Sarmiento, Chubut
Encyclopedia
Sarmiento is a town in the province
of Chubut
, Argentina
. It has about 8,000 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the department of the same name. It is located on the so-called Central Corridor of Patagonia, in a fertile valley amidst an otherwise arid region, 140 km west from Comodoro Rivadavia
, in the south of Chubut. It sits between two lakes, Lake Musters and Lake Colhue Huapi
. Notable attractions are the Petrified Forest
and caves with Aborigine hand paintings.
The coldest temperature at low elevation ever recorded in South America, -33°C (-27°F), was recorded in Sarmiento on June 17, 1907.
(see Welsh settlement in Argentina
). In the early 1900s it also experienced an influx of immigrants from Lithuania
.
In 1903 600 Afrikaner
families arrived in Argentina following the loss of the Second Boer War
. They settled in the region as it had access to water unlike the coastal city of Comodoro Rivadavia
where they first settled. The descendants of these colonists make up a large portion of the population of Sarmiento and still speak Afrikaans
and attend a Dutch Reformed Church
to this day. As recently as the 1960s Afrikaans was the most commonly spoken language however this has changed as the town's Afrikaans population has become more assimilated into Argentinian culture and society.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of 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...
, 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...
. It has about 8,000 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the department of the same name. It is located on the so-called Central Corridor of Patagonia, in a fertile valley amidst an otherwise arid region, 140 km west from Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of the Chenque Hill. Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San Jorge Basin....
, in the south of Chubut. It sits between two lakes, Lake Musters and Lake Colhue Huapi
Lake Musters and Lake Colhue Huapi
Lake Musters and lake Colhué Huapi form the terminal stage of the Senguerr river endorheic basin, located in the patagonic central region of Argentina in the south of Chubut province...
. Notable attractions are the Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest (Sarmiento)
The Petrified Forest 30 km south of Sarmiento, Argentina is a provincial natural monument.It a forest from the Cenozoic era, the petrified wood is of primitive conifers and palm trees....
and caves with Aborigine hand paintings.
The coldest temperature at low elevation ever recorded in South America, -33°C (-27°F), was recorded in Sarmiento on June 17, 1907.
History
Sarmiento was born as a colony of immigrants, mainly from WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(see Welsh settlement in Argentina
Welsh settlement in Argentina
Y Wladfa refers to the Welsh settlement in Argentina, which began in 1865 and occurred mainly along the coast of Chubut Province in the far southern region of Patagonia...
). In the early 1900s it also experienced an influx of immigrants from Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
In 1903 600 Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
families arrived in Argentina following the loss of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. They settled in the region as it had access to water unlike the coastal city of Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of the Chenque Hill. Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San Jorge Basin....
where they first settled. The descendants of these colonists make up a large portion of the population of Sarmiento and still speak Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
and attend a Dutch Reformed Church
Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk
The Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk is a Reformed Christian denomination in South Africa. It also has a presence in neighboring countries, such as Namibia, Swaziland, and parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe...
to this day. As recently as the 1960s Afrikaans was the most commonly spoken language however this has changed as the town's Afrikaans population has become more assimilated into Argentinian culture and society.