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Puerto Iguazú


Puerto Iguazú is a frontier city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. With a population of 32,038 (2001 census [INDEC]), it is the fifth largest city in the Province, after Posadas, Oberá, Eldorado and San Vicente.
The world-renowned Iguazu Falls are only 18 kilometres (11 mi) away from the city, and as a result the city has developed its infrastructure around tourism.

  • Country: Argentina
  • State: Misiones
  • City:Puerto Iguazu Iguazú
  • Level above the sea 162 mts
  • Surface 766 km²
  • Fundation12 de agosto de 1901
  • Population 31.515 hab. (INDEC, 2001)
  • Density 41,8 hab./km²
  • Zip code 3370
  • City code 03757

History

In 1551, Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to discover what is now called Iguazu Falls. He was drawn by the noise of the water, which can be heard at a distance of several kilometers. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the Guarani Indians were the principal inhabitants of the area.
Despite its early exploration, the area remained occupied only by the Guarani until 1880. In 1881, the province of Corrientes, which at that time included what is now Misiones, sold 50 "leguas cuadradas" (13,000 square kilometres (5,000 sq mi)) at the current site of Puerto Iguazú near the falls. The land changed hands three times in the course of just two years, and ended up as the property of Gregorio Lezama. At that time Misiones separated from Corrientes. Lezama funded a scientific expedition to explore the territory, enlisting Carlos Bosetti and Jordan Hummel for that purpose. Those two explorers later organized the first tourist trip to the falls. In 1888 Lezama also sold the land, this time to Martín Errecaborde and Cía.

Economy

The economy is centered around tourism, given that the city's many hotels provide the principal source of jobs for its inhabitants. Many international hotels have been and are being constructed along the banks of the Iguazú River.

Other of the city's tourist attractions include Three Frontiers, where the Argentine, Paraguayan and Brazilian borders meet. This area is home to artesan booths, the complex "La Aripuca", the Museum of Images of the Jungle, the Mbororé Museum, the Municipal Nature Park of Luis Honorio Rolón, the Center for Bird Rehabilitation "Güira Oga", and a casino that attract tourism.