[19]Meteo climat (record highs and lows 1900–present)[14] | |||||||||||||
Museums and historical landmarks
editThere are cultural spaces housed in former railroad buildings from the early 20th century, such as theGregorio Álvarezand the Paraje Confluencia museums and theEmilio Saraco Art Gallery.The more recently-built Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, designed by Mario Roberto Alvarez, opened in 2004. The museum showcases both national and international artists. The building consists of four halls which include both the temporary and the permanent collection, as well as an auditorium and theater.
A variety of historical monuments dating from the 20th century, such as theFotheringham Crossing Pyramidin the Sapere neighborhood, can be found throughout the city.
Sport
edit
Neuquén hosted the2001 FIBA Americas Championship,where the city's basketball fans supportedArgentina's national basketball teamto win the gold medal.[20]All games were played in the 8,000 seatEstadio Ruca Che.At the1995 FIBA Americas Championship,Neuquén acted as co-host.
Since 2015 Neuquén has hosted theFIMMotocross World Championship:its race track at Villa La Angostura was voted the best of the season in the two following seasons.
Sister cities
editNeuquén issister city,as designated bySister Cities Internationalwith:
References
edit- ^"Ciudades y capitales – año y fundador".El Historiador.Retrieved25 November2017.
- ^Oreja, Pablo Fermín (8 January 2004)."¿Son los neuquinos" atrevidos, arrogantes y audaces "?, Por Pablo Fermín Oreja08-01-04".Rio Negro(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2005.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Neuquén, nombre en uso antes de la fundación 24-08-03".Rio Negro(in Spanish). 24 August 2003.Archivedfrom the original on 14 October 2003.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Qué es un palíndromo y porqué se festeja su día este martes 22 de febrero - Tiempo Argentino".Tiempo Argentino(in Spanish). 22 February 2022. Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2022.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Gutiérrez firmó el traspaso de la multitrocha de la ex ruta 22 a la órbita local".Neuquén Informa.26 January 2021.Retrieved10 January2023.
- ^"Así son los nuevos colectivos en Neuquén: cómo funcionará la app y dónde se sumarán líneas".Diario Río Negro.6 January 2023.Retrieved10 January2023.
- ^"Navegación por el río Negro, cuando su cauce era una ruta".Diario Río Negro.30 November 2018.Retrieved10 January2023.
- ^Historia del Neuquén,Pangera Editora, 2001, page 27.
- ^Neuquén: Historia y leyendas,InterPatagonia.
- ^Naves y navegantes por Choele Choel,Rio Negro Online, H. Pérez Morando.
- ^"Pope sends message of support to nun working with trans people".
- ^Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007)."Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification"(PDF).Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.11(5): 1633–1644.Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P.doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007.ISSN1027-5606.
{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^abcdefgh"Provincia de Neuquén–Clima Y Metéorologia"(in Spanish). Secretaria de Mineria de la Nacion (Argentina). Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2015.Retrieved6 October2015.
- ^ab"STATION Neuquén"(in French). Météoclimat.Retrieved11 June2015.
- ^"Estadísticas Climatológicas Normales - período 1991-2020"(in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.Retrieved29 April2023.
- ^"Estadísticas Climatológicas Normales – período 1991–2020"(PDF)(in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. 2023. Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2023.Retrieved8 July2023.
- ^"Estadística climatológica de la República Argentina Período 1991-2000"(in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Archived fromthe originalon 9 May 2023.Retrieved20 May2023.
- ^"Clima en la Argentina: Guia Climática por Neuquén Aero".Caracterización: Estadísticas de largo plazo(in Spanish). Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.Retrieved29 April2023.
- ^ "Provincia de Neuquen – Clima Y Meteorologia: Datos Meteorologicos Y Pluviometicos"(in Spanish). Secretaria de Mineria de la Nacion (Argentina). Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2014.Retrieved31 March2015.
- ^2001 Championship of the Americas for Men,Archive.FIBA, Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^"City Directory".Sister Cities International.Retrieved25 March2014.
- ^Ilustre Municipalidad de Valdivia, ed. (18 November 2003)."Esta noche se firmará acuerdo entre Neuquén y Valdivia".Archived fromthe originalon 19 March 2004.Retrieved22 July2009.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Municipal information:Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.(in Spanish)