The baggin

Cartel Plaza Pagano - El Bolsón - Río Negro

The river Quemquemtreu at its pass through the town.

Andes mountain range.

El Bolsón is an Argentine city located in the Patagonian region, in the extreme southwest of the province of Río Negro, Argentina.

It is the most important city in the Andean Region of the 42nd parallel, a microregion that extends to the province of Chubut, with a landscape of mountains, coniferous forests, rivers, and lakes.

Geography

The municipal common land of El Bolsón limits to the north with the Rural Commune of El Manso, to the south with Paralelo 42 Sur (interprovincial limit with Chubut); and to the east with the Ñorquincó Department.

The city is located at the foot of Cerro Piltriquitrón (which in Tehuelche means “hanging from the clouds”), in a deep valley of glacial origin oriented from north to south, whose base is furrowed by the Azul and Quemquemtreu rivers. only 337 ms. no. m..

The urban plan is located at the coordinates: 41°58′00″S 71°32′00″W / -41.96667, -71.53333.

Climate

Moderation is the most outstanding feature of the climate of this Río Negro city with the presence of snowfall and absolute minimum temperature records of -14.0 °C, absolute maximum temperature of 40.0 °C and an average annual temperature of 9.7 °C. (Period 1941 -1978).

Average climate parameters of El Bolsón (1941-2021)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	35.6	40.0	33.5	26.0	24.2	20.8	18.5	20.2	23.9	32.1	33.5	35.1	40.0
Average temperature (°C)	24.1	24.0	21.7	16.9	12.3	8.7	8.4	10.4	13.4	17.3	20.6	22.7	16.7
Average temperature (°C)	16.0	15.2	12.6	9.1	6.6	3.8	3.5	4.7	6.9	10.0	13.1	15.1	9.7
Temp. medium (°C)	7.4	6.7	5.1	2.7	1.8	0.2	-0.5	-0.2	1.5	2.7	4.8	6.3	3.2
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	-1.8	-1.8	-4.3	-7.1	-10.5	-11.7	-14.0	-8.4	-8.3	-5.3	-3.5	-2.4	-14.0
Source: *INTA: El Bolsón Meteorological Station - Data Period 1941-1978

Chemical Sedimentary Rock - Stone Museum - El Bolsón

History

Human occupation in the current zone of Andean-Patagonian forests was only possible after the retreat of the ice that invaded it during the last Pleistocene glaciation approximately 14 millennia ago.

The human history analyzed by the latest studies of cave paintings in the Andean region indicate an antiquity of about 11,500 years, two millennia before the paintings in the Cueva de las Manos del Pinturas river, in Santa Cruz.

It is paradoxical that there are no lithic precedents from the copper, bronze, iron, or more recent ages, that give clues to identify the oldest inhabitants of these valleys. It should be noted that almost all of the original population settlements in America are generally found in the vicinity of water sources: rivers, streams, lakes, maritime coastlines or combined with sheltered forests, or in the plains and pampas suitable for animal husbandry.

Despite being fully framed in these cases, the mountain valleys surrounding the current region of El Bolsón do not record anthropological precedents prior to the more recent Mapuche and Tsonek or Chon (Tehuelche) ethnic groups. However, cultural traces of primitive settlements have been verified in the vicinity of the steppe, with much more severe climatic and geographical conditions.

The first settlers of the region were the tsonek, with hunting and gathering habits, seasonally nomadic. It was normal for them to take refuge in the sheltered regions of the forests and lakes during the winters, to undertake guanaco hunting activities with greater intensity during the summer and mild autumns. Little is known about them before the 16th century, but through the process of Araucanization they were strongly influenced by the Mapuche, whose A more solid and cohesive culture was gaining ground towards the eastern part of Patagonia, both peacefully and through expansionist wars.

Both original ethnic groups were mostly cornered, conquered, decimated and in some cases integrated into the new Creole agricultural and livestock civilization centralized in the city of Buenos Aires, which developed and consolidated only in the second half of the century XIX, when advancing militarily on the extensive southern lands under Mapuche-Tehuelche rule through the so-called Conquest of the Desert, commanded by General Argentine Julio Roca.

The fractions of these cultures that collaborated or integrated into the new order imposed by force of arms, still today inhabit a considerable part of the El Bolsón region and the central-western zone of the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut and Santa Cruz, having produced a fort of culture but not of race and their customs have almost become extinct.

The oldest known historical record of a white man who has transited through the region is the travel diary of the Spanish captain Juan Fernández, who at the beginning of the year 1620 left the current territory of Chile at the command of a land expedition in search of the mythical City of the Caesars.

In this regard, in some fragments of said testimony, this expeditionary recounted:

"We left the Port of Calbuco forty-six men in piraguas and sailed to the mouth of the Turailla [Reloncaví estuary], always towards the east (...) We went up through a river called Peulla, up to three leagues, where breaking the mountain range we gave in the other band, having walked her about five leagues of bad way because there was no open path. There we encountered another very large lagoon called Navalvapí [Lago Nahuel Huapi] (...) We made an entrance through the mouth of Purahílla and going south, we went with a large lake called Puelo. "

In such a way it is understood that this adventurer and his followers have traveled some of the valleys of the region, in a north-south direction, from Lake Nahuel Huapi and at least to Puelo, surely passing through the current location of the city of El Bolson.

This town was not founded by any conqueror, advance, explorer or discoverer. Simply put, this region only served for a long time as a place of passage for the migrations of the Tsonek communities, migrants in search of game and collectors, and later it was purely Mapuche territory. Later, with the first incursions of Europeans into the region, it also provided temporary refuge for those who herded cattle and mares crossing the mountain range in an east-west direction, and vice versa, from one maritime coast to another, producing frequent conflicts and disagreements with the Mapuche settlers.

After General Roca's military campaign, financed and stimulated by the ranchers of the Humid Pampa, ended, and after exterminating the last pockets of resistance of the original Mapuche and Tehuelche peoples between 1870 and 1880, some immigrants came to populate these valleys Germans, who declared it for a brief period the "Independent Republic of El Bolsón". After keeping the valley closed for years, this fleeting state dissolves and immigrants of other nationalities begin to settle, such as: Spaniards, Argentines or Arabs, among others.

In those years, Argentina and Chile settled disputes and border agreements. At the end of the 19th century, Turkey exercised an expansive government that expelled all those who did not accept its oppression, thus under passport & 'Turkish', Arabs from Lebanon and Syria immigrated to the country. They came to Argentina, and more precisely to the western Patagonia region, mostly looking for economic prosperity. Ancestral merchants and barters, the Syrian-Lebanese immigrants were, with their intuition and commercial vision, as well as Italians and Spaniards, anonymous founders of towns in this area. Like the entire region, El Bolsón was also affected by this phenomenon.

The founding date of El Bolsón is taken as January 28, 1926, when the locals meet in the house of Cándido Azcona, resolving to form the first political-administrative organization, and signing the constitutive act of the El Bolsón Development Commission. The elected members were: President Pedro Pascual Ponce, Argentine, born in the Province of San Luis, teacher, informant ad honorem of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Statistics and Censuses of the Argentine Nation; Vice President Cándido Azcona, Spanish from the Basque Country, farmer, merchant; Secretary Antonio Merino Rubio, Spanish from Málaga, merchant, farmer; treasurer José Ulieldin, Lebanese, merchant; pro-treasurer Miguel Anden, Lebanese, merchant.

Population

The final results of the 2010 census showed that the municipality has 19,009 inhabitants. This data includes rural neighborhoods far from the main agglomeration. The demographic growth rate with respect to the 2001 census is 2.24%^{[citation required]}.. In said census it had 15,537 inhabitants^{[ citation required]}..

This magnitude is the 9th most populated unit in the province, and the most populated in the so-called Andean Region of Parallel 42.

The 19,009 inhabitants (Indec, 2010)^{[citation required]}., which represents an increase of 25.8% compared to the 13,560 inhabitants (Indec, 2001)^{[citation required]}. from the previous census. (Including neighborhoods Luján, San José Norte and Ampliación San José Norte).

Graphic of demographic evolution of El Bolsón between 1991 and 2010

Source of National Censuses of INDEC

Transport and distances

Route north of El Bolsón.

The urban area of El Bolsón is located in the extreme southwest of the Province of Río Negro, bordering on the south with Parallel 42 South, the interprovincial border with Chubut. In a straight line it is 7 km from the international border with the Republic of Chile; 130 km south of the important tourist city of Bariloche (Río Negro), and 170 km north of Esquel (Chubut), on Route 40, whose previous nomenclature was 258, completely paved between the mentioned cities. In extreme winter weather conditions, with heavy snowfall statistically occurring two to three times a year, traffic on Route 40 can become difficult, and in rare cases partially or totally disrupted.

It is also worth noting the very poor condition and progressive deterioration of the pavement on Route 40, in a section of approximately 50 km between the towns of El Bolsón and Esquel, more precisely between the Lepá and La Cancha streams, in jurisdiction of the province of Chubut. This situation seems to worsen over time, carrying out extremely precarious works and potholes with earth, which has even led to serious vehicle breakages and some accidents.

Another option to get to El Bolsón from the province of Chubut is by Provincial Route no. 71, which joins the town of Esquel with Los Alerces National Park, skirting an impressive chained lake system. For this road there are 200 km, and the route is partially paved. Most of the journey is a gravel road that winds between lakes, rivers and forests to the town of Cholila. This tour allows you to better appreciate the exuberant beauty of this Andean region where the Valdivian jungle manifests itself.

The medium and long-distance public road transport service (buses) has several companies that operate in the town, and is mainly centralized in the city of Bariloche, which acts as the regional head. There are also several frequencies of daily services to Esquel and other towns in Patagonia.

El Bolsón also has a small airport, El Bolsón Airport, suitable for regional flights and small and medium-sized aircraft. There used to be regular flights from the state company LADE to and from El Bolsón to the main Patagonian cities, suspended several years ago. The Aeroclub El Bolsón operates at said air station, which offers the public tourist flights and instruction for piloting.

Economy

The most important capital to start the primary accumulation of the local economy was provided by Syrian and Lebanese vendors called "mercachifles", who during the first decades of the century XX used to travel the roads and paths of the Tehuelches, from the end of the railroad tracks in the town of Ingeniero Jacobacci to Lake Buenos Aires, with trains of mules and herds of cargo mares; them on foot, to be able to load more merchandise.

Thus, in principle because of the tracks of the animals, they slept in the night watchman, the money and merchandise to one side and the animals as "bait" in another because robberies were frequent. Knowing the routes and customs of their clients, muleteers, settlers and aborigines from the tolderías, these merchants arrived with wagons and merchandise, and strategically established themselves at the crossroads and trails. This is how the houses began to be built near the clubs of the "Turks" and some Europeans. These would later be general stores, inns, inns, barracks, and fuel loading posts, using transmigrant trade for their first economic boost. Many of the current merchants in the area are the successors of those pioneers.

Currently, the economy and development of the town of El Bolsón is based on two fundamental pillars: tourism and rural production. In this last aspect, the plantations of hops, fine fruits and derivatives such as sweets and natural preserves, aromatic plants, orchards with vegetables and high-quality organic production, dried mushrooms, fish farming, forestry ventures, sawmills, and to a lesser extent artisanal dairy products and their derivatives.

The manufacture and sale of handicrafts of all kinds at the famous regional fair of El Bolsón, as well as the production of craft beer, are also economic factors of increasing development and importance.

However, a fundamental factor for the sustainability of the local economy -for now the one with the greatest incidence-, is the contribution of resources in state salaries of the public administration, teachers, police, doctors, auxiliary personnel and municipal administrative agents, provincial and national, although lately its impact is leveling off in the face of the great boom in tourism and its satellite activities.

Another curious aspect of this town in terms of the particular phenomenology of its economy (rarely noticed by specialized analyzes in this regard), is the significant injection of resources that the local economy receives as a result of the great demographic growth of the whole the region. From the 1980s to the present, the high rate of family settlement in the area determines that those who arrive with their savings and resources invest in the construction of new homes and the development of their commercial, tourist or craft enterprises, which it feeds back the regional consumption circuit with significant masses of circulating money, directly and indirectly affecting the commercial movement and the demand for traditional labor, which is generally very low-skilled.

The private capital company with the greatest impact on the economy of El Bolsón turns out to be a commercial organization with monopolistic characteristics, originally organized under the cooperative form, and dedicated mainly to the provision of telephone service, Internet access and gas fractionation packing.

Education

Regarding university education, the city has the presence of the National University of Río Negro. On the other hand, there is also the 21st Century Business University with its distance courses.

Culture and society

The community of artisans and lovers of life in contact with nature have given El Bolsón a distinctive culture on a national level. In the course of the last 30 years, the city of El Bolsón was the main protagonist of a cultural movement that installed issues in Argentine society that were not considered yesterday, and yet today are very relevant both in the country and in the world. Among them we can mention:

• Ecology and a respectful and integrating attitude with nature.
• Valuation and fair consideration for indigenous peoples.
• The vertebration of naturistic knowledge and methods for better quality of life.

Nevertheless, behind this more evident cultural characterization, there is also some degree of social segmentation and sectoral disagreements underlying the local community, mainly between the native population, born and raised in the region, and the emigrants from the big cities who arrived to these valleys in search of a new lifestyle.

In turn, in the first social group (born and raised) there are two cultural sectors that are well differentiated from each other. On the one hand, the so-called "countrymen", direct and indirect descendants of the Tsonek and Mapuche ethnic groups, generally far removed from their ancestral customs and wisdom, living in the peripheral neighborhoods and precarious of the city, and on the other hand the old settlers, children or grandchildren of the Western, European, Syrian, Lebanese pioneers, or with some degree of relationship with the original beneficiaries of the lands acquired from the Conquest of the Desert, who Currently they are represented in their vast majority by the most established commercial sector of the population.

For its part, among the growing masses recently incorporated into the El Bolsón region, almost always the product of migrations from the big cities, two clearly dissimilar cultural profiles are also evident: those with a more urban search and consumption arrive willing to join a commercial and tourist development, and the inhabitants who for their part ascribe to a more natural life, in harmony with the environment, in favor of a productive, artisanal, organic, ecological and self-sufficient rural profile.

Within this last social sector there is also a notorious number of musicians, writers, sculptors, artists and artists in general, some of excellent level and international relevance, a distinctive feature of this town in terms of the large number of resident artists with respect to the total population.

This marked segmentation into the four social sectors mentioned, clearly differentiated from each other, can also be assumed as one of the cultural singularities of El Bolsón.

Similarly, since the 1990s a new population and sociocultural phenomenon has appeared, embodied by a very minority group of new inhabitants, some permanent and others occasional, with very high purchasing power, who have made considerable investments in large areas of peripheral lands. In this way, they have acquired natural environments and complete ecosystems, and their undertakings have had notorious gravitation and economic, social and political impact, with a receptivity and divided public opinion, both for and against, by all other sectors of the population.

Environmental issues

Lake Puelo, Chubut.

In the region of influence of the town of El Bolsón, as in the entire thin strip of the Patagonian Andean forest, the main causes of environmental risk and specific damage to the delicate local ecosystem are of anthropic origin, that is, caused by human activity.

Among them, the following factors of strong negative impact can be mentioned as a summary:

• Little or no urban planning. Extreme precariousness and lack of basic services due to uncontrolled demographic growth.
• Absence of a management and control plan both municipal and provincial and national, for large real estate investments that tend to occupy complete ecosystems and aquifers of public interest, under a closed private property scheme. (Example: Hidden Lake)
• Growing pollution cure in all watercourses. Accelerated eutrofization process of Lake Puelo.
• Almost absolute lack of urban infrastructure in the peripheral neighborhoods, a picture that is significantly worsened in those located near or on the flooding plain of the rivers. Absence of urban relocation plans in this regard.
• Progressive deforestation. Continuing expansion of areas to develop tourist activities.
• Permanent risk of forest fires in summer or dry periods. Primitive and inadequate management of forest wastes (mass burnings), which in addition to continuous fires causes a high degree of atmospheric pollution in the valleys. Almost total lack of effective legislation and controls in this regard.
• A growing threat of high-impact mining enterprises in the area.

Parishes of the Catholic Church in El Bolsón