Corrientes is the capital city of the
provinceArgentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of
CorrientesCorrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the
Paraná RiverThe 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...
, about 1000 km (621 mi) from
Buenos AiresBuenos 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 300 km (186 mi) from
PosadasPosadas 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 12National Route 12 is a road in Argentina, connecting the northeast section to the rest of the country. It runs through the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires....
. It has a population of 328,689 according to the 2001 Census.
The city
Corrientes, as the provincial capital, is the most important city in the province, its economical centre, and holds the authorities and governmental institutions.
It has a mix of colonial and modern architecture, several churches and a number of lapacho,
ceiboErythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California...
,
jacarandaJacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America , Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is also found in Asia, especially in Nepal...
, and orange trees. Its also home to one of the biggest
carnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
celebrations in the country.
The annual average temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), with maximum and minimum averages of 45 °C (113 °F) and 5 °C (41 °F) respectively. The annual rainfall is around 1200 millimetres (47.2 in).
Transportation
The
General Belgrano BridgeThe General Manuel Belgrano Bridge is a road bridge that joins the Argentine cities of Corrientes and Resistencia over the course of the Paraná River...
crosses the
Paraná RiverThe 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...
that serves as the natural border with the neighbouring
Chaco ProvinceChaco is an Argentine province located in the north of the country, near the border with Paraguay. Its capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River opposite the city of Corrientes...
. On the other side of the bridge is
ResistenciaResistencia is the capital and largest city in the province of Chaco, in northeastern Argentina. At the 2001 census, the population of the Resistencia city proper was 274,490 inhabitants. It is the anchor of a slightly larger metropolitan area, Greater Resistencia, which comprises three more...
, capital of Chaco. To the west and up the Paraná, between
ParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and Argentina, lies the
Yaciretá damThe Yacyretá Dam or Hydroelectric Power Station Jasyretâ-Apipé is a dam and hydroelectric power plant built over the waterfalls of Jasyretâ-Apipé in the Paraná River, between the Argentine Province of Corrientes and the Paraguayan City of Ayolas. The dam is named for Yacyretâ Island just upstream,...
, one of the largest
hydroelectricHydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power generators in the world.
The
Doctor Fernando Piragine Niveyro International AirportCorrientes International Airport is an airport in Corrientes Province, Argentina serving the city of Corrientes, built in 1961 while the terminal was completed in 1964. A new terminal was constructed between 2009 and 2011, and also a new control tower. The old buildings were demolished.It is also...
at coordinates 27°26′20"S 58°46′03"W, 5 km (3 mi) away from the city, serves the city.
History
In 1516,
Juan Díaz de SolísJuan Díaz de Solís was a Spanish navigator and explorer.Díaz de Solís was probably born in Lebrija, Seville, although some other authors argue that his birth may have actually taken place in Portugal to an Andalusian emigree family....
commanded the first expedition to reach the area populated mainly by Guaraní aboriginals, but his expedition was attacked and Solís perished in the adventure.
Sebastián GabotoSebastian Cabot was an explorer, born in the Venetian Republic.-Origins:...
established in 1527 the
Sancti Spiritu fort upstream of the
Paraná RiverThe 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...
, and in 1536
Pedro de MendozaPedro de Mendoza y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, soldier and explorer, and the first adelantado of the Río de la Plata.- Setting sail :...
reached further north into the basin of the river, searching for the
Sierras of Silver.
Juan Torres de Vera y Aragón founded on April 3, 1588
San Juan de Vera de las Siete Corrientes ("Saint John of Vera of the Seven Currents"), which was later shortened to
Corrientes. The "seven currents" refer to the seven
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
s on the shore of the river at this place, that produced wild currents that made difficult the navigation of the river through this part.
Nevertheless, its position between
AsunciónAsunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
in present
ParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and
Buenos AiresBuenos 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...
made it an important middle point, specially because of its 55-metre-high lands that prevent flooding when the water level rises.
In 1615
JesuitsThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
settled near the
Uruguay RiverThe Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
. In 1807 the city resisted the
British invasionsThe British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
. During the
Argentine War of IndependenceThe 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...
it was in permanent conflict with the centralist government of
Buenos AiresBuenos 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...
, but the
War of the Triple AllianceThe Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
united them after the city was attacked by
ParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an forces in 1865.
In fiction
The Graham Greene spy novel
"The Honorary ConsulThe Honorary Consul is a British thriller novel by Graham Greene, published in 1973. It was one of the author's favourite works.- Plot summary :...
" (1973) takes place in Corrientes.
External links