Choele Choel
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Choele Choel
|native_name =
|nickname =
|settlement_type = City
|image_skyline = Choele acceso.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption =
|image_flag =
|image_shield = Escudo de Choele Choel, Río Negro.svg
|pushpin_map = Argentina
|pushpin_map_alt =
|pushpin_map_caption = Location of Choele Choel in Argentina
|coordinates = {{coord|39|16|S|65|41|W|region:AR_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|coor_pinpoint =
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_type2 = Department
|subdivision_name = {{ARG}}
|subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Río Negro Province.svg}} Río Negro
|subdivision_name2 = Avellaneda
|leader_title = Intendant
|leader_name = Diego Ramello
|established_title = Established
|established_date = July 9, 1879
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|area_total_km2 =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_percent =
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_urban_km2 =
|area_metro_sq_mi =
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|population_as_of = {{census-ar|2010}}
|population_note =
|population_total = 10,642
|population_metro =
|population_urban =
|population_density_km2 =
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_demonym = Choelense
|blank1_name = Climate
|blank1_info = BSk
|timezone = ART
|utc_offset = −3
|timezone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|elevation_m = 118
|elevation_ft = 388
|postal_code_type = CPA Base
|postal_code = R8360
|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20091202054326/http://www.munichoelechoel.com.ar/ Official website]
}}
Choele Choel is the capital of the department of Avellaneda in the Argentine province of Río Negro, and the most important settlement within the Valle Medio ("Middle Valley") agricultural area of the Río Negro River in Patagonia.
Overview
Image:Balneario Choele Choel1.jpg
Choele Choel is located at the intersection of National Routes #22 and #250, around 1000 kilometres from Buenos Aires, 180 from General Roca, 193 from the Las Grutas beach resort, and 460 from Puerto Madryn. It has a population of 10,642 ({{Census-ar|2010}}).
Its long-distance bus terminal is a common stop for buses going to both sea-side Patagonia (Puerto Madryn, Río Gallegos, Ushuaia) and North-Andean Patagonia (Bariloche, El Bolsón).
During the 1990s, the airport used to serve regular flights to Buenos Aires, but currently serves only infrequent private charters.
History
Originally named Nicolás Avellaneda, it was founded on July 9, 1879, by General Conrado Villegas. After a flood, the inhabitants moved to a place known as Pampa de los Molinos. They would stay there until March 18, 1882, when the settlement was moved to its current location.
The town acquired special importance during the Conquest of the Desert, when the border between the white man and the Native Americans was pushed south the shore of the Río Negro River.
In 1883, a post office was installed in the town. Salesians arrived in 1890. The Provincial School #10 was created in 1904, and in 1917 the Library. Irish Argentine writer Rodolfo Walsh was born in the town in 1927.
In the 1900s a group of Welsh settlers who were considering leaving Argentina were granted land in Choele Choel.{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Glyn|title=The desert and the dream: A study of Welsh colonization in Chubut 1865 – 1915|date=1975|publisher=University of Wales Press|location=Cardiff|isbn=978-0-7083-0579-9|page=151}} Choele Choel is home to a sizable Russian community (some of them Old Believers).[https://oldbelievers.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/russian-old-believers-in-choele-choel-argentina/ Russian Old Believers in Choele Choel, Argentina] Besides the European immigrant communities common to most of Argentina, the town received refugees from Laos in the 1970s.[https://oldbelievers.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/russian-old-believers-in-choele-choel-argentina/ Russian Old Believers in Choele Choel, Argentina]
=Etymology=
There are several versions regarding the meaning of Choele Choel: it might be from the Mapuche language, translated as "yellow flower race," or from the Tehuelche language ("small river rolling-stones"). Another version translates it as "bark scarecrows."[http://www.gobierno.rionegro.gov.ar/municipios/pag_muni.php Río Negro Province: Choele Choel {{in lang|es}}] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208095050/http://www.gobierno.rionegro.gov.ar/municipios/pag_muni.php |date=2009-12-08 }}
Climate
Choele Choel has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M. C. |author2= Finlayson B. L. |author3= McMahon, T. A. |name-list-style=amp | year=2007 | title= Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 |issue= 5 | pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode= 2007HESS...11.1633P | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf | issn = 1027-5606| doi-access=free }} Winters are cool with a July mean of {{convert|7.5|C|F|1}}, with nighttime temperatures that frequently drop below {{convert|0|C|F|1}} and occasionally below {{convert|-10|C|F|1}} on the coldest nights. Cloudy days are common during winter, averaging 7–9 days from June to August, although sunny days can occur as well. Spring and fall are transition seasons that feature warm days, averaging {{convert|18|to|28|C|F|1}} and cool nights, averaging {{convert|4|to|12|C|F|1}} although temperatures can reach as high as {{convert|42|C|F|1}} and low as {{convert|-10.5|C|F|1}} during these seasons. Summers are hot, dry and sunny, with daytime temperatures averaging {{convert|31|to|32|C|F|1}} and cool nighttime temperatures, averaging {{convert|14|to|15|C|F|1}}. Precipitation is low, averaging {{convert|308.9|mm|in|0}} which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
{{Weather box
|location = Choele Choel
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 44.9
|Feb record high C = 43.9
|Mar record high C = 42.4
|Apr record high C = 36.7
|May record high C = 31.0
|Jun record high C = 26.4
|Jul record high C = 25.9
|Aug record high C = 29.9
|Sep record high C = 34.7
|Oct record high C = 38.2
|Nov record high C = 42.0
|Dec record high C = 44.1
|year record high C = 44.9
|Jan high C = 32.9
|Feb high C = 31.6
|Mar high C = 28.2
|Apr high C = 23.0
|May high C = 18.0
|Jun high C = 13.9
|Jul high C = 13.9
|Aug high C = 16.7
|Sep high C = 19.5
|Oct high C = 23.9
|Nov high C = 28.3
|Dec high C = 30.9
|year high C = 23.4
|Jan mean C = 24.2
|Feb mean C = 22.9
|Mar mean C = 19.5
|Apr mean C = 15.0
|May mean C = 11.0
|Jun mean C = 7.7
|Jul mean C = 7.5
|Aug mean C = 9.4
|Sep mean C = 12.0
|Oct mean C = 16.0
|Nov mean C = 20.2
|Dec mean C = 22.8
|year mean C = 15.7
|Jan low C = 15.4
|Feb low C = 14.2
|Mar low C = 11.6
|Apr low C = 5.9
|May low C = 4.7
|Jun low C = 1.8
|Jul low C = 1.5
|Aug low C = 2.6
|Sep low C = 4.9
|Oct low C = 8.2
|Nov low C = 11.7
|Dec low C = 14.1
|year low C = 8.1
|Jan record low C = 3.2
|Feb record low C = 2.0
|Mar record low C = -2.0
|Apr record low C = -6.4
|May record low C = -10.5
|Jun record low C = -12.8
|Jul record low C = -12.2
|Aug record low C = -11.0
|Sep record low C = -6.9
|Oct record low C = -8.8
|Nov record low C = -0.6
|Dec record low C = -1.0
|year record low C = -12.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 21.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 23.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 32.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 29.3
|May precipitation mm = 29.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 19.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 20.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 13.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 24.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 36.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 28.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 30.1
|year precipitation mm = 308.9
|Jan humidity = 37.0
|Feb humidity = 41.0
|Mar humidity = 48.0
|Apr humidity = 54.5
|May humidity = 62.3
|Jun humidity = 66.5
|Jul humidity = 64.0
|Aug humidity = 53.8
|Sep humidity = 49.8
|Oct humidity = 46.3
|Nov humidity = 40.8
|Dec humidity = 38.3
|year humidity = 50.2
|source 1 = Secretaria de Mineria{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150119033042/http://www.mineria.gob.ar/estudios/irn/rionegro/estacionesmeteorol%C3%B3gicas.asp
| archive-date = January 19, 2015
| url = http://www.mineria.gob.ar/estudios/irn/rionegro/estacionesmeteorológicas.asp
| language = es
| title = Provincia de Rio Negro - Clima Y Meteorologia: Datos Meteorologicos Y Pluviometicos
| publisher = Secretaria de Mineria de la Nacion (Argentina)
| access-date = February 10, 2014
}}
|date=February 2014}}
Access
The points of access are through National Routes {{ill|RN 22|es|Ruta_Nacional_22_(Argentina)|vertical-align=sup}} and {{ill|RN 250|es|Ruta_Nacional_250_(Argentina)|vertical-align=sup}}. Choele Choel also has an authorised airport for small private planes and helicopter arrivals.
Activities
The most developed activities in this location are cattle breeding, agriculture, and manufacturing of raw materials such as tomatoes, apples, pears, strawberries, etc. into sauces and jellies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.patagonia-argentina.com/en/espanol-agroturismo-en-el-valle-medio-del-rio-negro/|title=AgroTourism in the Mid Valley of Negro River|work=Patagonia Argentina}}
References
{{portal|Argentina}}
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Populated places in Río Negro Province