Junín, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Junín is a city in the province
of Buenos Aires
, Argentina
, and capital of the municipality of Junín
. It has a population of 82,427 and is situated 260 km west of Buenos Aires
.
people, the site's strategic location on the Salado River made it of interest to Spanish
Viceroy Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
, who established an outpost there in the 1790s as part of a line of defense against raids by displaced natives. The location became known as El Potroso.
El Potroso was reinforced by a fort by way of an 1826 decree by President Bernardino Rivadavia
, and on December 27, 1827, the citadel was established under the command of a vetrean of the Argentine War of Independence
, Bernardino Escribano, as Fuerte de la Federación. The advent of Buenos Aires Province
Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
led to Escribano's 1829 destitution as commander; though the intervention of an officer, Isidoro Suárez, averted a bloodbath. Suárez, a veteran of one of last battles of the War for Independence (the Battle of Junín
, in Perú
), inadvertently gave the failing settlement its new name by his actions: "Junín."
Political conflict and ongoing Indian raids had all but destroyed Junín by the 1830s, however, and this prompted Governor Rosas to send the remaining settlers provisions and to subsidize crop farming in the surrounding, fertile pampas fields. This was followed by a pact with Ranquel
Chief Santiago Yanquelén, whereby his people would defend Junín against raids by other tribes. Towards the end of his rule, Rosas appointed José Seguí, among the few Afro Argentine
s to achieve a commissioned officer's rank, to administer Junín, in 1851. Seguí was an efficient, though repressive commander, and in 1863, he was assassinated at his nearby ranch.
Rosas' 1852 overthrow resulted in the appointment of a justice of the peace
, who initially shared governing duties with the military commander. Junín's first general store (Basterreix) opened in 1860, and in 1861, Junín elected its first city council (despite being officially only a fort). The province designated the area as a county in 1864, and with nearly 2,000 inhabitants, Junín ceases to be categorized as a "fort," and its first municipal master plan
was laid out in 1865.
The 1880 arrival of the Central Argentine Railway
and that of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
(B.A.& P.) in 1884 led to the town's rapid growth. The National Bank of Argentina
had opened a branch there in 1892 and by the 1895 census, Junín was home to over 12,000. The town largest employer by then was the B.A.& P.'s rail equipment factory, which employed over 1,600. The City Hall was completed in 1904 and Junín was declared a "city," in 1906.
Junín's steady development over the subsequent decades and setting amid lakes made it a well-known regional tourist destination. A hunt club was established in 1938, and a fishermen's pier and club on Lake El Carpicho, in 1942. The Aero Club Junín (1940) became well-known following the IX International Gliding Competition, in 1963, and the nearby Borchex Municipal Park and Lake Gómez both have become popular weekend destinations since the 1960s; Lake Gómez attracted around 350,000 visitors during the 2006-07 summer season. Nearby Estancia La Oriental has attracted growing rural tourism
to the area, as well.
The city is home to an important Municipal Historical Museum, probably best-known for its paleontology
hall and its wooly mammoth fossils, and the Ángel María de Rosa Municipal Museum of Art
(1944). In a bid to further diversify the city's economy, an industrial park
was authhorized north of the city in 1995, and a racetrack, the Autódromo Eusebio Marcilla, was opened in 2003. The closure of much of Argentina's passenger rail service
during the 1990s was partly offset in Junín in part by the purchase of local rail facilities by América Latina Logística, a São Paolo-base rail transport provider operating largely in Argentina, as well as by establishment of the Junín Railworks Cooperative.
The city features numerous cinemas, as well as prominent stage theatres such as the Teatro de la Ranchería (1971). The city's first institution of higher learning, the Junín Regional University (CURJ), was established in 1990; fused with its nearby, Pergamino counterpart, it became the National University of Northwestern Buenos Aires
(UNNOBA), in 2002. The public Dr. Abraham Piñeyro Emergency Hospital, opened in 1930, serves as the city's principal health care establishment; a new wing was added to the facility in 1997.
Famous people from Junín include Argentine supermodel Yesica Toscanini
, Tour de France
cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha
, football greats such as coach Osvaldo Zubeldía
, forward Atilio García
and goalie Federico Vilar
, and the "wild bull of the pampas," boxer Luis Ángel Firpo; Junín was also where Eva Duarte was raised until an opportunity in radio took her to Buenos Aires, in 1935. A decade later, she became the influential Eva Perón
(Evita). The city's mayor, elected in 2003 and reelected in 2007, is Mario Meoni of the center-left Radical Civic Union
. A fellow UCR figure, Moisés Lebensohn, founded the city's leading newsdaily, Democracia, in 1931.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, 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...
, and capital of the municipality of Junín
Junín Partido
Junín is a municipality in the . Its capital is the city of Junín.-Geography:Junín occupies an area of , with a population of 88,664 inhabitants...
. It has a population of 82,427 and is situated 260 km west of 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...
.
History
Inhabited by the native CharrúaCharrua
The Charrúa were an indigenous people of southern South America in the area today known as Uruguay and southern Brazil. They were a nomadic people that sustained themselves through fishing and foraging...
people, the site's strategic location on the Salado River made it of interest to Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
Viceroy Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo was a Spanish colonial politician born in New Spain, and Viceroy of the Río de la Plata.-Biography:...
, who established an outpost there in the 1790s as part of a line of defense against raids by displaced natives. The location became known as El Potroso.
El Potroso was reinforced by a fort by way of an 1826 decree by President Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
, and on December 27, 1827, the citadel was established under the command of a vetrean of the Argentine War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
, Bernardino Escribano, as Fuerte de la Federación. The advent of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
led to Escribano's 1829 destitution as commander; though the intervention of an officer, Isidoro Suárez, averted a bloodbath. Suárez, a veteran of one of last battles of the War for Independence (the Battle of Junín
Battle of Junín
The Battle of Junín was a military engagement of the Peruvian War of Independence, fought in the highlands of the Junín Region on August 6, 1824. The preceding February the royalists had regained control of Lima, and having regrouped in Trujillo, Simón Bolívar in June led his rebel forces south to...
, in Perú
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....
), inadvertently gave the failing settlement its new name by his actions: "Junín."
Political conflict and ongoing Indian raids had all but destroyed Junín by the 1830s, however, and this prompted Governor Rosas to send the remaining settlers provisions and to subsidize crop farming in the surrounding, fertile pampas fields. This was followed by a pact with Ranquel
Ranquel
The Ranquel are an indigenous tribe from the northern part of La Pampa Province, Argentina, in South America. They are part of the Mapuche, with Puelche origins, Pehuenche and also Patagones from the Günün-a-Küna group.-Name:...
Chief Santiago Yanquelén, whereby his people would defend Junín against raids by other tribes. Towards the end of his rule, Rosas appointed José Seguí, among the few Afro Argentine
Afro Argentine
The black population resulting from the slave trade during the centuries of Spanish domination of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata had a major role in Argentine history...
s to achieve a commissioned officer's rank, to administer Junín, in 1851. Seguí was an efficient, though repressive commander, and in 1863, he was assassinated at his nearby ranch.
Rosas' 1852 overthrow resulted in the appointment of a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, who initially shared governing duties with the military commander. Junín's first general store (Basterreix) opened in 1860, and in 1861, Junín elected its first city council (despite being officially only a fort). The province designated the area as a county in 1864, and with nearly 2,000 inhabitants, Junín ceases to be categorized as a "fort," and its first municipal master plan
Master plan
A master plan has many meanings, it can refer to:Generally it may be used for serious plans or strategies, see:*Strategy**Strategic planning**Comprehensive planning**Blueprint...
was laid out in 1865.
Central Argentine Railway
The Central Argentine Railway was one of the Big Four broad gauge, , British-owned companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina...
and that of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway was one of the Big Four broad gauge, , British-owned companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina....
(B.A.& P.) in 1884 led to the town's rapid growth. The National Bank of Argentina
Banco de la Nación Argentina
Banco de la Nación Argentina is a state-owned bank in Argentina, and the largest in the country's banking sector.-Overview:The bank was founded on October 18, 1891, by President Carlos Pellegrini by way of stabilizing the nation's finances following the Panic of 1890; its first director was...
had opened a branch there in 1892 and by the 1895 census, Junín was home to over 12,000. The town largest employer by then was the B.A.& P.'s rail equipment factory, which employed over 1,600. The City Hall was completed in 1904 and Junín was declared a "city," in 1906.
Junín's steady development over the subsequent decades and setting amid lakes made it a well-known regional tourist destination. A hunt club was established in 1938, and a fishermen's pier and club on Lake El Carpicho, in 1942. The Aero Club Junín (1940) became well-known following the IX International Gliding Competition, in 1963, and the nearby Borchex Municipal Park and Lake Gómez both have become popular weekend destinations since the 1960s; Lake Gómez attracted around 350,000 visitors during the 2006-07 summer season. Nearby Estancia La Oriental has attracted growing rural tourism
Rural tourism
Rural tourism focuses on participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Any village can be a tourist attraction, and many villagers are very hospitable. Agriculture is becoming highly mechanized and therefore requires less manual labor...
to the area, as well.
The city is home to an important Municipal Historical Museum, probably best-known for its paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
hall and its wooly mammoth fossils, and the Ángel María de Rosa Municipal Museum of Art
Ángel María de Rosa Municipal Museum of Art
The Ángel María de Rosa Municipal Museum of Art is an art museum in Junín, a city in the north of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.-Overview:...
(1944). In a bid to further diversify the city's economy, an industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
was authhorized north of the city in 1995, and a racetrack, the Autódromo Eusebio Marcilla, was opened in 2003. The closure of much of Argentina's passenger rail service
Rail transport in Argentina
The Argentine railway network comprised of track at the end of the Second World War and was, in its time, one of the most extensive and prosperous in South America. However, with the increase in highway construction, there followed a sharp decline in railway profitability, leading to the break-up...
during the 1990s was partly offset in Junín in part by the purchase of local rail facilities by América Latina Logística, a São Paolo-base rail transport provider operating largely in Argentina, as well as by establishment of the Junín Railworks Cooperative.
The city features numerous cinemas, as well as prominent stage theatres such as the Teatro de la Ranchería (1971). The city's first institution of higher learning, the Junín Regional University (CURJ), was established in 1990; fused with its nearby, Pergamino counterpart, it became the National University of Northwestern Buenos Aires
National University of Northwestern Buenos Aires
The National University of Northwestern Buenos Aires is a national university with head office and campus in Junín, Argentina, which hosts around 60% of students...
(UNNOBA), in 2002. The public Dr. Abraham Piñeyro Emergency Hospital, opened in 1930, serves as the city's principal health care establishment; a new wing was added to the facility in 1997.
Famous people from Junín include Argentine supermodel Yesica Toscanini
Yésica Toscanini
Yésica Toscanini is a professional Argentinian fashion model.She appeared in the 2006 and 2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. She was photographed for the cover of the Argentinian edition of Cosmopolitan and twice for magazine "Para Ti". She also appeared in the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog of...
, Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team .-Career:...
, football greats such as coach Osvaldo Zubeldía
Osvaldo Zubeldía
Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía, was a football player and an influential Argentine coach.-Playing career:...
, forward Atilio García
Atilio García
Atilio Ceferino García was an Argentine-Uruguayan football striker who is the second highest goalscorer in the history of Uruguayan football...
and goalie Federico Vilar
Federico Vilar
Federico Vilar Baudena known as El Jefe , is an Argentine-Italian association football goalkeeper playing for Mexican first division team Morelia. Vilar began his career playing for Boca Juniors in Argentina from 1993 to 2000 and Almirante Brown from 2000 to 2001...
, and the "wild bull of the pampas," boxer Luis Ángel Firpo; Junín was also where Eva Duarte was raised until an opportunity in radio took her to Buenos Aires, in 1935. A decade later, she became the influential Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
(Evita). The city's mayor, elected in 2003 and reelected in 2007, is Mario Meoni of the center-left Radical Civic Union
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
. A fellow UCR figure, Moisés Lebensohn, founded the city's leading newsdaily, Democracia, in 1931.