Viedma

Viedma is the capital city of the Argentine province of R?o Negro and the Adolfo Alsina Department of that province.

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The city of 47,246 inhabitants (2001) is located on the southern margin of the R?o Negro River, 30 kilometres before from the sea, and 960 km from Buenos Aires on the National Route 3.

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Together with Carmen de Patagones city across the river in the Buenos Aires Province, its the oldest settlement in Patagonia, founded by Francisco de Viedma y Narv?ez under the name of Nuestra Se?ora del Carmen on April 22 of 1779.

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With the Conquest of the Desert, the city became the capital of all Patagonia, and later, when it was divided in further smaller territories, the capital of the R?o Negro Territory.

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Alvaro Barros changed the name of the city to Viedma, in 1879. During a sever flooding in 1900, the capital of R?o Negro was temporary moved to Choele Choel, but it was quickly restored to Viedma.

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During the presidency of Ra?l Alfons?n it was proposed to move the capital of Argentina from Buenos Aires to Viedma, but the idea did not prosper.

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The main economical activities in the area of the Valle Inferior are the cattle, as well as some agriculture with onion, maize and alfalfa being the most important.

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The Viedma Airport Gobernador Castello (IATA:VDM) serves flights to Buenos Aires, Neuqu?n, Bariloche, Puerto Madryn, Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia, Mar del Plata, and other cities in Argentina. Its located 6 km from the city, and has an average annual traffic of 30,000 passengers.

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30 km downstream from Viedma, on the Atlantic shore, the El C?ndor beach resort town is the most visited tourist beach in the area.

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Argentine: REDIRECT Argentina...

Province: This article is about political regions. See geologic province for geological meanings....

Adolfo Alsina: Adolfo Alsina Maza (Buenos Aires January 4, 1829 – Carhué December 29, 1877) was an Argentine lawyer and Unitarian politician, and one of the founders of the Partido Autonomista and the National Autonomist Party....