Puerto General San Martín
Encyclopedia
Puerto General San Martín is a small city in the province
of Santa Fe
, Argentina
, located within the metropolitan area
of Greater Rosario
, about 35 km (22 mi) north from the center of the city of Rosario
, on the western shore of the Paraná River
. It has a population of 10,882 inhabitants according to the .
The city is located on a natural port
of excellent quality, with an abrupt ravine and great depth (dredged up to 34 feet (10.4 m) in 2006, it is the last deepwater, Panamax
-capable port on the Paraná). The city is home to an industrial complex and a major commercial terminal for agricultural
export
s (cereal
s, vegetable oils, etc.), managing 50% of the Argentine exports of soybean
. The industrial and agricultural development, secondary to the swift recovery from the Argentine economic crisis
of the late 1990s, is however an important source of pollution.
immigrant
that came to Argentina in 1866 and became a farmer, working mainly in cereal crops. On 7 April 1879 Kirk bought a few portions of land on the shore of the Paraná River, for the purpose of laying down a village and devote the rest of the land to agriculture. In 1888 Kirk sent a letter to the provincial governor proposing this idea, calling the town Linda Vista ("Nice View") and attaching a plan. The government approved the necessary documents on 16 February 1889, deciding on the name Kirkton. In the end the town was not built in the proposed site, and Kirk returned to Scotland in 1898, after his Argentine wife died.
Puerto General San Martín officially became a city in 1987. The current name is an homage to General José de San Martín
, leader of the Argentine War of Independence
from Spain
and Liberator of several other South America
n countries. The name is often shortened to Puerto San Martín or (by its residents) simply Puerto.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, 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...
, located within the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
of Greater Rosario
Greater Rosario
Greater Rosario is the metropolitan area of the city of Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. This metropolis has a population of about 1.5 million , thus being Argentina's second most populated urban settlement, after Buenos Aires....
, about 35 km (22 mi) north from the center of the city of Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, on the western shore of 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...
. It has a population of 10,882 inhabitants according to the .
The city is located on a natural port
San Lorenzo-Puerto General San Martín Port Complex
The San Lorenzo-Puerto General San Martín Port Complex is a series of port facilities on the western shore of the lower course of the Paraná River in Argentina, which are shared by the cities of San Lorenzo and Puerto General San Martín, province of Santa Fe....
of excellent quality, with an abrupt ravine and great depth (dredged up to 34 feet (10.4 m) in 2006, it is the last deepwater, Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
-capable port on the Paraná). The city is home to an industrial complex and a major commercial terminal for agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
s (cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, vegetable oils, etc.), managing 50% of the Argentine exports of soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
. The industrial and agricultural development, secondary to the swift recovery from the Argentine economic crisis
Argentine economic crisis (1999-2002)
The Argentine economic crisis was a financial situation, tied to poilitical unrest, that affected Argentina's economy during the late 1990s and early 2000s...
of the late 1990s, is however an important source of pollution.
History
The acknowledged founder of the town was Guillermo Kirk, a ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
that came to Argentina in 1866 and became a farmer, working mainly in cereal crops. On 7 April 1879 Kirk bought a few portions of land on the shore of the Paraná River, for the purpose of laying down a village and devote the rest of the land to agriculture. In 1888 Kirk sent a letter to the provincial governor proposing this idea, calling the town Linda Vista ("Nice View") and attaching a plan. The government approved the necessary documents on 16 February 1889, deciding on the name Kirkton. In the end the town was not built in the proposed site, and Kirk returned to Scotland in 1898, after his Argentine wife died.
Puerto General San Martín officially became a city in 1987. The current name is an homage to General 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...
, leader 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...
from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Liberator of several other South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries. The name is often shortened to Puerto San Martín or (by its residents) simply Puerto.