Morteros
Encyclopedia
Morteros is a city and municipality in the San Justo Departament
in the north east of the Córdoba Province
, Argentina
.
The city of Morteros is one of the most important in the San Justo Department, it is located near the intersection of two major highways RP 1 and RP 17 and near the ferrocarril Central Argentino.
Morteros is located around 210 km from the provincial capital Córdoba
(280 by road) and 155km from Santa Fe
.
The micro region around Morteros is an ecotone
between the Humid Pampa
semi arid Gran Chaco
region. The temperature varies between 12°C and 30°C with an annual average of 23°C. The first frost can be expected on March 21 and the last on September 5. The average precipitation is 700 mm/year.
Local flora include the chañar
, tala
, Quebracho
, caranday
and the yatay
.
In the 18th Century the Spanish established a fortress called Los Morteros on a rocky outcrop, the principal function of the fortress was to defend the local territory. It lay on an alternative route to the mining region of Potosí
in Peru
, it was used as a market for contraband such as slaves to work in the mines and silver.
Fortress Los Morteros and the local area were recaptured by the indigenous population after the May Revolution
, although the Sanavirónes had been virtually extinguished, Mocovíes and Abipones moved into the area. The European Argentines launched a counter-offensive and reclaimed the territory in the middle of the century. The indigenous population suffered a great deal from the ethnic cleansing campaigns of the mid 19th century.
In 1891 the first railway arrived in Morteros, the railway brought a large number of European immigrants from the Piamonte
, Friuli
and Toscana in Italy
. In 1965 Morteros acquired its status as a city.
In 1952 the town started the production of Aero Boero
which were mainly used for crop spraying and as training aircraft. Other industrial production included the production of agricultural machinery and industrial refrigerators.
In the 1990s the area saw a massive increase in the amount of soya
, alfalfa
and sorghum
There is little tourism in the region aside from the visitors to the Mar Chiquita Lake (Laguna Mar Chiquita o Laguna Ansenuza).
Fortin Society, the Rural Society of Morteros and the sports clubs 9 de Julio de Morteros
and Tiro Federal de Morteros.
There is a cinema with 3D capability, a big casino and several educational establishments, among which is the college / institute Cristo Rey
San Justo Department, Córdoba
San Justo Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 190,182 inhabitants in an area of 13,677 km², and its capital city is San Francisco, which is located around 670 km from Buenos Aires...
in the north east of the Córdoba Province
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
, 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...
.
The city of Morteros is one of the most important in the San Justo Department, it is located near the intersection of two major highways RP 1 and RP 17 and near the ferrocarril Central Argentino.
Morteros is located around 210 km from the provincial capital Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
(280 by road) and 155km from Santa Fe
Santa Fe, Argentina
Santa Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the...
Geography and climate
Morteros is located around 17 km from the eastern shore of Mar ChiquitaMar Chiquita
Mar Chiquita is a lagoon in the southeast province of Buenos Aires in eastern Argentina. It is located by the Atlantic coast, 30 km north of Mar del Plata.The area is a natural reserve where a number of species of animals live around the lagoon....
.
The micro region around Morteros is an ecotone
Ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes but different patches of the landscape, such as forest and grassland. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local or regional...
between the Humid Pampa
Humid Pampa
The Humid Pampa is an extensive region of flat, fertile grassland of loessic origin in Argentina. It has a precipitation average of 900 mm per year, in contrast with the Dry Pampas to the west, which average less than 700 mm.-Setting:...
semi arid Gran Chaco
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
region. The temperature varies between 12°C and 30°C with an annual average of 23°C. The first frost can be expected on March 21 and the last on September 5. The average precipitation is 700 mm/year.
Local flora include the chañar
Geoffroea decorticans
Geoffroea decorticans, the chañar, kumbaru, or Chilean palo verde , is a small deciduous tree, up to tall that inhabits most arid forests of southern South America. The chañar is cold and drought deciduous; it loses its leaves in winter, and possibly in summer if conditions get too dry...
, tala
Celtis tala
Celtis tala, known as Tala, is a medium size deciduous tree, native to tropical and subtropical South America. With small to medium sized spines, its one of the main components of the Gran Chaco pairies and certain areas of the argentinian pampa....
, Quebracho
Schinopsis
Schinopsis is a genus of South American trees in the family Anacardiaceae. The species within this genus inhabit different regions of the Gran Chaco ecoregion including parts of northern Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay....
, caranday
Copernicia alba
Copernicia alba is a South American species of palm tree, which is found in the humid part of the Gran Chaco ecoregion in Bolivia, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina . They often, but not always, form dense single-species woodlands...
and the yatay
Butia yatay
Butia yatay is a palm native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.It is the tallest of all the species in the Butia genus.- External links :*http://www.sunpalmtrees.com/Cold-Hardy-Palm-Trees-Pindo-Palms.htm...
.
History
Before the arrival of the conquistadores in the 16th Century the area was populated by ethnic Sanavirónes and Mocovíes.In the 18th Century the Spanish established a fortress called Los Morteros on a rocky outcrop, the principal function of the fortress was to defend the local territory. It lay on an alternative route to the mining region of Potosí
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, it was used as a market for contraband such as slaves to work in the mines and silver.
Fortress Los Morteros and the local area were recaptured by the indigenous population after the May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
, although the Sanavirónes had been virtually extinguished, Mocovíes and Abipones moved into the area. The European Argentines launched a counter-offensive and reclaimed the territory in the middle of the century. The indigenous population suffered a great deal from the ethnic cleansing campaigns of the mid 19th century.
In 1891 the first railway arrived in Morteros, the railway brought a large number of European immigrants from the Piamonte
Piamonte
Piamonte is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia....
, Friuli
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
and Toscana in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 1965 Morteros acquired its status as a city.
Economy
The economy of the area is dominated by agriculture, especially the production of maize and dairy products.In 1952 the town started the production of Aero Boero
Aero Boero
Aero Boero S.A. is an Argentine aircraft manufacturer, established in 1956 by Hector Boero in Morteros in Córdoba Province. It manufactures a range of light civil utility and agricultural aircraft.-List of Aircraft:...
which were mainly used for crop spraying and as training aircraft. Other industrial production included the production of agricultural machinery and industrial refrigerators.
In the 1990s the area saw a massive increase in the amount of soya
Soya
Soya can mean:* Soya bean* Sōya District, Hokkaidō* Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaidō* Soya3D, a high-level three-dimensional rendering engine for the Python programming language* Soya sauce, a fermented sauce made from soybeans, roasted grain, water and salt....
, alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
and sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
There is little tourism in the region aside from the visitors to the Mar Chiquita Lake (Laguna Mar Chiquita o Laguna Ansenuza).
Amenities
Morteros is home to a regional museum and the Instituto Universitario Aeronáutico (AeronauticalUniversity Institute). Local societies include the gauchoGaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
Fortin Society, the Rural Society of Morteros and the sports clubs 9 de Julio de Morteros
9 de Julio de Morteros
Asociación Deportiva 9 de Julio is a sports club from the city of Morteros, in Córdoba Province, Argentina. Although many sports are hosted in the club, 9 de Julio is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in the regionalised 4th level of Argentine football league system, the...
and Tiro Federal de Morteros.
There is a cinema with 3D capability, a big casino and several educational establishments, among which is the college / institute Cristo Rey