Corrientes (Guaraní: Taragui, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about 1000 km from Buenos Aires and 300 km from Posadas, on National Route 12. It has a population of 346,334 according to the 2010 Census. It lies opposite its twin city, Resistencia, Chaco. Corrientes has a mix of colonial and modern architecture, several churches and a number of lapacho, ceibo, jacaranda and orange trees. It is also home to one of the biggest carnival and chamamé celebrations in the country. The annual average temperature is 21.3 °C. The annual rainfall is around 1500 mm.

Transportation

Located in the Argentine Littoral, near the Argentina–Paraguay border, the General Belgrano Bridge crosses the Paraná River which serves as the natural border with the neighbouring Chaco Province. On the other side of the bridge is Resistencia, capital of Chaco. To the west and up the Paraná, between Paraguay and Argentina, lies the Yaciretá dam, one of the largest hydroelectric power generators in the world. The Doctor Fernando Piragine Niveyro International Airport at coordinates -27.43889°N, -58.7675°W, 5 km away from the city, serves the city. The Ferrocarril Económico Correntino narrow gauge railway line to Mburucuyá operated from 1912 until 1927.

History

Sebastian Cabot established in 1527 the Sancti Spiritu fort upstream of the Paraná River, and in 1536 Pedro de Mendoza reached further north into the basin of the river, searching for the Sierras of Silver. Juan Torres de Vera y Aragón founded the city on April 3, 1588, and named it as 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 peninsulas 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 Asunción - in present Paraguay - and Buenos Aires made it an important middle point, especially because of its 55-metre-high lands that prevent flooding when the water level rises. In 1615 Jesuits settled near the Uruguay River. In 1807 the city resisted the British invasions. During the Argentine War of Independence it was in permanent conflict with the centralist government of Buenos Aires, but the Paraguayan War united them after the city was attacked by Paraguayan forces in 1865.

Climate

The annual average temperature is 21.3 °C. The annual rainfall is around 1500 mm. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is Cfa (humid subtropical climate). Frosts are rare; with the dates of the first and last frost being July 5 and July 12 respectively, indicating that most of the year is frost-free. The highest temperature recorded was 43.3 C on September 30, 2020, and the next day, the all-time record was broken again with 43.5 C. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -2.8 C on June 15, 1979.

Education

Sister cities

Corrientes is twinned with:

In fiction

The Graham Greene spy novel The Honorary Consul (1973) takes place in Corrientes.

Sports

The city's main football teams are the: Huracán Corrientes, Boca Unidos, and Deportivo Mandiyú.

Notable people

Gallery