Santa Cruz Province, Argentinae

Santa Cruz (Spaingie pronunciation: [santa ˈkɾus]) is a province o Argentinae, locatit in the soothren pairt o the kintra, in Patagonie. It borders Chubut province tae the north, an Chile tae the wast an sooth, wi an Atlantic coast on its east. Santa Cruz is the seicont-lairgest province o the kintra (efter Buenos Aires Province), an the least densely populatit in mainland Argentinae.

Santa Cruz
Province
Clockwise frae top: Cueva de las Manos, Harbour of Río Gallegos, Perito Moreno Glacier (Los Glaciares Naitional Pairk), Río Pinturas.
Banner Coat airms
Location o Santa Cruz athin Argentinae
Coordinates: 48.62°S 70.01°W / -48.62; -70.01
Kintra	Argentinae
Caipital	Río Gallegos
Depairtments	7
Municipalities	27
Govrenment
• Govrenor	Alicia Kirchner
• Deputies	5
• Senators	3
Area Ranked 2nd
• Total	243943 km2 (94,187 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• Total	273,964
• Rank	23rd
• Density	1.1/km2 (2.9/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	santacruceño
Time zone	UTC−3 (ART)
ISO 3166 code	AR-Z
Website	www.santacruz.gov.ar

The indigenous fowk o the province are the Tehuelches, who despite European sploration frae the 16t century onwairds, retained unthirldom till the late 19t century. Suin efter the Conquest o the Desert in the 1870s, the aurie wis organisit as the Territory o Santa Cruz, namit efter its oreeginal caipital in Puerto Santa Cruz. The caipital muivit tae Rio Gallegos in 1888 an haes remained thare iver syne. Immigrants frae various European kintras came tae the territory in the late 19t an early 20t century durin a gowd rush. Santa Cruz became a province o Argentinae in 1957.

Poleetical diveesion

Río Gallegos Cathedral.

The province is dividit intae the follaein 7 depairtments:

Depairtment (Caipital)

1. Corpen Aike (Puerto Santa Cruz)
2. Deseado Depairtment (Puerto Deseado)
3. Güer Aike (Río Gallegos)
4. Lago Argentino (El Calafate)
5. Lago Buenos Aires (Perito Moreno)
6. Magallanes (Puerto San Julián)
7. Río Chico (Gobernador Gregores)

Freemit airtins

• (in Spaingie) Offeecial steid
• El Calafate Offeecial Steid Archived 2008-02-20 at the Wayback Machine