Azara, Misiones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Azara (Misiones)
Municipality and village
The municipality and village of Azara in the province of Misiones, the small dot represents the town of Rincón de Azara
Country	Argentina
Province	Misiones Province
Department	Apóstoles
Area
• Total	90 sq mi (230 km2)
Elevation	266 ft (81 m)
Population  (2001)
• Total	2,412
• Density	40/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−3 (ART)
Postal code	3351
Area code(s)	3758

Azara is a village and municipality in Misiones Province, located in north-eastern Argentina. It is known as an agricultural colony. The area covers about 230 square kilometers (23,000 hectares).

Azara is part of the Apóstoles department. It shares borders with the municipalities of Apóstoles and Tres Capones. It also borders the Sierra de Concepción in the Concepción Department. To the south, it touches the province of Corrientes.

What is Azara?

Azara is a small town and a larger area around it, called a municipality. It is mainly a farming community.

How Many People Live in Azara?

According to the 2001 census, 3,484 people live in the Azara municipality.

Where Did the Name Azara Come From?

Azara was named after Félix de Azara. He was a famous Spanish scientist, geographer, and sailor. Felix de Azara was born in 1754.

He explored and studied parts of Argentina and Paraguay. This happened between 1781 and 1801. This was about 15 years after the Jesuits were asked to leave the area.

What is the Land Like in Azara?

Azara is an agricultural colony. This means it is a place focused on farming. It covers about 230 square kilometers.

Natural Features

The area is mostly open fields. It does not have a tropical rainforest. You can find "gallery forests" along the banks of rivers and streams. These are narrow strips of trees.

There are also some small groves of trees called "hillocks". In Portuguese, these are often called capones. They are low and not very spread out.

Landscape and Soil

The countryside has tough grasslands called espartillo. There are also wetlands and gentle hills. Some slopes can be a bit steep.

The soil in Azara is lateritic, which means it's red earth. This type of soil is good for many things. It's suitable for raising livestock and for growing crops. Farmers also use it for gardening. Important crops grown here include yerba mate and tea.

A Look Back: Azara's History

The land where Azara is today was once a cattle farm. The Jesuits created this farm in the 1600s. It was called "San Antonio" and was linked to a dairy farm in Yapeyú.

After the Jesuits were expelled, the area was attacked. People called Paulist Bandeirantes raided it. This left the Jesuit settlements empty and abandoned.

Early Attempts to Settle

Around 1800, there was an attempt to start a new settlement. José Avilés e Iturbe, a Spanish leader, tried to colonize the area. He was helped by Félix de Azara and Joaquin de Alós.

However, this colonization failed. The leader, José Avilés e Iturbe, lost his job. This happened because of a war between Spain and Portugal. After this, the area remained unsettled for about 100 years.

The War of the Triple Alliance

During the Paraguayan War (1865-1870), also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, soldiers passed through this area. They were on their way to Trincheras de San José, which is now Posadas, and then to Paraguay.

The First Settlers Arrive

In 1897, a group of 14 families arrived. There were about 120 people in total. They came from Galicia, a region that was part of Austria-Hungary. Today, this area is divided between Poland and Ukraine.

These families were planning to go to the United States. But they had problems with their documents. They had to choose between going back home or finding another place. The Argentine consul in Trieste offered them land in Argentina. They decided to accept.

They arrived in La Plata without anyone knowing they were coming. Officials did not understand their Polish language. Luckily, an official recognized the language. He called Mr. Szelagowski from Buenos Aires, who could translate and welcome them.

When they heard about the promised land, Mr. Szelagowski contacted his friend. This friend was the new Governor of the National Territory of Misiones. The governor agreed to receive them. The families then traveled up the Uruguay River to Garruchos. From there, they went to Apóstoles. Governor Lanusse welcomed them there.

Life in the Early Years

Life was very hard at first. The fields were in poor condition or covered in scrubland. The settlers had few resources. But they worked together and supported each other.

They began to build their homes. They also set up fences and started plowing the land. They worked hard every day to find food and survive. These lands were once part of a farm owned by Mr. Granné. Later, they belonged to a Mr. Olgin.

The early settlers missed having a priest living among them. To attend Mass or for other religious needs, they had to go to Apóstoles. This town was 23 kilometers away. Many people made this long journey on foot.

These families wrote letters to their relatives in Europe. In 1901, 138 more families arrived. In 1902, another 1,600 people came. This led to a fast settlement of Misiones. Many new villages were created. People from Poland, Ruthenia, Germany, Russia, and other places arrived. They were attracted by the chance to own land. They wanted to farm their own land instead of working for someone else.

The First Parish Priest

On October 29, 1903, Father Jose Bayerlein Marianski arrived in Apóstoles. He was an assistant to the parish priest, Uladislao Reinke Zakrzewski. Father Marianski encouraged the community to build a chapel. He also helped build a nursing school, roads, and bridges.

He also supported social communication. On November 16, 1924, the first newspaper in the National Territory of Misiones was published. It was called Oredownik, which means "Solicitor" in Polish. Father Marianski directed the newspaper until 1931. Juan Czajkowski was in charge of editing and printing.

Between 1931 and 1950, the newspaper moved to Posadas. Juan Czajkowski then directed it. It continued to serve a social and cultural purpose. The story of Father Marianski is told in his biography. It is titled Un Soldado del Evangelio (A Soldier of the Gospel). Juan Czajkowski, his lay partner, wrote this book.

How to Get to Azara

The main way to reach Azara is by Provincial Route 1. This road connects Azara to the north with the city of Apóstoles. This part of the road is paved. To the south, the road is unpaved. It leads to Rincón de Azara, also known as Puerto Azara. This is a small village located on the banks of the Uruguay River.

Provincial Route 2 is an unpaved road. It connects Azara to the east with Tres Capones and Concepción de la Sierra. To the southwest, it connects to Garruchos and Santo Tomé. These towns are in the province of Corrientes.

See also

In Spanish: Azara (Argentina) para niños