| Trelew | |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | Argentina Chubut#Argentina |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Trelew in Argentina |
| Coordinates: | -43.25°N -83°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Argentina |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Department |
| Subdivision Name2: | Rawson |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | October 20, 1886 |
| Founder: | Lewis Jones |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Adrián Maderna |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 249 |
| Elevation M: | 11 |
| Population Total: | 97,915 |
| Population As Of: | 2010 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Trelewense |
| Timezone1: | ART |
| Utc Offset1: | -3 |
| Postal Code Type: | CPA base |
| Postal Code: | U9100 |
| Area Code: | +54 280 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Blank1 Name: | Climate |
Trelew (pronounced as /es/,[1] from Welsh: tref
Trelew is an important commercial and industrial centre for the region and is the main hub for wool processing, accounting for 90 percent of activity in Argentina. The produce of this industry is mainly shipped and exported through Puerto Madryn and Puerto Deseado.
Trelew is home to the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio, showcasing the paleontological heritage of the Patagonic region, and considered one of the most important of its kind in South America. It also has an Astronomic and Planetary Observatory.
The city is served by the Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport, of both civilian and military use. The airport's runway is shared with the Almirante Zar Naval Base, home of the Lockheed P-3 Orion squadron of the Argentine Naval Aviation.
Trelew's foundation is linked with Welsh settlement in Argentina, the leaders of which were Captain Sir Thomas Duncombe Love Jones-Parry (of Madryn) and Lewis (Luis) Jones, who acted as spokesmen to deal with the Argentine government in the beginning of the 1860s. The town was named Trelew in honour of the latter Jones: tre meaning "town" in Welsh and "Lew" being an apocope for Lewis.[2]
Trelew was established on 20 October 1886 as the starting point for the Central Chubut Railway line that would link the lower Chubut River Valley to Puerto Madryn. Railway building equipment and 400 settlers arrived on July 28 of that same year on the steamer Vesta. The line was opened in 1888 and later extended from Trelew to Gaiman, Dolavon and finally to Las Plumas. In 1961, the line was closed.
See main article: Trelew massacre. Trelew was the scene of a massacre in 1972. A breakout of political prisoners at the federal penitentiary resulted in the death of one guard and the attempted flight of about 100 individuals who opposed the military dictatorship which followed the overthrow of President Arturo Illia. A small group of prisoners succeeded in commandeering a plane and flying to safety in Chile. The rest submitted to the authorities and were returned to a military prison, where 19 were shot (three survived).
The town of Trelew was searched by the military and locals were seized and taken to the Villa Devoto prison in Buenos Aires. Virtually the entire town went on strike and succeeded in securing the release of the prisoners at Villa Devoto. These incidents were documented in the book La Pasión según Trelew, by Tomás Eloy Martínez, which was originally published in 1973, but was then suppressed by the dictatorship of the Proceso, and reissued in 1997.[3]
Trelew is the centre of tourism in the Central Meseta, the Valley of the Chubut River and the coast. Punta Tombo, the biggest penguin reserve in Argentina, is accessible from the city.
An annual Eisteddfod is held in Trelew in October, a traditional festival which receives guests from across the country and from Wales, which constitutes a unique expression of Welsh culture in South America.
The former Trelew railway station, which was declared a national historic monument in 1969, has functioned as a museum, El Museo Regional Pueblo de Luis, since 1984.
Racing de Trelew and Huracán de Trelew are the most important local football clubs. Patoruzú Rugby Club and Trelew Rugby Club are the local clubs practicing this sport. In boxing, the Matthysse brothers, Lucas and Walter, are from Trelew, although most of their notable fights took place in the United States.
According to the Köppen climate classification, Trelew experiences a cold semi-desert climate (BSk) bordering on a cold desert climate (BWk), with warm summers, cold winters and low precipitation year-round.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Argentina.
Trelew is twinned with:
Albidona, Italy