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Tucuman
San Miguel de Tucuman (usually referred to as simply Tucuman) is the largest city in northern Argentina, with a population of 527,607 per the . The metropolitan area totals 830,000, making it the fifth-largest in the country. It is the capital of the province of Tucuman. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish Conquistador Diego de Villarroel during an expedition from Peru, and was moved to its present site in 1685.
The city is bordered on the north by Las Talitas (Tafi Viejo), on the east by Banda del Rio Sali and Alderetes (Cruz Alta), on the west by the city of Yerba Buena, and on the south by Lules.
The city sits on the slopes of the Aconquija mountains, the easternmost mountain range before the large Chaco-Pampean flats. It is the commercial center of an irrigated area that produces large quantities of sugarcane, rice, tobacco, and fruit, and provides the province with its nickname, the Garden of the Republic. The National University of Tucuman (1914) and the Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North (1965) are in the city.
On July 9, 1816 a congress gathered in Tucuman declared the independence from Spain, which did not officially recognize it until 1862. The meeting place of the congress, the House of Tucuman, has been reconstructed as a national monument.
Its Telephone Code is 0381, and its Postal Code is T4000 (Center), T4001 (North), T4002 (South) and T4003 (East).
Tourist attractions
Cathedral
Federacion Economica Building
Independence House
Independence Square
La Merced Church
Museum of Northern Folklore
Museum of Sacred Art
Ninth of July Park
Padilla House
President Avellaneda's House
San Francisco Basilica
Timoteo Navarro Museum of Art
Tucuman Government Palace
Cultural Life and Education
For decades, San Miguel de Tucuman has been one of the most outstanding cultural spots in the country, in part, due to the influence of the prestigious National University of Tucuman. It has been the birthplace and/or the home of well-known personalities such as folk singer Mercedes Sosa, Rutgers University literature professor and noted author Tomas Eloy Martinez, musician Miguel Angel Estrella, botanist Miguel Lillo, painter Luis Lobo de la Vega, and many others.
Two large theaters (San Martin and Alberdi) and several smaller and independent theaters offer a wide array of events, including plays, concerts, operas, and ballet, all year round. The Septiembre Musical is by far the most important cultural event during the year. This music festival, generally held at Independence Square, brings together several local and national artists who perform different musical styles ranging from folk music to rock.
There are two public universities in the city, the National University of Tucuman and the National Technological University, and two private ones, the Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North and the Saint Paul T University.
The city, since August 2008, has witnessed trials against high-ranking war criminals from the 1976-83 dictatorship. Luciano Menendez, a former colonel, was convicted for crimes against humanity including the kidnapping and disappearance of a senator (Guillermo Vargas Aignasse) on the night of the golpe (coup). Many Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo have been seen in and around the Tucuman trials. The Menendez and Ricardo Bussi trials were the first convictions against any military leaders of the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla. The two condemnations were seen as symbolic victories (no conviction can ever replace their losses) for the mothers and grandmothers whose sons and husbands were disappeared by the military during that dark period of Argentine history.
Transportation
The city is served by several bus lines that have routes within the city limits, and some others that connect it to the neighbouring cities of Yerba Buena, El Manantial, Tafi Viejo, Las Talitas, Banda del Rio Sali, and Alderetes.
The Teniente General Benjamin Matienzo International Airport (TUC/SANT) is the city's airport serving over 290,000 passengers a year. There are daily flights to Buenos Aires, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Campo Arenal, the Minera Alumbrera Gold Mine, as well as international flghts to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The Mauricio Gilli Aerodrome is a Private Airport, located west from the city, for Private Aviation. It is locally known as Aeroclub.
There are two weekly railway service to the Retiro station in Buenos Aires, departing from the Bartolome Mitre station located near downtown (in Plaza Alberdi).
San Miguel de Tucuman enjoys one of the largest bus stations in Argentina. The 30,000 m "Terminal del Tucuman" (opened in 1994) is the point from where hundreds of bus services arrive from and depart to almost all of the largest and mid-size cities throughout the country.
Media
San Miguel de Tucuman is home to two free-to-air television stations (Channel 8 and Channel 10), five newspapers , three cable television companies and several radio stations.
Natives of Tucuman
Julio A. Roca, former president
Cesar Pelli, architect
Juan Bautista Alberdi, lawyer, writer, political theorist and diplomat
Mercedes Maria Paz , professional tennis player
Omar Hasan, professional rugby player
Mercedes Sosa, folk music singer
Tomas Eloy Martinez, journalist and writer, author of Santa Evita
Lorena Bernal, model and actress
Claudia Gargiulo, singer
Ramon Ortega, (known as Palito Ortega), former pop singer and politician
Juan Angel Krupoviesa, football (soccer) player
Alejandro Romay, TV and Theatre producer, former owner of TV channel 9
Pablo Rodriguez, Canadian Member of Parliament, Honore-Mercier Riding
External links
Municipalidad De San Miguel de Tucuman City Govt. Website
Tucuman.com Tucuman portal website
Terminal de Omnibus Bus Station website
Tucuman Turismo Tucuman Tourist Office (Official Website)
La Gaceta The most important local newspaper
Universidad Nacional de Tucuman Tucuman State University
Universidad del Norte Santo Tomas Aquino Tucuman Catholic University
Universidad Tecnologica Nacional (Tucuman Campus)
Map of Tucuman, Tucuman AR Allows Zoom down to street level
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Tucuman
