"Ni muerte ni esclavitud. Solo patria y libertad"(Spanish) "Na marwolaeth na caethwasiaeth. Dim ond mamwlad a rhyddid"(Welsh) "Neither death nor slavery. Only motherland and freedom"
Before theSpaniards arrived in theAmericas,nomadic indigenousTehuelche people had inhabited thePatagonia region for thousands of years.[4] They lived as hunter-gatherers and covered territory in seasonal cycles as they followed game.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanishmissionaries came to the area, and founded the San José Fort onPenínsula Valdés. The indigenous people later destroyed it.
In 1865,Welsh people came to Chubut on theMimosa and settled in theChubut Valley.[5] The region was disputed between Chile and Argentina until 1881. Chile renounced its claim in order to prevent Argentina from entering into theWar of the Pacific, in which it was already fighting against Peru and Bolivia.
As part of theConquista del Desierto (Conquest of the Desert), Argentina organized the National Territory of Chubut in 1884, after the last indigenouscacique,Inacayal, surrendered to government forces.Luis Fontana was named governor. At the beginning of the 20th century, after theBoer War, someBoer people settled in the town ofSarmiento and in lesser number in other nearby towns.
From 1895 to 1915 hundreds of Spanish and Italian born immigrantes settled in the lower Chubut valley as well a little more than hundred Chileans.[6]: 172
In 1944, the southern part of Chubut and northern part of Santa Cruz were designated theComodoro Rivadavia Military Zone. The zone was dissolved in 1955, and Chubut was declared a province. Studies in the 1950s revealed mineral wealth in the province, which the government has tried to develop.
Population shifts of the late 20th century, especially fromBuenos Aires, raised the population steadily from 190,000 (1970), to 357,000 (1991) and 413,237 (2001). The government has encouraged people to resettle here. Most of the inhabitants are in the main cities. They have also settled along theChubut River. Most areas have apopulation density of less than 1 inhabitant per square kilometer.
Chubut's economy, for a long time one of the most prosperous in Argentina, is one of the country's least diversified. Nearly one-quarter of its 2006 output, estimated at US$4.652 billion (or a per capita income of US$11,256), is generated by mining and petroleum.[7] This sector's contribution (mostly centered aroundComodoro Rivadavia) helped give Chubut the nation's fourth-highest per capita output in 2011, US$25,250.[citation needed]Petroleum refining is the main economic activity of the province; it generates 13% of Argentine oil production (mostly off-shore). On May 21, 2014, Miguel Galuccio ofYPF and Chubut Governor Martin Buzzi announced the firstunconventional oil and gas discovery in Chubut from a fracked well in the EarlyCretaceous D-129 formation of the Golfo San Jorge basin.[8] Chubut produces 21% of the nation's fish catch.
Sheep ranching, though less than half as productive in the 21st century compared to as recently as 1990, remains important at the local level. The advent of synthetic replacements to wool afterWorld War II battered the sector. It declined further because of Argentina's political instability and damage from natural disasters. Wool production has risen since 2002, however, and totaled 71,000 tons in 2006.[9]
Chubut stretches from the Atlantic to the Andes with 3 distinct environmental regions: The Andes, the central plains and the coastal regions.[10] The Andes in the westernmost parts of the province mostly extend along the Chilean border.[10] The Andes are not that high in Chubut, with most peaks averaging around 1,500 and 2,000 metres (4,900 and 6,600 ft), which becomes smaller in altitude in the southern parts.[10] The highest peak isCerro Dos Picos, located east ofLago Cholila with a height of 2,515 metres (8,251 ft).[10] The Andes in this province are oftertiary origin and are separated by wide, deep transverse valleys that are oriented in an east–west direction.[10] These valleys are occupied by glacial lakes and rivers flowing east from the mountains.[10] Most of these valleys existed before the Andes were formed.[10] The lakes, which are mostly located in the western parts of the province are ofglacial origin because during thelast ice age, the movement of the glaciers lead to the formation of extensive areas of depressions that were filled up with water to form the lakes today.[10]
The Andes cause humid winds from the Pacific Ocean to rise so most of the moisture precipitates on the western side of the Andes, leaving all except the Andean portion of the province dry.[10][11] In the Andean region, the climate is cold for its latitude owing to the higher elevations there and the influence of winds from the Pacific Ocean.[10] The peaks are usually snow covered throughout the year.[10] In this region, precipitation ranges from 700 mm (28 in) to over 2,500 mm (98 in) in some areas.[10][11] The central parts of the province have anarid climate with hot, sunny summers but cold winters and only average 200 mm (7.9 in) of precipitation a year.[10] The central parts of the province are very windy throughout the year.[10] The coast has an arid orsemi-arid climate with hot, but short summers and cold winters.[10] It is the mildest region in the province with the warmest annual mean temperatures.[10] The coast region's climate is a transition between the more temperate climates to the north and the colder climates in the south.[10] Summers tend to be much warmer than Santa Cruz province to the south, particularly in the summer sincesubtropical air from the north and a branch of the warmBrazil Current can reach the province up until 46°.[11][12] Because there is little land masses in the Southern hemisphere, most of thecold fronts, which usually move in a west to east direction are moderated as they pass over the Pacific Ocean.[11] As such, cold temperatures are not as extreme as they are in the northern hemisphere.[11] Similar to the rest ofPatagonia the climate is characterized by strong winds throughout the year, which also leads to higherevapotranspiration, another factor in the province being mostly dry.[11]
The western parts of the province are the coldest with an annual mean temperature of 8 °C (46.4 °F) owing to the higher elevations while the coastal areas are the warmest with an annual mean temperature of 12 to 14 °C (53.6 to 57.2 °F).[10][11] The central parts of the province have an annual mean temperature of 10 to 12 °C (50.0 to 53.6 °F) since they have a higher elevation than the coastal areas.[11] During winter, the mean temperature in the coldest months ranges from 6 to 7 °C (42.8 to 44.6 °F) in the northern parts of the province to 4 to 7 °C (39.2 to 44.6 °F) in the southern parts.[11] In the Andes, the mean temperature can be close to 0 °C (32.0 °F).[11] Unlike the northern hemisphere, most of the cold air masses originate from the Pacific Ocean, which moderates the cold air and as such, extreme cold temperatures are rare.[11] Occasionally, cold air masses fromAntarctica are not moderated by the ocean, resulting in very cold temperatures.[11] During summer, the temperature gradient is greater than in the winter. The northern parts of the province, have a mean temperature greater than 20 °C (68.0 °F) in the warmest months while in the southern parts, the mean temperature in the warmest month ranges from 17 to 19 °C (62.6 to 66.2 °F) owing to the influence ofsubtropical air from the north.[11] The westernmost parts of the province are the coolest during the summer, averaging only 14 °C (57.2 °F).[11] The central parts of the province have the most extreme temperatures which can reach over 40 °C (104.0 °F) during the summer and below −20 °C (−4.0 °F) in the winter.[11] The lowest temperature recorded in Chubut was −33 °C (−27.4 °F) in Sarmiento.[11]
In general, relative humidity values do not vary a lot across the province and the contrast is not that large.[11] In the coastal areas, the mean relative humidity is about 70% while in the rest of the province, it is around 50%–60%.[11] The exception is in the higher altitude areas in the Andes in the colder regions where humidity levels are considerably higher.[11] During the summer months, humidity levels are relatively low.[11]
Because the Andes block most of the moisture from the Pacific Ocean from coming in, causing it to release most of the precipitation on its western slopes, most of the province is dry, averaging less than 200 mm (7.9 in) a year.[11] In the central parts of the province, some areas receive less than 100 mm (3.9 in) of precipitation a year.[11] In the Andean part, precipitation increases towards the Chilean border and precipitation ranges from 700 mm (28 in) to over 3,000 mm (120 in).[10][11] AMediterranean like precipitation pattern, similar to central Chile with dry summers and wet winters is found in the area between the Andean region to the west and the dry steppes to the east.[11] Although precipitation can widely vary among the province, in all locations, precipitation is higher during the winter months.[11] Thunderstorms are rare and occur exclusively during the summer.[11]
One defining characteristic of the climate in Chubut province is the strong wind that is observed throughout the province.[11] The wind is an additional factor that makes most of the province dry since it favors evaporation of moisture.[11] Most of the wind comes from either the west, southwest or northwest but in coastal areas during the summer months, a sea breeze can form when westerly winds are weak, forming easterly winds that can penetrate up to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the coast.[11] The mean wind speed is 6 metres per second (20 ft/s) with higher wind speeds being recorded in the south where the average is more than 9 metres per second (30 ft/s).[11] Higher altitude areas are more windy than lower altitude areas, resulting in the Andean region being windier than the coastal areas.[11] As in much of Patagonia, summers tend to be windier than winters.[11]
Sunshine in the province follows a north–south gradient (decreases from north to south), particularly during summer where northern parts of the province can receive 10 hours of sunshine/day while southern parts receive 8 hours of sunshine/day.[11] During winter months, the province receives 4–5 hours of sunshine/day.[11]
Online journalism has a small, growing presence in Chubut. The six print newspapers have online editions; these are updated every 24 hours. Some new digital proposals make a better use of web's potential. One case is Infochubut.com, a recent publication that works with audio, video, text and photographs for its news and offers forums for public participation. Some radio stations in northwest Chubut began to publish online some of the interviews made in their radio studies.
The most populous cities are served by AM radio stations, such as Chubut Radio and Three Radio in Trelew, Golfo Nuevo's Radio in Puerto Madryn, National Radio in Comodoro, Rivadavia and Esquel. There are also several FM radio stations which broadcast programs from a national central office.
The provincial government runs a TV network that covers the province. In Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia, Esquel, Puerto Madryn and in some small towns there are other local TV stations producing local programming to supplement the programming received from the Buenos Aires networks.
Further south, on the sparsely populated beaches of theGolfo San Jorge, is the only place in the world where the peculiar, flightlessChubut steamer duck can be observed. In theAndean region, theLos Alerces National Park, impressive lakes and hikes near Esquel are also visited every year by many tourists. The 'Old Patagonian Express' (also known asLa Trochita), the old steam train made famous byPaul Theroux, attracts many toEsquel, as does theLa Hoya ski center. Thepetrified forest near Sarmiento is a 150 km2 park with some of the largest fossilised trees in the world.
TheRuta Nacional 3 runs along the coast line up toBuenos Aires, and down toTierra del Fuego.The Ruta Nacional 25 crosses Chubut from East to West, connectingTrelew andEsquel, but half of it has not yet been paved. Regular long-distance buses run several times a day to Buenos Aires, and to many locations in theSanta Cruz Province. Short range buses to towns in Chubut run at least once a day. There are also daily summer buses on the route #25.TheTrelew airport (IATAREL) serves regular flights to/fromBuenos Aires andEl Calafate. Airports are also maintained at Comodoro Rivadavia (General Enrique Mosconi International Airport), Rawson and Esquel.
Major highways include:
Route 2, from Puerto Pirámides and Península Valdés
Route 3, north–south via Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia
Route 26, west from Comodoro Rivadavia (223 km)
Route 20, which continues north 178 km to Jose de San Martín
Route 22, north from Perito Moreno (Santa Cruz province) 125 km
Route 25, west from Trelew (341 km)
Route 62, which continues west 166 km to join Route 40 at Tecka
Route 40, traveling north 266 km via Esquel to Cabeza del Indio
Route 30, east 73 km from Route 3 to the coast at Camarones
Route 259, west from Esquel to Chile.
Four other roads travel west to Chile's Aysén region, including Balmaceda and Coihaique Alto, and two to Chile'sLos Lagos region from Corcovado to Palena and from Esquel via Trevelin to Futaleufu.
The provincial government is divided into the usual three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoint the cabinet; the legislative; and the judiciary, headed by the Supreme Court and completed by several inferior tribunals.
The province is divided into 15departments(Spanish:departamentos), listed below with their Number (on map), area and populations at the Censuses of November 2000 and October 2010:
^"Tehuelche".Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. 2018.
^Ellis, John S. (2005). "Chubut". In Kaufman, Will; Slettedahl Macpherson, Heidi (eds.).Britain and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History. Transatlantic Relations. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 218.ISBN1851094318.
^Williams, Glyn (1975).The desert and the dream: A study of Welsh colonization in Chubut 1865 – 1915. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.ISBN978-0-7083-0579-9.
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