San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

San Miguel de Tucumán (usually referred to as simply Tucumán) is the largest city in northwestern Argentina. It is the capital of the province of Tucumán. It was founded in 1565 by spanish Diego de Villarroel travelling south from Peru and was moved to the present site in 1685. It is situated at an altitude of 450 meters.

The city sits on the slopes of the Aconquija mountains, the easternmost mountain range before the large chaco-pampean flats. It is the commercial center of an irrigated area that produces large quantities of sugarcane, rice, tobacco, and fruitand provides the province with its nickname "El Jardín de la Republica" (The Garden of the Republic). The National University of Tucumán (1914) and the Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North (1965) are in the city.

On July 9, 1816 a congress gathered in Tucumán declared the independence from Spain, which did not officially recognised it until 1862. The meeting place of the congress, Independence House, has been preserved as a national shrine. Population (2001) 525,853.

Touristic attractions: Tafi del Valle, El Mollar, Famaillá, Ruinas de Quilmes, Dique El Cadillal, etc.

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