Embarcación (Salta)
Encyclopedia
Embarcación is a town and municipality in Salta Province
in northwestern Argentina
.
. Jesuit missionaries
established the first European outposts in the area, fostering commerce along the Bermejo's northern banks and in the vicinity of what later became Embarcación. The outpost was informally known by that name, meaning "boat" due to its strategic location north of the confluence of the Bermejo and San Francisco River
s. The site later belonged to Celedonia Reyes de Prado, who sold the land to a partnership between the Leach brothers and Dr. Carlos Serrey on July 12, 1909.
These partners parceled the land as 48 lots of roughly one hectare (2.5 acres) each. The arrival of the Central Northern Rail
line on November 28, 1911, led to the rapid sale and development of the lots. Hitherto a subdivision of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, the Municipality of Embarcación was established on December 29, 1915.
The town's civic offices and first school were inaugurated in 1917, and in 1929, the Provincial Bank of Salta opened a local branch. Adopting San Roque as the town's patron saint
, Embarcación had a hospital inaugurated in his honor in 1938, and the Catholic Parish, built in the 1960s, is so named as well. The 1931 completion of the rail link to the city of Formosa
led to its nickname of el Portal de Salta ("the Gateway to Salta").
The town became home to 13 schools and six radio stations, as well as Universal Video Cable, a local television station established in 1982. Though it developed a sizable commercial sector, horticulture
and related activities remain the leading employers in Embarcación. Salvita, a local fruit and vegetable packaging and distribution firm, was established by Salvador Muñoz, and is the leading buyer for the area's growers. The largely agrarian town, where 70% of residents lived in substandard housing as of the 2001 Census, embarked on a significant public works
agenda in 2010.
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
in northwestern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Overview
The area was originally inhabited by the Matacos, who hunted and fished along the Bermejo RiverBermejo River
The Bermejo River is a river in South America that flows from Bolivia to the Paraguay River in Argentina. The river is generally called Bermejo in spite of its different names along its way, but it also has its own Native American names; in Wichí it is called Teuco, and in Guaraní it is called Ypitá...
. Jesuit missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
established the first European outposts in the area, fostering commerce along the Bermejo's northern banks and in the vicinity of what later became Embarcación. The outpost was informally known by that name, meaning "boat" due to its strategic location north of the confluence of the Bermejo and San Francisco River
San Francisco River (Argentina)
The San Francisco River is a river of Argentina. It is a tributary of the Bermejo River.-See also:*List of rivers of Argentina-References:* Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
s. The site later belonged to Celedonia Reyes de Prado, who sold the land to a partnership between the Leach brothers and Dr. Carlos Serrey on July 12, 1909.
These partners parceled the land as 48 lots of roughly one hectare (2.5 acres) each. The arrival of the Central Northern Rail
Ferrocarril Central Norte
The Ferrocarril Central Norte was the first railway built in Argentina by the state...
line on November 28, 1911, led to the rapid sale and development of the lots. Hitherto a subdivision of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, the Municipality of Embarcación was established on December 29, 1915.
The town's civic offices and first school were inaugurated in 1917, and in 1929, the Provincial Bank of Salta opened a local branch. Adopting San Roque as the town's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, Embarcación had a hospital inaugurated in his honor in 1938, and the Catholic Parish, built in the 1960s, is so named as well. The 1931 completion of the rail link to the city of Formosa
Formosa, Argentina
Formosa is the capital city of the Argentine province of Formosa, on the banks of the Paraguay River, about from Buenos Aires, on National Route 11. It has a population of about 210,000 as per the ....
led to its nickname of el Portal de Salta ("the Gateway to Salta").
The town became home to 13 schools and six radio stations, as well as Universal Video Cable, a local television station established in 1982. Though it developed a sizable commercial sector, horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
and related activities remain the leading employers in Embarcación. Salvita, a local fruit and vegetable packaging and distribution firm, was established by Salvador Muñoz, and is the leading buyer for the area's growers. The largely agrarian town, where 70% of residents lived in substandard housing as of the 2001 Census, embarked on a significant public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
agenda in 2010.