Santa Fe | ||
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Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz City | ||
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Location of Santa Fe in Argentina | ||
Coordinates: 31°38′S 60°42′W / 31.633°S 60.700°WCoordinates: 31°38′S 60°42′W / 31.633°S 60.700°W | ||
Country | Argentina | |
Province | Santa Fe | |
Department | La Capital | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | José Corral (UCR) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 748 km2 (289 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) | |
Population (2010 census [INDEC]) | ||
• Total | 653,073 | |
• Density | 870/km2 (2,300/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | santafesino | |
Time zone | ART (UTC−3) | |
CPA base | S3000 | |
Dialing code | +54 342 | |
Website | Official website |
Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz (usually called just Santa Fe) is the capital city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is situated in north-eastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies 15 kilometers from the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel that connects it to the city of Paraná. The city is also connected by canal with the port of Colastiné on the Paraná River. Santa Fe has about 500.000 inhabitants as per the 2010 census [INDEC]. The metropolitan area has a population of 653.073, making it the eighth largest in Argentina. The third largest city in Argentina is Rosario, also located in Santa Fe Province. Rosario has a population of 1.24 million and it is the largest city in Argentina not to be a provincial capital.
Santa Fe is linked to Rosario (170 km (106 mi) to the south), the largest city in the province, by the Brigadier Estanislao López Highway and by National Route 11, which continues south towards Buenos Aires, and it is home to Sauce Viejo Airport with daily direct flights to Rosario and Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires.
Santa Fe was founded by Captain Juan de Garay in the nearby site of Cayastá in 1573. The site is today a historical park containing the grave of Hernandarias, the first American-born governor in South America. The settlement was moved to the present site in 1653 due to the constant flooding of the Cayastá River. The city became the provincial capital in 1814, when the territory of the province of Santa Fe was separated from the province of Buenos Aires by the National Constituent Assembly, held in the city in 1853.