Oberá
Encyclopedia
Oberá is a city in the interfluvial
province
of Misiones
, Argentina
, and the head town of the Oberá Department. It is located 96 km east of the provincial capital Posadas
, on National Route 14, and about 1,150 km north of Buenos Aires
. It has about 55,000 inhabitants according to the .
Oberá is the second city in size and importance of the province, and the core of the Sierras Centrales region. The area is a colorful landscape, with luxurious vegetation, streams, cascades and hilly areas. Oberá is also the educational and cultural capital of the central region of the province, with availability of universities and colleges (such as the National University of Misiones
). Its economy is based on agriculture and industry.
The local culture is marked by European influences, since the area was settled by numerous colonies of immigrants
, starting in 1897. The first community that settled in the site of today's Oberá (then known as Villa Svea) arrived in 1909 and was composed of Swedes. French
, Norwegian, Finns, Russian
, German
, English
, Lebanese
and Danish joined them, before and after World War I
.
Oberá was officially founded on 9 July 1928. Its name was taken from a renowned aboriginal
chief, and it means "bright, shining". More than 15 national/ethnic communities of people descended from immigrants coexist, keeping their legacy and traditions. In the first fortnight of September every year they celebrate this diversity with the Immigrant's Festival
.
Oberá is also known as the "City of the Churches", since it features more than 30 churches, belonging to a diversity of denominations (including Eastern and Western Catholic rites, Eastern Orthodox, and several Evangelical/Protestant churches). On June 13, 2009, Oberá was made the see of the newly erected Roman Catholic Diocese of Oberá. The latter was created with territory carved out from the Diocese of Posadas
.
Other attractions include visits to small farms and plantations, including those of yerba mate
and tea
, the major products of Misiones.
Mesopotamia, Argentina
La Mesopotamia, Región Mesopotámica is the humid and verdant area of north-east Argentina, comprising the provinces of Misiones, Entre Ríos and Corrientes. The region called Litoral consists of the Mesopotamia and the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe...
province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Misiones
Misiones Province
Misiones is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamiсa region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes Province of Argentina to the southwest.- History :The province was...
, 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 the head town of the Oberá Department. It is located 96 km east of the provincial capital Posadas
Posadas, Misiones
Posadas is the capital city of the Argentine province of Misiones, located at the south of the province, on the left-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Encarnación, Paraguay. The city has an area of 965 km² and a population of 323,739 ....
, on National Route 14, and about 1,150 km north 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...
. It has about 55,000 inhabitants according to the .
Overview
National University of Misiones
The National University of Misiones is a public university in Argentina; founded by the law 20.286 on April 16, 1973, as part of the Taquini plan, a program of reorganization of the top education that would take the foundation of universities of Jujuy, La Pampa, Lomas de Zamora, Entre Ríos, Luján,...
). Its economy is based on agriculture and industry.
The local culture is marked by European influences, since the area was settled by numerous colonies of immigrants
Immigration to Argentina
Immigration in Argentina, can be divided in several major stages:* Spanish colonization starting in the 16th century, integrating the indigenous inhabitants ....
, starting in 1897. The first community that settled in the site of today's Oberá (then known as Villa Svea) arrived in 1909 and was composed of Swedes. French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Norwegian, Finns, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
and Danish joined them, before and after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Oberá was officially founded on 9 July 1928. Its name was taken from a renowned aboriginal
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
chief, and it means "bright, shining". More than 15 national/ethnic communities of people descended from immigrants coexist, keeping their legacy and traditions. In the first fortnight of September every year they celebrate this diversity with the Immigrant's Festival
Immigrant's Festival
Immigrant's Festival is celebrated in the city of Oberá, Misiones in Argentina.It takes place during the first fortnight of September in the Parque de las Naciones , an estate of approximately 10 hectares, where each collectivity has its house and during one week, social, cultural, sport and...
.
Oberá is also known as the "City of the Churches", since it features more than 30 churches, belonging to a diversity of denominations (including Eastern and Western Catholic rites, Eastern Orthodox, and several Evangelical/Protestant churches). On June 13, 2009, Oberá was made the see of the newly erected Roman Catholic Diocese of Oberá. The latter was created with territory carved out from the Diocese of Posadas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Posadas
-Ordinaries:*Jorge Kémérer S.V.D. *Carmelo Juan Giaquinta *Alfonso Delgado Evers *Juan Rubén Martinez...
.
Tourist attractions
In addition to the many churches, other tourist sites include:- Jardín de los Pájaros (Birds' Garden), showcasing more than 200 speciesSpeciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. - Monteaventura, a recreational estate with ecological footpathsTrailA trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
and gameGameA game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s. - Salto Berrondo (Berrondo Waterfall), a forestForestA forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
area with camping facilities. - Reserva del Chachí, a nature reserve near the city, featuring chachíChachiChachi may refer to:*Chhachi, sub-section of Kohli Khokran clan in India and Pakistan*Chachi people, an indigenous people of Ecuador*Chachi language , Barbacoan language spoken by the Chachi people...
s (giant fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s). - Centro Zootoxicológico, with a diversity of reptileReptileReptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, including one of the largest serpentaries in the country. - Oberá Park, a summer recreation center.
- Parque de las Naciones (Park of the Nations), devoted to typical houses of the immigrant communities.
- Historic and Natural Sciences Museum
- Casa de la Cultura (Culture House), with exhibitions of diverse artists.
Other attractions include visits to small farms and plantations, including those of yerba mate
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
and tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, the major products of Misiones.
External links
- Official website
- Oberá Online
- Press article about Oberá City and documentary (in Spanish only)
- Fiesta del Inmigrante (Immigrant's Festival official website)