Formosa, Argentina
Encyclopedia
Formosa is the capital city of the Argentine
province
of Formosa
, on the banks of the Paraguay River
, about 1200 km (746 mi) from Buenos Aires
, on National Route 11. It has a population of about 210,000 as per the .
Formosa is the hub of the provincial industry, that processes the product of its natural resources. The port that serves the Paraguay towards the Paraná River
is the main transport means for the provincial production.
Notable sights of the city include the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Cathedral, the Government House, the Torelli Botanic Forest Garden, the Provincial History Museum (Museo Histórico Provincial), the Estadio Centenario ("Centenary Stadium") football
stadium, the Guaicole fauna reserve, the shore of the Paraguay River
, the Isla de Oro Island, and the Central Square named after José de San Martín
.
The local climate is humid sub-tropical, with average temperatures of 28 °C in summer and 16 °C in winter.
The El Pucú Airport , at 26°12′04"S 58°13′09"W, 7 kilometres south of the city, serves charter flights, and regular flights to Buenos Aires.
and Wichí
(Mataco) aboriginals. On April 8, 1879 Commander Luis Jorge Fontana founded the settlement that would become the capital of the National Territory of Chaco from 1884 to June 15, 1955, when it gained the status of province. The Formosa campus of the National University of the Northeast
was established as the National University of Formosa
in 1988.
The name of the city (and the province) comes from the archaic Spanish
word fermosa (currently hermosa) meaning "beautiful". The name Vuelta Fermosa or Vuelta la Formosa was used by Spanish sailors in the 16th century to describe the area where the Paraguay River
makes a turn, right in front of the actual city. These sailors were searching for the legendary Sierra del Plata
. Coincidentally, the province is partially antipodal
to Taiwan
(formerly called Formosa).
Formosa is mentioned in the novel Travels with My Aunt
, by Graham Greene
.
" culture of Buenos Aires. Laid back and relaxed, its young people relax on the Costanera, the recently restored pathway along the Río Paraguay which serves as a venue for arts displays and features a fast-food restaurant, or at boliches, local clubs. The city's well-known cultural institutions include the Formosa Regional Historical Museum (image, above), the Juan Pablo Duffard Historical Museum (a National Historic Monument), the Qomp Toba
Artisanal Museum, and the Oscar Albertazzi Arts Institute.
The city has, since the 1970s, enjoyed increasing domestic tourism as a winter destination and, since the devaluation of the peso
in 2002, growing international tourism, as well. Formosa is currently home to one five-star hotel (the International Tourist Hotel) and four four-star hotels. One other five-star establishment, the Neo Formosa, is now under construction and will feature a casino and shopping gallery.
It also celebrates the Fiesta del Río in November, Carnaval on weekends in February and Día de la Fundación de Formosa in April.
are very uncommon . Summers are hot and humid. During the most extreme heat waves, temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F). Temperatures have exceeded 35°C (95°F) in every season
.
Summers are long, hot and sticky, with most days between 30°C (86F) and 35°C (95F); temperatures up to 38°C (100F) are common, and nights are usually between 20°C (68F) and 25°C (77F). Cooler temperatures only arrive by late April, and winters are very mild: highs average 22°C (72F), lows average 12°C (54F). However, these averages are reached through a pattern that switches from warm, northerly winds, to cold southerly winds, and so forth: with northerly winds, temperatures are often much warmer, between 25°C (77F) and 30°C (86F) and nights are mild, around 15°C (59F). Southerly winds often bring a period of drizzly, cold weather with temperatures that may stay in the 10°C (50F) to 15°C (59F) range for a day or two (which, combined with the high humidity and the winds can feel surprisingly cold), followed by clear skies, cold nights (2°C to 7°C, or 36F to 45F) and pleasant days at 15°C (59F) to 20°C (68F). Light frost is possible in Formosa, especially in the outskirts of the city further away from the river; however, air temperatures seldom fall below 0°C, every few years at most, with a record low of -2°C (28F). Snow is unprecedented and probably impossible.
Rainfall can be expected throughout the year though summer is usually the wettest season. Thunderstorms can be intense with frequent lightning
, powerful gusts of wind and intense precipitation
.
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...
province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Formosa
Formosa Province
Formosa Province is in northeastern Argentina, part of the Gran Chaco Region. Its northeast end touches Asunción, Paraguay, and borders the provinces of Chaco and Salta to its south and west, respectively...
, on the banks of the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
, about 1200 km (746 mi) from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, on National Route 11. It has a population of about 210,000 as per the .
Formosa is the hub of the provincial industry, that processes the product of its natural resources. The port that serves the Paraguay towards the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
is the main transport means for the provincial production.
Notable sights of the city include the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Cathedral, the Government House, the Torelli Botanic Forest Garden, the Provincial History Museum (Museo Histórico Provincial), the Estadio Centenario ("Centenary Stadium") football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stadium, the Guaicole fauna reserve, the shore of the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
, the Isla de Oro Island, and the Central Square named after José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
.
The local climate is humid sub-tropical, with average temperatures of 28 °C in summer and 16 °C in winter.
The El Pucú Airport , at 26°12′04"S 58°13′09"W, 7 kilometres south of the city, serves charter flights, and regular flights to Buenos Aires.
History
The lands were initially inhabited by TobaToba (tribe)
The Toba are an ethnic group in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. They are part of a larger group of indigenous inhabitants of the Gran Chaco region, called the Guaycurues. As of 2005, there are 47,951 Toba in Argentina, living in the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe.The Toba name themselves...
and Wichí
Wichí
The Wichí are an indigenous people of South America. They are a large group of tribes ranging about the headwaters of the Bermejo River and the Pilcomayo River, in Argentina and Bolivia.-Notes on designation:...
(Mataco) aboriginals. On April 8, 1879 Commander Luis Jorge Fontana founded the settlement that would become the capital of the National Territory of Chaco from 1884 to June 15, 1955, when it gained the status of province. The Formosa campus of the National University of the Northeast
National University of the Northeast
The National University of the Northeast is an Argentine national university. It is located in the cities of Corrientes and Resistencia, capitals cities of the Provinces of Corrientes and Chaco respectively, and was established on December 4, 1956...
was established as the National University of Formosa
National University of Formosa
The National University of Formosa is an Argentine national university, situated in the city of Formosa, capital of Formosa Province. Its precursor, the University Institute of Formosa, was established in 1971 as a campus of the National University of the Northeast.-See also:*Argentine...
in 1988.
The name of the city (and the province) comes from the archaic Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word fermosa (currently hermosa) meaning "beautiful". The name Vuelta Fermosa or Vuelta la Formosa was used by Spanish sailors in the 16th century to describe the area where the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
makes a turn, right in front of the actual city. These sailors were searching for the legendary Sierra del Plata
Sierra del Plata
Sierra de la Plata , was a legendary treasury of silver that was believed to be located in South America. The legend probably originated when the European survivors of a shipwreck were given abundant gifts of silver by the native peoples.In the early 16th century, the estuary of the Uruguay and...
. Coincidentally, the province is partially antipodal
Antipodes
In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth....
to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(formerly called Formosa).
Formosa is mentioned in the novel Travels with My Aunt
Travels with My Aunt
Travels with My Aunt is a novel written by English author Graham Greene.The novel follows the travels of Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, and his eccentric Aunt Augusta as they find their way across Europe, and eventually even further afield...
, by Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
.
Culture
The city, which is only a few hundred meters away from Paraguay across the river, has a culture closer to that of Paraguay than the "porteñoPorteño
Porteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities....
" culture of Buenos Aires. Laid back and relaxed, its young people relax on the Costanera, the recently restored pathway along the Río Paraguay which serves as a venue for arts displays and features a fast-food restaurant, or at boliches, local clubs. The city's well-known cultural institutions include the Formosa Regional Historical Museum (image, above), the Juan Pablo Duffard Historical Museum (a National Historic Monument), the Qomp Toba
Toba (tribe)
The Toba are an ethnic group in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. They are part of a larger group of indigenous inhabitants of the Gran Chaco region, called the Guaycurues. As of 2005, there are 47,951 Toba in Argentina, living in the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe.The Toba name themselves...
Artisanal Museum, and the Oscar Albertazzi Arts Institute.
The city has, since the 1970s, enjoyed increasing domestic tourism as a winter destination and, since the devaluation of the peso
Historical exchange rates of Argentine currency
The following table contains the monthly historical exchange rate of the different currencies of Argentina, expressed in Argentine currency units per United States dollar...
in 2002, growing international tourism, as well. Formosa is currently home to one five-star hotel (the International Tourist Hotel) and four four-star hotels. One other five-star establishment, the Neo Formosa, is now under construction and will feature a casino and shopping gallery.
Festivals
Formosa celebrates the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Catedral on July 16 in honor of its patron saint. Celebrations, which occur in the main Plaza San Martín, include the traditional pericón dance and stalls selling everything from food to balloons.It also celebrates the Fiesta del Río in November, Carnaval on weekends in February and Día de la Fundación de Formosa in April.
Climate
The city has a climate considered as "Humid Subtropical" or "Cfa" by Köppen classification. The city's climate is among the warmest and most humid in Argentina: Winters are generally mild, air frostsFrost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
are very uncommon . Summers are hot and humid. During the most extreme heat waves, temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F). Temperatures have exceeded 35°C (95°F) in every season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
.
Summers are long, hot and sticky, with most days between 30°C (86F) and 35°C (95F); temperatures up to 38°C (100F) are common, and nights are usually between 20°C (68F) and 25°C (77F). Cooler temperatures only arrive by late April, and winters are very mild: highs average 22°C (72F), lows average 12°C (54F). However, these averages are reached through a pattern that switches from warm, northerly winds, to cold southerly winds, and so forth: with northerly winds, temperatures are often much warmer, between 25°C (77F) and 30°C (86F) and nights are mild, around 15°C (59F). Southerly winds often bring a period of drizzly, cold weather with temperatures that may stay in the 10°C (50F) to 15°C (59F) range for a day or two (which, combined with the high humidity and the winds can feel surprisingly cold), followed by clear skies, cold nights (2°C to 7°C, or 36F to 45F) and pleasant days at 15°C (59F) to 20°C (68F). Light frost is possible in Formosa, especially in the outskirts of the city further away from the river; however, air temperatures seldom fall below 0°C, every few years at most, with a record low of -2°C (28F). Snow is unprecedented and probably impossible.
Rainfall can be expected throughout the year though summer is usually the wettest season. Thunderstorms can be intense with frequent lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, powerful gusts of wind and intense precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
.
External links
- Official website (Spanish)
- National University of Formosa (Spanish)