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Chubut is a province in the southern part of Argentina, that lies between the 42nd Parallel South (forming the border with the Río Negro Province) and 46th Parallel South (bordering Santa Cruz Province), the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean. The province's name derives from the Tehuelche word chupat, meaning "transparent", their description of the Chubut River. As the word chupat is similar to the Spanish word chupar, meaning "to suck" or, in slang, "to booze", the river's name was bowdlerized adjusted for public decorum.
The largest city, with 125,000 inhabitants, is Comodoro Rivadavia in the south of the province, but the administrative capital is Rawson (25,000). Other important cities are Puerto Madryn, Trelew, Esquel, and Sarmiento. Gaiman is a cultural and demographic centre of the region known as "Y Wladfa" in which Welsh-Argentinians are concentrated.
History
Before the Spaniards arrived in America, different nomad indigenous tribes, among them the Tehuelches, inhabited the plains of the Patagonia. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish missionaries started their activities in the area (notably father Nicolás Mascardi), and in the middle of the 18th century they founded the San José Fort on Península Valdés, which was later destroyed by local native peoples. In the 19th century, Welsh people came to Chubut in the Mimosa ship and settled in Chubut Valley area.
As part of the Conquista del Desierto (Desert conquest), the National Territory of Chubut was created in 1884, of which Luis Fontana was named governor. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the Boer War, some Boer people settled in the town of Sarmiento, and in lesser number in other nearby towns.
In 1944, the Southern part of Chubut and northern part of Santa Cruz were designated as the Comodoro Rivadavia military zone. The zone was dissolved in 1955, and Chubut was declared a province.
Internal immigration of the last decades of the 20th century, especially from Buenos Aires, raised the population steadily from 190,000 (1970), to 357,000 (1991) and 413,237 (2001). However, most of the inhabitants are in the main cities, or in lesser numbers along the Chubut River, which gives most departments (departamentos) a population density of less than 1 inhabitant per square kilometer.
Tourism
Tourism is also a growing industry. The main attractions are Peninsula Valdés and other marine wildlife reservoirs such as Punta Tombo and Punta Ninfas, with right w hales, eared seals elephant seals, penguins, orcas and many other animals. In the Andean region, the Los Alerces National Park, impressive lakes and hikes near Esquel are also visited every year by many tourists. The 'Old Patagonian Express' (also know as La Trochita), the old steam train made famous by Paul Theroux, attracts many to Esquel. The petrified forest near Sarmiento is a 150 km² park with some of the largest fossilised trees in the world.
Where to inquire
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