Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz is a province
of Argentina
, located in the southern part of the country, in Patagonia
. It borders Chubut
province to the north, and Chile
to the west and south. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean
. It is the second largest province of the country (after Buenos Aires province
), and the least densely populated
in mainland Argentina.
The Tehuelches inhabited these lands before the arrivals of the Spanish colonisation. In 1520 Ferdinand Magellan
arrived to what is currently known as San Julián Bay.
15 years later Martín de Alcazaba explored the area near the Chico River, which he named Gallegos River
. Because of the attacks of British
privateer
s, and after the visit of Francis Drake
in 1578, the Spaniards
sent Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
to fortify and map the Strait of Magellan
and prevent access to Spanish posts in the Pacific
.
In the middle of the 18th century, the Jesuits settled in the area, establishing a few missions
. When the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
was created in 1776, the region was set under the rule of Buenos Aires
. Antonio de Biedma founded Nueva Colonia near present Puerto Deseado
and Floridablanca
not far from Puerto San Julian
, both of them shut down later by Viceroy Vertíz.
Between 1825 and 1836 there were a series of explorations of the regions, including that of Charles Darwin
in 1834. In 1860 commander Luis Piedrabuena established a base at the Pavón Island on the estuary of Puerto Deseado.
In 1878 the Government of Patagonia
was created, with capital in Viedma, but six years later it was split into smaller entities, with the territory declared National Government of Santa Cruz, whose capital was the city of Santa Cruz. In 1901 the capital was moved to its current location at the city of Río Gallegos.
At the beginning of 20th century, a large Europe
an immigration began to arrive to the almost uninhabited zone; Spanish, Germans
, British and Slavs were the most numerous among them. They came mainly to escape the growing conflicts of World War I
, and were attracted by the wool industry of the area. The end of the war meant a sharp reduction in the amount of exports, bringing a serious economic crisis to Santa Cruz.
The ideals of progressivism
, brought by the Spanish immigrants, grew among the workers who, working in Santa Cruz's harsh environment under often sub-human conditions, decided to strike
in 1922. The strike was severely and harshly repressed by the government, culminating in the events of the Patagonia Trágica ("Tragic Patagonia"), the execution of dozens of strikers.
In 1944 the Military zone of Comodoro Rivadavia was created, which encompassed the northern part of the National Government of Santa Cruz and the southern part of Chubut Province
. This jurisdiction lasted until the abolition of the measures in 1955. The Territory of Santa Cruz acquired province status in 1957.
In 1973, voters in Santa Cruz elected Jorge Cepernic
, a Peronist. An advocate of labor rights, Gov. Cepernic worked with film maker Osvaldo Bayer
to make La Patagonia Rebelde ('"Rebellion in Patagonia"), a documentary drama on the ill-fated 1922 sheep ranch laborers' strike. For this, Gov. Cepernic was imprisoned following the March, 1976, coup
.
The return to democracy in Argentina in 1983 brought new, mostly young leadership to Santa Cruz's elected posts, among them a well-known local country lawyer
named Néstor Kirchner
, elected that year to the Río Gallegos City Council. Elected mayor in 1987 and governor in 1991, Kirchner helped negotiate a US$535 million payout for his province following the 1993 privatization of the state-owned oil concern YPF. Earning plaudits for his careful administration of the funds, Kirchner was elected president of Argentina in April 2003, following the withdrawal of Carlos Menem
from a runoff which Kirchner was projected to win handily.
Presiding over four years of expansion totalling 42% (the best performance for the Argentine economy since the 1880s), Pres. Kirchner steered record spending into public works (particularly those in his province, as is customary for Argentine presidents).
To the west, the Andes
at these latitudes are lower than in the centre and north of Argentina, but still have year-round snow. An immense ice sheet
feeds the numerous glaciers
.
From the centre to the Atlantic
coast in the east, plateaux of descending height dominate the landscape. The Atlantic coastline is a mixture of beaches and cliffs. In Gran Bajo de San Julián, the Laguna del Carbón
is 105 meters below sea level, and is the lowest point in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
The province's climate is dominated by several different climatic regions. The extreme northeast coast is by far the mildest area, with summer temperatures ranging from 21ºC to 23ºC (70F to 73F) during the day and 8ºC to 10ºC (46F to 50F) at night, and winters ranging from 8ºC to 10ºC (46F to 50F) during the day and 0ºC to 2ºC (32F to 35F) at night. Precipitation is scarce, at about 200 mm, snow is rare, as well as temperatures below -10ºC (14F).
The central and southern coast are progressively cooler and wetter. High temperatures in the summer range from 18ºC to 21ºC (64F to 70F) with nights between 7ºC and 9ºC (45F to 48F) and extremely high winds, whereas winters average 4ºC to 7ºC (39F to 45F) during the day, and -3ºC to 0ºC (27F to 32F) at night. Snow showers are common in the winter, but accumulations are low because of the aridity of the region: between 200 mm and 300 mm annually at most. Temperatures fall to -15ºC (5F), with a few areas approaching -18ºC (0 F).
Inland areas are composed of a series of low to mid-altitude plateaus, cut by river valleys. Altitudes range from only 100 m to about 700 m, and so the climate is highly variable. Summer temperatures can range from 21ºC during the day and 8ºC at night (70F and 46F) in the lowest areas, whereas winter temperatures go from 3ºC to 5ºC (37F to 41F) during the day and -5ºC to -2ºC (23F to 28F) during the night, so that the average is, at low altitude, about 0ºC. Due to this temperature range and the aridity, snow cover varies from one year to another: it can last for several weeks, to only some days. Temperatures are known to reach under -25ºC (-13F) on occasion.
On the plateaus, the climate is significantly colder and windier, with common frost even during the summer, and snow cover during the winter months. Nights around -15ºC (5F) are common, and temperatures are believed to reach down to -35ºC (-31F) in some spots during the worst cold waves. Westerly winds often reach over 100 km/h, and sometimes 150 km/h.
The Andean region receives more influence from the Pacific, which translates into significantly more humidity, and some moderation during the worst cold waves. Low valleys support dense forests of lenga trees, which are snow-covered in the winter, and where summers are cool. Above 1,000 metres, little vegetation grows, as the weather is already too cold and snowy. The Patagonian Ice sheet covers a significant portion of the Southwest, reaching over 3,000 metres in altitude at Mount Fitz Roy and other mountains around it. The climate is extreme, with very high precipitation (over 5,000 mm in some areas, according to estimates, falling all as snow), extremely changeable weather, and high winds.
Finally, the southernmost part of the province is somewhat wetter than the rest (about 350 mm) with more cloudiness and more frequent snow.
The lakes of Buenos Aires Lake
(2,240 km², 881 km² in Argentina), Cardiel Lake
(460 km²), Viedma Lake
(1082 km²), Argentino Lake (1560 km²), Pueyrredón Lake, Belgrano Lake
and San Martín Lake
(1.013 km²) are all in the west of the province. These lakes are fed by glacieal melt-water, but due to the cold climate their shores are not used for agriculture.
Santa Cruz, with a small population and rich in natural resources, has long had one of Argentina's most prosperous economies. Its 2006 output was estimated at US$3.3 billion, or, US$16,550 per capita (three-fourths above the national average and Argentina's third-highest).
Its economy, with the possible exception of Neuquen
's, is the country's least diversified, however. Fully half its output is accounted for by the extractive sector (petroleum, gas and mining), with an annual production of 4.5 million m3 of petroleum
and 3 million m3 of gas
, mainly in the Pico Truncado, Cañadón seco and Cerro Redondo extracting facilities.
The coal
production at Río Turbio, Argentina's only active coal mine, is of around one million m3 per year. Mining includes gold
(Cerro Vanguardia Mine
), clay
, gypsum
, salt
and others.
The second most important productive activity is that associated with sheep. With 7 million heads, Santa Cruz is the second main producer of wool and meat after the Province of Chubut, most of which is designated for export. Sheep farming revived in 2002 with the devaluation of the peso and firmer global demand for wool (led by China and the EU). Still there is little investment in new abbatoirs (mainly in Rio Gallegos), and often there are phitosanitary restrictions to the export of sheep meat. Livestock also includes small numbers of cattle
, and in lesser numbers pigs and horses.
Sea fishing, and its later industrialization at the fishing ports of Puerto Deseado, Puerto San Julián, Puerto Santa Cruz and Río Gallegos produces prawn
, squid
, hake
and dozens of others. Most of the production is frozen and exported.
There is little agriculture due to the arid nature of the soil. There is a small timber industry fed by both forests and planted trees, of which the wood of the lenga
is the most exploited.
Santa Cruz's most visited destination is Los Glaciares National Park
and a number of glaciers of which the Perito Moreno Glacier
is the most famous. Nearby El Calafate
has an airport that connects the area with Buenos Aires
and Trelew
.
Some 200 kilometres north of El Calafate is the village of El Chaltén
at the feet of the Cerro Torre
and Mount Fitz Roy. Still not very developed, El Chaltén serves as a hub for various trekking routes including walks on the Viedma Glacier.
600 kilometres further north of El Chaltén, by the dirt road Ruta 40, the Cueva de las Manos
near the town of Perito Moreno
allows the few tourists who venture to this point to see the prehistoric wall paintings in the caves near the Pinturas River
.
Perito Moreno National Park
and its lakes, north of Los Glaciares, are rarely visited. Besides trekking, other sports practised on the west side of the province are sport fishing, rafting and climbing.
In the east, the National Route 3
follows the Atlantic
coastline, by which buses connect the coastal cities, and take passengers both south to Tierra del Fuego and north to Chubut Province
and Buenos Aires
. The most visited places are the cities of Río Gallegos, the Bosques Petrificados National Monument petrified forest, and the depression of Laguna del Carbón
near Puerto San Julián
.
:
Department (Capital)
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of 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 in the southern part of the country, in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. It borders Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
province to the north, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
to the west and south. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It is the second largest province of the country (after 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...
), and the least densely populated
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
in mainland Argentina.
History
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
arrived to what is currently known as San Julián Bay.
15 years later Martín de Alcazaba explored the area near the Chico River, which he named Gallegos River
Gallegos River
The Gallegos River is a river in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, on whose estuary lies Río Gallegos city, capital of the province.The river is formed at the confluence of the Rubens and Penitentes rivers, and after traveling it reaches the Atlantic Coast.On its way east, after crossing a ...
. Because of the attacks of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s, and after the visit of Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
in 1578, the Spaniards
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...
sent Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa was a Spanish explorer, author, historian, astronomer, and scientist. His birthplace is not certain and may have been Pontevedra, in Galicia, where his paternal family originated or Alcalá de Henares in Castile, where he later is known to have studied...
to fortify and map the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
and prevent access to Spanish posts in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
In the middle of the 18th century, the Jesuits settled in the area, establishing a few missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
. When the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
was created in 1776, the region was set under the rule 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...
. Antonio de Biedma founded Nueva Colonia near present Puerto Deseado
Puerto Deseado
Puerto Deseado, originally called Port Desire, is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants and a fishing port in Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province of Argentina, on the estuary of the Deseado River....
and Floridablanca
Floridablanca (Patagonia)
The Spanish settlement Nueva Colonia y Fuerte de Floridablanca was established in San Julian Bay in 1780 and abandoned four years later due to scurvy...
not far from Puerto San Julian
Puerto San Julián
Puerto San Julián, also known historically as Port St Julian, is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at . In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, south of Puerto Deseado...
, both of them shut down later by Viceroy Vertíz.
Between 1825 and 1836 there were a series of explorations of the regions, including that of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
in 1834. In 1860 commander Luis Piedrabuena established a base at the Pavón Island on the estuary of Puerto Deseado.
In 1878 the Government of Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
was created, with capital in Viedma, but six years later it was split into smaller entities, with the territory declared National Government of Santa Cruz, whose capital was the city of Santa Cruz. In 1901 the capital was moved to its current location at the city of Río Gallegos.
At the beginning of 20th century, a large Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an immigration began to arrive to the almost uninhabited zone; Spanish, Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, British and Slavs were the most numerous among them. They came mainly to escape the growing conflicts of 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...
, and were attracted by the wool industry of the area. The end of the war meant a sharp reduction in the amount of exports, bringing a serious economic crisis to Santa Cruz.
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, brought by the Spanish immigrants, grew among the workers who, working in Santa Cruz's harsh environment under often sub-human conditions, decided to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in 1922. The strike was severely and harshly repressed by the government, culminating in the events of the Patagonia Trágica ("Tragic Patagonia"), the execution of dozens of strikers.
In 1944 the Military zone of Comodoro Rivadavia was created, which encompassed the northern part of the National Government of Santa Cruz and the southern part of Chubut Province
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
. This jurisdiction lasted until the abolition of the measures in 1955. The Territory of Santa Cruz acquired province status in 1957.
In 1973, voters in Santa Cruz elected Jorge Cepernic
Jorge Cepernic
Jorge Cepernic was an Argentine politician and Governor of Santa Cruz Province between 1973 and 1974.In 1974, during the Isabel Martínez de Perón office, he was removed from office and then five years inmate in the Magdalena jail. Afterwards he was prisoner with his family in his farm nearby El...
, a Peronist. An advocate of labor rights, Gov. Cepernic worked with film maker Osvaldo Bayer
Osvaldo Bayer
Osvaldo Bayer is a journalist and scriptwriter. He lives in Buenos Aires, and in Linz Am Rhine, Germany, where he went into exile during the "National Reorganization Process" dictatorship ....
to make La Patagonia Rebelde ('"Rebellion in Patagonia"), a documentary drama on the ill-fated 1922 sheep ranch laborers' strike. For this, Gov. Cepernic was imprisoned following the March, 1976, coup
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
.
Country Lawyer
In the United States, a country lawyer, or county-seat lawyer, is an attorney who has completed little or no formal legal training and has become a member of a county bar or a state bar after "reading law"; traditionally, these lawyers practiced general law in a rural setting, or on the frontier...
named Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
, elected that year to the Río Gallegos City Council. Elected mayor in 1987 and governor in 1991, Kirchner helped negotiate a US$535 million payout for his province following the 1993 privatization of the state-owned oil concern YPF. Earning plaudits for his careful administration of the funds, Kirchner was elected president of Argentina in April 2003, following the withdrawal of Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
from a runoff which Kirchner was projected to win handily.
Presiding over four years of expansion totalling 42% (the best performance for the Argentine economy since the 1880s), Pres. Kirchner steered record spending into public works (particularly those in his province, as is customary for Argentine presidents).
Geography and climate
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
at these latitudes are lower than in the centre and north of Argentina, but still have year-round snow. An immense ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
feeds the numerous glaciers
Los Glaciares National Park
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is a national park in the Santa Cruz Province, in Argentine Patagonia. It comprises an area of 4459 km². In 1981 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO....
.
From the centre to the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast in the east, plateaux of descending height dominate the landscape. The Atlantic coastline is a mixture of beaches and cliffs. In Gran Bajo de San Julián, the Laguna del Carbón
Laguna del Carbón
Laguna del Carbón is an endorheic salt lake in the Gran Bajo de San Julián of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 54 km from Puerto San Julián...
is 105 meters below sea level, and is the lowest point in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
The province's climate is dominated by several different climatic regions. The extreme northeast coast is by far the mildest area, with summer temperatures ranging from 21ºC to 23ºC (70F to 73F) during the day and 8ºC to 10ºC (46F to 50F) at night, and winters ranging from 8ºC to 10ºC (46F to 50F) during the day and 0ºC to 2ºC (32F to 35F) at night. Precipitation is scarce, at about 200 mm, snow is rare, as well as temperatures below -10ºC (14F).
The central and southern coast are progressively cooler and wetter. High temperatures in the summer range from 18ºC to 21ºC (64F to 70F) with nights between 7ºC and 9ºC (45F to 48F) and extremely high winds, whereas winters average 4ºC to 7ºC (39F to 45F) during the day, and -3ºC to 0ºC (27F to 32F) at night. Snow showers are common in the winter, but accumulations are low because of the aridity of the region: between 200 mm and 300 mm annually at most. Temperatures fall to -15ºC (5F), with a few areas approaching -18ºC (0 F).
Inland areas are composed of a series of low to mid-altitude plateaus, cut by river valleys. Altitudes range from only 100 m to about 700 m, and so the climate is highly variable. Summer temperatures can range from 21ºC during the day and 8ºC at night (70F and 46F) in the lowest areas, whereas winter temperatures go from 3ºC to 5ºC (37F to 41F) during the day and -5ºC to -2ºC (23F to 28F) during the night, so that the average is, at low altitude, about 0ºC. Due to this temperature range and the aridity, snow cover varies from one year to another: it can last for several weeks, to only some days. Temperatures are known to reach under -25ºC (-13F) on occasion.
On the plateaus, the climate is significantly colder and windier, with common frost even during the summer, and snow cover during the winter months. Nights around -15ºC (5F) are common, and temperatures are believed to reach down to -35ºC (-31F) in some spots during the worst cold waves. Westerly winds often reach over 100 km/h, and sometimes 150 km/h.
The Andean region receives more influence from the Pacific, which translates into significantly more humidity, and some moderation during the worst cold waves. Low valleys support dense forests of lenga trees, which are snow-covered in the winter, and where summers are cool. Above 1,000 metres, little vegetation grows, as the weather is already too cold and snowy. The Patagonian Ice sheet covers a significant portion of the Southwest, reaching over 3,000 metres in altitude at Mount Fitz Roy and other mountains around it. The climate is extreme, with very high precipitation (over 5,000 mm in some areas, according to estimates, falling all as snow), extremely changeable weather, and high winds.
Finally, the southernmost part of the province is somewhat wetter than the rest (about 350 mm) with more cloudiness and more frequent snow.
The lakes of Buenos Aires Lake
Buenos Aires/General Carrera Lake
The Lake General Carrera or Lake Buenos Aires is a lake located in Patagonia and shared by Argentina and Chile...
(2,240 km², 881 km² in Argentina), Cardiel Lake
Lago Cardiel
Lago Cardiel is a lake in Patagonia, Argentina, between the Andean Cordillera and the South Atlantic.-References:* *...
(460 km²), Viedma Lake
Lake Viedma
Viedma Lake , approximately 50 miles long in southern Patagonia near the border between Chile and Argentina...
(1082 km²), Argentino Lake (1560 km²), Pueyrredón Lake, Belgrano Lake
Belgrano Lake
Belgrano Lake is a lake in the Santa Cruz Department of Patagonia, Argentina. It is located in the west of the province. It is located in the Perito Moreno National Park.-References:*...
and San Martín Lake
O'Higgins/San Martín Lake
The lake known as O'Higgins in Chile and San Martín in Argentina is located around coordinates in Patagonia, between the Aysén Region and the Santa Cruz Province....
(1.013 km²) are all in the west of the province. These lakes are fed by glacieal melt-water, but due to the cold climate their shores are not used for agriculture.
Economy
Its economy, with the possible exception of Neuquen
Neuquén Province
Neuquén is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west...
's, is the country's least diversified, however. Fully half its output is accounted for by the extractive sector (petroleum, gas and mining), with an annual production of 4.5 million m3 of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and 3 million m3 of gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
, mainly in the Pico Truncado, Cañadón seco and Cerro Redondo extracting facilities.
The coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
production at Río Turbio, Argentina's only active coal mine, is of around one million m3 per year. Mining includes gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
(Cerro Vanguardia Mine
Cerro Vanguardia Mine
The Cerro Vanguardia Mine is a gold and silver mine located 150 km north west of Puerto San Julián, in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. It is majority-owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti, which holds a 92.5% interest in the mine...
), clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and others.
The second most important productive activity is that associated with sheep. With 7 million heads, Santa Cruz is the second main producer of wool and meat after the Province of Chubut, most of which is designated for export. Sheep farming revived in 2002 with the devaluation of the peso and firmer global demand for wool (led by China and the EU). Still there is little investment in new abbatoirs (mainly in Rio Gallegos), and often there are phitosanitary restrictions to the export of sheep meat. Livestock also includes small numbers of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, and in lesser numbers pigs and horses.
Sea fishing, and its later industrialization at the fishing ports of Puerto Deseado, Puerto San Julián, Puerto Santa Cruz and Río Gallegos produces prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, hake
Hake
The term hake refers to fish in either of:* family Phycidae of the northern oceans* family Merlucciidae of the southern oceans-Hake fish:...
and dozens of others. Most of the production is frozen and exported.
There is little agriculture due to the arid nature of the soil. There is a small timber industry fed by both forests and planted trees, of which the wood of the lenga
Lenga Beech
Nothofagus pumilio is a deciduous tree or shrub in the Nothofagaceae family that is native to the southern Andes range, in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego, from 35° to 56° South latitude. This tree is in the same genus as the Coihue. It regenerates easily after...
is the most exploited.
Tourism
Los Glaciares National Park
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is a national park in the Santa Cruz Province, in Argentine Patagonia. It comprises an area of 4459 km². In 1981 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO....
and a number of glaciers of which the Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno Glacier
The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia....
is the most famous. Nearby El Calafate
El Calafate
- Population :In the last census 6,143 permanent residents were counted . This represents a 20.1% increase compared with the 1991 census. However, due to the expansion of tourism, the population was estimated at 8,000 people in 2005.- Wildlife :...
has an airport that connects the area with 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...
and Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
.
Some 200 kilometres north of El Calafate is the village of El Chaltén
El Chaltén
El Chaltén is a small mountain village in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is located in the riverside of Río de las Vueltas, within the Los Glaciares National Park at the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy mountains, both popular for climbing...
at the feet of the Cerro Torre
Cerro Torre
Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located in a region which is disputed between Argentina and Chile, west of Cerro Chalten . The peak is the highest in a four mountain chain: the other peaks are Torre Egger , Punta Herron, and Cerro...
and Mount Fitz Roy. Still not very developed, El Chaltén serves as a hub for various trekking routes including walks on the Viedma Glacier.
Cueva de las Manos
Cueva de las Manos is a cave or a series of caves located in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, 163 km south of the town of Perito Moreno. It is famous for the paintings of hands, made by the indigenous inhabitants some 9,000 years ago...
near the town of Perito Moreno
Perito Moreno, Santa Cruz
Perito Moreno is a town in the northeast of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 25 km east of Lake Buenos Aires. It should not be confused with the Perito Moreno National Park over 300 km south by road, or the Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate. The town is the capital of the Lago Buenos Aires...
allows the few tourists who venture to this point to see the prehistoric wall paintings in the caves near the Pinturas River
Pinturas River
The Pinturas River is a river in Patagonia Argentina, running through the Pinturas River Canyon, near the Cueva de las Manos archeological site....
.
Perito Moreno National Park
Perito Moreno National Park
Perito Moreno National Park is a national park in Argentina. It is located in the western region of Santa Cruz Province on the border with Chile. It has an area of 115,000 hectares of mountains and valleys at a height of 900 metres above sea level.-History:...
and its lakes, north of Los Glaciares, are rarely visited. Besides trekking, other sports practised on the west side of the province are sport fishing, rafting and climbing.
In the east, the National Route 3
National Route 3 (Argentina)
Ruta Nacional 3 is an Argentine highway, stretching from the eastern side of the country in Buenos Aires, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Chubut Province, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego...
follows the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coastline, by which buses connect the coastal cities, and take passengers both south to Tierra del Fuego and north to Chubut Province
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
and 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...
. The most visited places are the cities of Río Gallegos, the Bosques Petrificados National Monument petrified forest, and the depression of Laguna del Carbón
Laguna del Carbón
Laguna del Carbón is an endorheic salt lake in the Gran Bajo de San Julián of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 54 km from Puerto San Julián...
near Puerto San Julián
Puerto San Julián
Puerto San Julián, also known historically as Port St Julian, is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at . In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, south of Puerto Deseado...
.
Political division
The province is divided into the following 7 departmentsDepartments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...
:
Department (Capital)
- Corpen AikeCorpen Aike DepartmentCorpen Aike Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 7942 and an area of26,350 km². The seat of the department is in Puerto Santa Cruz.-Municipalities:*Comandante Luis Piedrabuena*Puerto Santa Cruz...
(Puerto Santa CruzPuerto Santa CruzPuerto Santa Cruz is a town and municipality in Santa Cruz Province in southern Argentina....
) - Deseado DepartmentDeseado DepartmentDeseado Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 72,953 and an area of 63,784 km². The seat of the department is in Puerto Deseado.-Municipalities:* Caleta Olivia* Cañadón Seco* Fitz Roy* Jaramillo...
(Puerto DeseadoPuerto DeseadoPuerto Deseado, originally called Port Desire, is a city of about 15,000 inhabitants and a fishing port in Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province of Argentina, on the estuary of the Deseado River....
) - Güer AikeGüer Aike DepartmentGüer Aike Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 92,878 and an area of 33,841 km². The seat of the department is in Río Gallegos.-Municipalities:* El Turbio* J. Dufour* Mina 3* Río Gallegos...
(Río Gallegos) - Lago ArgentinoLago Argentino DepartmentLago Argentino Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 7,500 and an area of 37,292 km². The seat of the department is in El Calafate.Lago Argentino is a major lake in the department.-References:...
(El CalafateEl Calafate- Population :In the last census 6,143 permanent residents were counted . This represents a 20.1% increase compared with the 1991 census. However, due to the expansion of tourism, the population was estimated at 8,000 people in 2005.- Wildlife :...
) - Lago Buenos AiresLago Buenos Aires DepartmentLago Buenos Aires Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 6,223 and an area of 28,609 km². The seat of the department is in Perito Moreno.-References:*Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, INDEC...
(Perito MorenoPerito Moreno, Santa CruzPerito Moreno is a town in the northeast of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 25 km east of Lake Buenos Aires. It should not be confused with the Perito Moreno National Park over 300 km south by road, or the Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate. The town is the capital of the Lago Buenos Aires...
) - MagallanesMagallanes DepartmentMagallanes Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 6,536 and an area of 19,805 km². The seat of the department is in Puerto San Julián.-References:*Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, INDEC...
(Puerto San JuliánPuerto San JuliánPuerto San Julián, also known historically as Port St Julian, is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at . In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, south of Puerto Deseado...
) - Río ChicoRío Chico Department, Santa CruzRío Chico Department is a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It has a population of 2,926 and an area of 34,262 km². The seat of the department is in Gobernador Gregores.-Municipalities and communes:*Bajo Caracoles*Gobernador Gregores...
(Gobernador GregoresGobernador GregoresGobernador Gregores is a town in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, formerly known as Cañadón León. It is located at around ....
)