Santo Tomé, Corrientes Explained

Santo Tomé
Native Name Lang:es
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Argentina
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Santo Tomé in Argentina
Coordinates:-28.55°N -59°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Argentina
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:Department
Subdivision Name2:Santo Tomé
Leader Party:Justicialist Party
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Carlos Raúl
Farizano Artigas
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Total:23,299
Population As Of:2010 census
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonym:santotomeño
Timezone1:ART
Utc Offset1:-3
Postal Code Type:CPA base
Postal Code:W3340
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Area Code:+54 3756

Santo Tomé is a city in the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It had about 22,634 inhabitants at the . It is the head town of the department of the same name.

History

Santo Tomé was founded in 1632 by the Jesuit missionaries Luis Ernot and Manuel Bertot, with help from two native Guaraní chiefs that converted to Christianity. Its name is variedly found as Santo Tomás, Santo Tomás Apóstol, Santo Thomé and Santo Tomé.

Geography

The city lies in the north-east of the province, on the right-hand (western) shore of the Uruguay River, opposite the city of São Borja in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The area has typical features of the Región Submisionera, with reddish soil, abundant flora and high lands, alternating with gray-soil lowlands and swamps.

The climate is subtropical, with average temperatures of 20 °C (the summer maximum is 40 °C, and winters are mild). The average annual rainfall is between 1,400 and 1,600 mm, peaking in April (autumn) and October (spring).

Notable people