Viedma, Río Negro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viedma
City
Aerial view of Viedma (top) and Carmen de Patagones.
Viedma, Río Negro Location in Argentina
Country	Argentina
Province	Río Negro
Department	Adolfo Alsina
Established	22 April 1779
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	59,992
Time zone	UTC−3 (ART)
Climate	BSk
Website	Official website: http://www.viedma.gov.ar/

Viedma is an important city in Argentina. It is the capital city of the Río Negro Province. Viedma is located in northern Patagonia, a large region in the south of Argentina.

The city sits on the southern side of the Negro River. It is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean. Viedma is also about 960 kilometers (596 miles) away from Buenos Aires, Argentina's biggest city. In 2022, Viedma had nearly 60,000 people living there.

History of Viedma

Bridge over the Río Negro linking the twin cities.

Viedma and its neighbor, Carmen de Patagones, are the oldest European settlements in Patagonia. They were founded on April 22, 1779. A Spanish explorer named Francisco de Viedma y Narváez started the settlement. He called it Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

Originally, Viedma and Carmen de Patagones were one town. The first fort was built on the south side of the river, where Viedma is today. But it was soon destroyed. A new fort was then built on the north side, in what is now Carmen de Patagones. This fort lasted much longer. Its tower can still be seen today.

As the town grew, it expanded back across the river. On October 11, 1878, the town was split into two. The Negro River became the border between them.

Viedma as a Capital City

After a time of expansion in Argentina called the Conquest of the Desert, Viedma became very important. It was made the capital of all Argentine Patagonia. Later, when Patagonia was divided into smaller areas, Viedma became the capital of the Río Negro Territory. In 1880, the first governor of Río Negro, Alvaro Barros, officially changed the city's name to Viedma.

In 1889, there was a big flood. The capital of Río Negro had to be moved temporarily to Choele Choel. But Viedma quickly became the capital again.

A Plan for the National Capital

In 1986, the President of Argentina, Raúl Alfonsín, had a big idea. He suggested moving the country's capital from Buenos Aires to Viedma. The goal was to make Buenos Aires less crowded. It also aimed to help develop the Patagonia region and other parts of the country.

The Argentine Congress approved a law for this plan the next year. However, due to money problems, the project stopped by 1989. Buenos Aires remained the national capital.

Economy

The main ways people make a living in the Viedma area are raising cattle and farming. Farmers grow crops like onions, maize (corn), and alfalfa.

However, Viedma is mostly known as an administrative city. This means many people work for the government or in offices. It is the capital city of the province, so many important decisions are made there.

Geography

Climate and Weather in Viedma

Viedma has a cool semi-arid climate. This means it is often dry, but not extremely hot like a desert. The nearby South Atlantic Ocean and the Negro River help keep the climate milder.

The city is quite windy all year. Winds are strongest from October to February. They are usually weakest from March to June. Strong winds can sometimes blow faster than 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour)!

Winters are cool, with average temperatures around 6.6°C (43.9°F) in July. Frosts are common, happening about 9-10 days from June to August. Summers are hot and dry. January highs average around 30.4°C (86.7°F). The difference between day and night temperatures is often large.

The air in Viedma is usually not very humid, around 50%. This means it doesn't feel sticky. Sometimes, cool air from the ocean (sea breezes) can blow inland during hot summer days. This helps to cool down the city.

Rainfall and Sunshine

Viedma gets about 394.2 millimeters (15.5 inches) of rain each year. The rain is spread out fairly evenly throughout the year. Summers tend to have less rainy days, but when it does rain, it can be more intense.

Viedma gets a good amount of sunshine, about 2620 hours per year. This is about 57.7% of all possible sunshine. The sunniest month is March.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Viedma was 43.7°C (110.7°F) on February 18, 1987. The lowest was -10.8°C (12.6°F) on July 4, 1988.

Transport

Viedma has an airport called Gobernador Castello Airport. Its airport codes are VDM and SAVV. This airport has flights to many other cities in Argentina. These include Buenos Aires, Neuquén, Bariloche, and Mar del Plata. About 30,000 passengers use the airport each year. It is located 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) from the city center.

About 30 kilometers (18 miles) downstream from Viedma, on the Atlantic coast, is the El Cóndor beach resort town. This is the most popular tourist beach in the area. There is also a train service, Servicios Ferroviarios Patagónico, that connects Viedma with San Carlos de Bariloche.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Viedma. Here are a few:

• Valentina Cámara (born 1993), a footballer (soccer player)
• Gastón Cellerino (born 1986), also a footballer
• Segundo Cernadas (born 1972), an actor
• Juan Manuel Martínez (born 1985), a footballer
• Nicolás Martínez (born 1987), another footballer
• Bruno Sepúlveda (born 1992), a footballer
• Fabio Vázquez (born 1994), a footballer
• José Vivanco (born 1998), a footballer
• Juan Edmundo Vecchi (1931–2002), a Catholic priest

See also

In Spanish: Viedma para niños