Santa Cruz (in the text of the provincial Constitution: Provincia de Santa Cruz)[4] is one of the twenty-three provinces in the Argentine Republic. In turn, it is one of the twenty-four self-governed states or first-order jurisdictions[5] and one of the twenty-four national legislative electoral districts that make up the country.[6][7] Its capital and most populated city is Río Gallegos.
It is located in the south of the Patagonian region, which occupies the southern half of the country, bordering Chubut to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Magallanes and Aysén regions of the Republic of Chile to the south and west. Con is the second largest province —behind the Province of Buenos Aires—, with 273,964 inhabitants. In 2010, the second least populated —ahead of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic islands— and with 1.1 inhabitants/km², the least densely populated.
Apart from the capital, its main cities are Caleta Olivia, head of the northern zone and headquarters of oil and mining bases; and El Calafate, gateway to the natural wonder of the Perito Moreno Glacier, located in the Los Glaciares national park.
History
Contenido
Se tiene la plena certeza de que el territorio de la actual provincia de Santa Cruz estaba habitado por el ser humano hace ya unos 11 000 años, tal como lo demuestran los yacimientos de Los Toldos "Los Toldos (Santa Cruz)") y Piedra Museo, que también sirvieron de refugio a individuos pertenecientes a la etnia tehuelche (tson'k o chon), cazadores principalmente de guanacos, huemules y choiques.
Desde la perspectiva europea, las costas de la Patagonia fueron avistadas por primera vez por el portugués al servicio de España Hernando de Magallanes, el 21 de febrero de 1520, oportunidad en que bautizó el golfo San Matías (Río Negro y Chubut), donde observó la existencia de lobos marinos sudamericanos. A fines de marzo desembarcó en la bahía San Julián, donde dispuso invernar y donde permanecieron hasta el 24 de agosto. Allí, impresionado por la corpulencia de los habitantes autóctonos los llamó patagones. El 26 de ese mes alcanzó la boca del río que llamó de Santa Cruz, del cual partió cincuenta y tres días más tarde. Ese fue el origen del nombre de la provincia. Llegó al extremo de la actual provincia de Santa Cruz en otros tres días y dio nombre al cabo de las Once Mil Vírgenes, en homenaje a la fecha de su celebración, y así llegó al estrecho que hoy lleva su nombre, pero que él denominó, el 25 de noviembre, estrecho de Todos los Santos, nombre que no perduró. Uno de sus subordinados, Francisco Serrão se internó en el río Santa Cruz. donde descubrió una estratégica isla que luego sería conocida como isla Pavón.
Paleochannels review
Introduction
Santa Cruz (in the text of the provincial Constitution: Provincia de Santa Cruz)[4] is one of the twenty-three provinces in the Argentine Republic. In turn, it is one of the twenty-four self-governed states or first-order jurisdictions[5] and one of the twenty-four national legislative electoral districts that make up the country.[6][7] Its capital and most populated city is Río Gallegos.
It is located in the south of the Patagonian region, which occupies the southern half of the country, bordering Chubut to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Magallanes and Aysén regions of the Republic of Chile to the south and west. Con is the second largest province —behind the Province of Buenos Aires—, with 273,964 inhabitants. In 2010, the second least populated —ahead of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic islands— and with 1.1 inhabitants/km², the least densely populated.
Apart from the capital, its main cities are Caleta Olivia, head of the northern zone and headquarters of oil and mining bases; and El Calafate, gateway to the natural wonder of the Perito Moreno Glacier, located in the Los Glaciares national park.
History
Contenido
Se tiene la plena certeza de que el territorio de la actual provincia de Santa Cruz estaba habitado por el ser humano hace ya unos 11 000 años, tal como lo demuestran los yacimientos de Los Toldos "Los Toldos (Santa Cruz)") y Piedra Museo, que también sirvieron de refugio a individuos pertenecientes a la etnia tehuelche (tson'k o chon), cazadores principalmente de guanacos, huemules y choiques.
Desde la perspectiva europea, las costas de la Patagonia fueron avistadas por primera vez por el portugués al servicio de España Hernando de Magallanes, el 21 de febrero de 1520, oportunidad en que bautizó el golfo San Matías (Río Negro y Chubut), donde observó la existencia de lobos marinos sudamericanos. A fines de marzo desembarcó en la bahía San Julián, donde dispuso invernar y donde permanecieron hasta el 24 de agosto. Allí, impresionado por la corpulencia de los habitantes autóctonos los llamó patagones. El 26 de ese mes alcanzó la boca del río que llamó de Santa Cruz, del cual partió cincuenta y tres días más tarde. Ese fue el origen del nombre de la provincia. Llegó al extremo de la actual provincia de Santa Cruz en otros tres días y dio nombre al cabo de las Once Mil Vírgenes, en homenaje a la fecha de su celebración, y así llegó al estrecho que hoy lleva su nombre, pero que él denominó, el 25 de noviembre, estrecho de Todos los Santos, nombre que no perduró. Uno de sus subordinados, Francisco Serrão se internó en el río Santa Cruz. donde descubrió una estratégica isla que luego sería conocida como isla Pavón.
Juan Sebastián Elcano, segundo jefe de la expedición de fray García Jofre de Loaísa, desembarcó a fines de diciembre de 1525 en el estuario del río Santa Cruz.
En 1535 Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor exploró el río Chico, al que llamó de los Gallegos. Tras el paso de Francis Drake en 1578, la Corona española envió en 1579 a Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa para fortificar la zona. Entre 1581 y 1585 Sarmiento de Gamboa creó colonias españolas en el estrecho de Magallanes, la más oriental de las cuales, llamada Nombre de Jesús, se ubicaba en el cabo Vírgenes en territorio santacruceño, casi en el límite actual con Chile.
El 17 de diciembre de 1586, el corsario Thomas Cavendish entró en el estuario del río Deseado con sus barcos Desire, Hugh Gallant y Content, y bautizó Port Desire al actual Puerto Deseado, donde permaneció diez días. En 1592 Cavendish regresó con cinco barcos, dos de los cuales no pudieron pasar el estrecho de Magallanes y se refugiaron en Port Desire. Una de esas naves, la Desire, era comandada por John Davis "John Davis (explorador del siglo XIX)"), de quien el Reino Unido sostiene que luego de partir de Puerto Deseado descubrió las islas Malvinas el 14 de agosto de 1592.
Los misioneros Flores de León") en 1621 y Nicolás Mascardi entre 1671-1672 recorrieron la región e intentaron establecer reducciones; entre 1745 y 1746 se reanudaron las exploraciones españolas por el actual territorio santacruceño.
En 1670, John Narborough visitó Port Desire y reclamó el territorio para Inglaterra.
En 1760, la nave del capitán John Byron se hundió al golpear en una roca en Puerto Deseado.
Al crearse el Virreinato del Río de la Plata, el 12 de agosto de 1776, la Corona española incluyó en él todo el sector de la Patagonia al oriente de los Andes. Uno de los objetivos de la creación de este Virreinato era el del control de los territorios patagónicos ante la creciente incursión de ingleses y franceses. Dictada la Real Ordenanza de Intendentes del 28 de enero de 1782, formó parte de la Intendencia de Buenos Aires.
En 1780 Francisco de Biedma y Narváez, partiendo de Buenos Aires, fundó la Nueva Colonia y Fuerte de Floridablanca en las proximidades del actual Puerto San Julián, luego desocupada por el virrey Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo. Esta colonia, como los demás establecimientos patagónicos, estaban bajo la supervisión del Virreinato del Río de la Plata. El mismo Biedma remontó el río Santa Cruz y descubrió el lago que lleva su nombre. Entre 1825 y 1836 hubo una serie de exploraciones geográficas de la región.
En 1790 la Real Compañía Marítima de Carlos IV, en sociedad con particulares, instaló un fuerte en Puerto Deseado para ser utilizado en la extracción de aceites de lobos marinos y de ballenas. El fuerte fue abandonado en 1807 al disminuir la rentabilidad y por causa del clima y los ataques ingleses. Los restos de este fuerte se hallaron en 2008.[8].
En el barco HMS Beagle, el capitán Roberto Fitz Roy llegó a Puerto Deseado llevando al joven naturalista Carlos Darwin en diciembre de 1833.
En 1859 el argentino Luis Piedrabuena[9] estableció su base en la Isla Pavón, la cual ha devenido en la actual ciudad de Comandante Luis Piedrabuena.
En 1864 Piedrabuena fundó la pequeña población de Las Salinas, que actualmente es una adyacencia de la ciudad de Puerto Santa Cruz.
En 1876 Francisco Pascasio Moreno estableció una base en la ría de Puerto Deseado.
La gobernación de la Patagonia fue creada por la ley N.º 954, del 11 de octubre de 1878. Su territorio se extendía desde el límite fijado por la ley N.° 947 hasta el cabo de Hornos y su capital fue Mercedes de Patagones (hoy Viedma). El 21 de octubre se designá a su primer gobernador, el coronel Álvaro Barros, quien procedió a la inauguración oficial de la gobernación el 2 de febrero de 1879.
El 1 de diciembre de 1878, en momentos en que parecía inminente un conflicto con Chile, el comodoro Luis Py enarboló la bandera argentina en la cumbre del cerro sobre el Cañadón Misioneros, tomando posesión definitivamente de la región. Formaban la División Naval de la llamada Expedición Py el monitor Los Andes, la cañonera Uruguay y la bombardera Constitución. Ese día se fundó Puerto Santa Cruz "Santa Cruz (ciudad)") que, más tarde, fue sede de las autoridades y capital de la gobernación de Santa Cruz.
En 1881 se firmó el tratado de límites entre la Argentina y Chile que asegura definitivamente la posesión argentina de los territorios de la Patagonia Oriental.
National Territory
By Law No. 1532 of October 16, 1884, called Organization of National Territories, the national territories were created, dividing the territory of Patagonia into the governorates of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.
By Decree No. 13941, of May 31, 1944, for geopolitical reasons, the Argentine State separated from the Governorate of Santa Cruz all the territory north of the valley (or talweg) of the Pinturas and Deseado rivers to create the Comodoro Rivadavia Military Zone.
Provincialization
On June 28, 1955, by Law No. 14408, the national territories were provincialized and the Comodoro Rivadavia Military Zone was annulled, restoring to Chubut and Santa Cruz the territories that had been separated from them. A province was created with Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz, but it was not put into effect:
By decree No. 11,429 of July 20, 1955, that province was renamed the Province of Patagonia, "until the corresponding constituent conventions are pronounced."
During the government of Pedro Eugenio Aramburu, by decree-law No. 21178 of November 22, 1956, law No. 14408 was modified, annulling the province of Patagonia and creating the province of Santa Cruz:.
The provincial Constitution was approved on November 28, 1957, and on May 1, 1958, an institutional cycle began in the Province, until then a National Territory. Mario Cástulo Paradelo was elected in legitimacy elections questioned by political proscriptions, as the first constitutional governor of the Province of Santa Cruz.
The Constitution was later reformed in 1994 and 1998.
Government
Executive power
Claudio Vidal currently serves as governor.
Governors of Santa Cruz since 1983.
Geographic aspects
The province is located in the extreme south of the continental sector of the country. The provincial landscape presents two different sectors:
• - To the west, the Andean region: it is characterized by the presence of the section of the Andes mountain range called the Patagonian Andes. In this section the mountain range has a lower height, with its snowy peaks throughout the year, among which the Chaltén (or Fitz Roy) stands out with 3405 m, which is shown on the provincial coat of arms and flag, and the San Lorenzo hill (3706 m a.s.l.). At the foot of the Andean mountain ranges there are large lakes of glacial origin such as Lake Argentino, Lake Viedma and Lake San Martín, Lake Buenos Aires, Lake Pueyrredón, furrowed by icebergs that break off during the summer from the large glaciers that make up the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. In this beautiful region are located the famous Los Glaciares national park and the no less well-known Perito Moreno national park.
• - In the center and east, the extra-Andean region: the relief of stepped plateaus predominates that decrease in height towards the east. A very prominent feature of the Santa Cruz relief is the Great Central Plateau ", delimited by the valley of the Deseado River to the north and by the valley of the Chico River to the south, this plateau is mainly basaltic with some volcanoes and isolated cones (chihuidos"), of little accessibility and with a very harsh climate, there are also river valleys and canyons which will be treated in more detail in the hydrography item.
Among the plateaus are depressions such as Gran Bajo de San Julián, in this, and more precisely in the place called Laguna del Carbón "Laguna del Carbón (Santa Cruz)") with 105 meters below sea level, is the lowest point of the Southern and Western hemispheres.
On the plateaus of Extra-Andean Patagonia you can also find important lakes that, unlike the mountain lakes, owe their origin mainly to tectonic subsidence, among them are Lake Cardiel, Lake Strobel, Lake Ghio and Lake Quiroga.
Starting from the Santa Cruz River basin, to the south of the province extends a humid region with pastures and meadows that, after passing the border between the Argentine and Chilean states, reaches the Strait of Magellan. Such an area, quite flat in relation to the rest of Patagonia, has received the name "Pampas de Diana", such a name of undoubtedly European origin seems to originate from the abundance of hunting existing there until the first half of the century, hunting choiques, huemules, guanacos, and culpeos mainly.
The maritime coastline: the coasts of Santa Cruz are characterized by having abrupt and high cliffs (up to 300 m above sea level) often curiously eroded by the intense tides, however the most notable features are the estuaries at the mouths of the rivers (the main one being the Puerto Deseado estuary) and the great Gulf of San Jorge.
Climate
In general, the climate of the region is arid and cold with very low temperatures almost all year round and strong thermal amplitudes") and insufficient rainfall, determining the biome of the semi-desert, where hard steppe and tusac grasses such as neneo, coirón and adesmias such as Adesmia campestri") and Adesmia volckmanni") predominate. However, the Santa Cruz River basin area in its region extra-Andean is favored by a mild climate thanks to the strong oceanic influence, this is the region of the so-called Pampas of Diana"), towards the Andean foothills and foothills humidity is also important, to the extent of favoring the existence of forests, corresponding to the cold Magellanic jungle") of fagaceae and conifers (lenga, cohiue, ñiré, canelo, mañiú, fir the latter, allochthonous), although due to the altitudes, the humid mountain range, with an average annual rainfall of 800 mm, is cold almost all year round.
Another typical feature of the climate of most of the province of Santa Cruz is the almost constant blow of winds from the Pacific Ocean.
Two types of climate coexist in the province of Santa Cruz: the arid Patagonian climate of the center and east and the cold humid climate of the west. In a thin strip that extends from north to south along the Patagonian mountain range, a cold humid climate prevails that has the influence of the Pacific in terms of the production of rain and snow.
The influence of this climate does not exceed 50 kilometers from the international border with Chile, making the contrast evident with respect to the climate typical of the plateau. The rains are autumn and winter. The arid Patagonian climate is characterized by having annual temperatures between 5 and 10 °C, ranging in January from 12 to 20 °C and in July from –15 to –7 °C.
Precipitation decreases from west to east, making the landscape contrast between the rainy mountainous region to the west and the plateau of reduced precipitation noticeable. The wind that blows from the west, northwest and southwest is a true protagonist that erodes everything in its path.
Snowfall is frequent throughout the province, being greater in the west near the mountain range than in the east near the coast, but in general it is common to see snow throughout the province.
Solar luminosity varies significantly depending on the time of year. The longest day of the year, December 21, the sun rises at 5:30 and sets at 11:00 p.m. The shortest day of the year, June 21, the sun rises at 9:30 and sets at 5:30 p.m.
Water resources
The east coast of the province faces the Argentine Sea, where cliffs up to 300 m high and extensive beaches alternate. A very important water resource is the snowy precipitation on the high peaks of the Andes mountain range and the minor chains that appear as Andean buttresses. This precipitation constantly renews the snow and icy load in such mountains (it is frozen fresh water) and especially in the Argentine fraction of the Southern Patagonian Continental Ice") - also called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field - which is one of the vestiges of the last glaciations, and of which More than a hundred glaciers emerge, among which the Viedma, Upsala and Perito Moreno stand out (the latter one of those that are still advancing in the world).
The seasonal meltwater occupies the deep mountain valleys formed by the advance and retreat of the glacial tongues in such glaciations, and forms vast lakes that constitute the main storage reserves of the Santa Cruz water basins, among which the complex Desert Lake/Las Vueltas River)/Lake Viedma/La Leona River/Lake Argentino/Santa Cruz River stands out, which constitutes a water basin with infinite productive possibilities based on its water spill of 700 to 1100 m³/s depending on the time of year.
Among the most important rivers are the Santa Cruz, Chico "Río Chico (Santa Cruz)"), Gallegos "Río Gallegos (Argentina)"), Coig, Deseado and Pinturas. All of these rivers flow through deep stepped ravines, from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean.
The curiosity of the existence of numerous paleochannels is observed, some reactivated during spring thaws or during heavy rains. Of these paleochannels it is worth mentioning two that appeared recorded on maps until the first half of the century: they run almost parallel to each other; and both, almost parallel to the southern band of the Deseado River. The important paleochannel closest to the Deseado has received the names of Chacarmañak (aboriginal name) or Bajos or San Dionisio, the other important paleochannel is called Salado.
Another singularity is the fact that Lake Buenos Aires has two outfalls, one, the Baker River, to the Pacific Ocean and the other, the Fénix River) - a desired flow that carries flows, after a long journey, to the Atlantic Ocean. But, due to desertification, currently the second and largest outfall is sporadically active.
Less important in extension is the set of water basins that are tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, among these those that include the San Martín, Buenos Aires Pueyrredón and Belgrano lakes, among others, stand out.
Among the numerous lakes, the following stand out: Buenos Aires, Cardiel, Viedma, Argentino, Pueyrredón, Belgrano and San Martín, all in the western, inter-mountain zone of the province.
Fauna
The condor is found in almost the entire province, among the terrestrial animals the puma, the mara, the guanaco, the gray or red fox, the rhea, the wild cat and the skunk stand out, while in the forested region there are huemules, pudúes, the black woodpecker and bighorn Creole cattle.
The coasts are abundantly populated by various species of penguins, South American fur seals and elephant seals, while its coastal waters are heavily populated by dolphins, killer whales, other dolphins and whales. Among the seabirds are the albatross, the cormorant.
Territorial division and local governments
The provincial Constitution, recognizing municipal autonomy, was approved in 1957 and was reformed in 1994 and 1998. The province is divided into seven extensive departments, which contain municipalities and development commissions. The province uses the system of non-adjacent ejidos for its municipalities, so there are unincorporated areas outside any municipal jurisdiction divided into rural establishments.
The departments of the province are:
• - Corpen Aike (Puerto Santa Cruz).
• - Desired (Desired Port).
• - Güer Aike (Río Gallegos).
• - Argentine Lake (El Calafate).
• - Buenos Aires Lake (Perito Moreno "Perito Moreno (Santa Cruz)")).
• - Magallanes (Puerto San Julián).
• - Río Chico "Río Chico Department (Santa Cruz)") (Governor Gregores).
Boundaries
Santa Cruz borders to the north with the province of Chubut, the limit between both provinces being totally artificial and conventional: the 46th South Parallel. To the east, Santa Cruz presents an extensive ocean façade that overlooks the Argentine Sea of the Atlantic Ocean. The limits to the south and west are with the Republic of Chile.
It should be noted that a sector of the border with Chile that extends between Cerro Murallón and Cerro Fitz Roy, called "Sector B" of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is not yet demarcated, although it is delimited by the Boundary Treaty of 1881. This section of approximately 70 km in a straight line will be demarcated according to the criteria established by the "1998 Agreement".[11] This agreement was signed by Presidents Carlos Saúl Menem (Argentina) and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (Chile) in December 1998 and approved on July 15, 1999 by the Chamber of Senators of the Argentine Republic and the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile.
The limit with the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, in the maritime area of the eastern mouth of the Strait of Magellan, is not delimited, but both provinces agreed on a proportion to distribute the benefits that correspond to them from the exploitation of oil and gas in the area.
Patagonian Region
The Patagonian Region was created by the treaty signed in the city of Santa Rosa on June 26, 1996, its purposes are expressed in article 2 of the treaty:
The provinces that comprise it are: La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, covering the subsoil, the adjacent Argentine Sea and the corresponding airspace*".*.
The governing bodies of the Region are the Assembly of Governors and the Patagonian Parliament, the Administrative Commission as the Executive Body and the Forum of Superior Courts of Justice of Patagonia as the Advisory and Consultation Body.
Demography
• - Censo 1991: 159,839 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991) (población urbana: 146,076 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991)) (población rural: 13,713 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991)).
• - Censo 2001: 197,191 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001) (población urbana: 189,577 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001), población rural: 7,614 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001)).
• - Censo nacional 2010: 273.964 habitantes.
• - El censo 2022 informó una población de 337.226 habitantes con un ritmo menor de crecimiento poblacional respecto del censo anterior. Además, se registraron 170.093 mujeres y 167.133 hombres[13]. El crecimiento total fue del 23.1% y la densidad aumentó a 1.4 habitantes por kilómetro.[14].
Locations
The province of Santa Cruz has 15 municipalities, and several development commissions.
The railway network that the province held in 1962 with its two railways in the north and south.
Fitz Roy "Fitz Roy (Santa Cruz)").
• - The Turbio.
• - Mine 3.
• - Dry Canyon.
Education
La educación en la provincia de Santa Cruz "Santa Cruz (Argentina)") es planificada, regulada y administrada por el Consejo Provincial de Educación") (CPE), organismo que gestiona los establecimientos de gestión estatal y supervisa los de gestión privada.[15] El sistema se organiza conforme a la Ley Provincial de Educación N.º 3305 (2012), que estructura cuatro niveles (Inicial, Primaria, Secundaria y Superior) y diversas modalidades, entre ellas Educación Técnico Profesional y Educación Permanente de Jóvenes y Adultos.[16].
Offer and organization
The CPE annually publishes pre-registration calendars and lists of vacancies by level and locality, which structure the assignment of benches for the following school year.[17][18] In parallel, public events are held to offer positions and teaching hours for teachers of all levels and modalities.[19][20].
Higher education
The public university offer includes the National University of Southern Patagonia (UNPA), with four academic units in Río Gallegos, Caleta Olivia, Puerto San Julián and Río Turbio.[21] To this is added the National Technological University through the Santa Cruz Regional Faculty, based in Río Gallegos.[22] In 2025 the provincial government advanced in the tender for a pre-university school in Las Heras "Las Heras (Santa Cruz)"), a project aimed at responding to the growth in demand for vacancies in that locality.[23].
Recent challenges
Various official reports and local coverage record capacity tensions and infrastructure needs, especially in urban centers with population growth. In El Calafate and El Chaltén, delays and complaints were reported during the 2025 pre-registration process despite the dissemination of vacancy lists;[24] in Caleta Olivia, the provincial Executive communicated priority works for heating, electricity and habitability in educational establishments.[25] In addition, the province adjusted aspects of the academic regime at the secondary level in 2023–2024, in line with recent regulatory reviews.[26].
Training and evaluation policies
The CPE implements registration devices and assignment of online and mixed vacancies according to level and locality,[27] and coordinates provincial participation in the national evaluations Learn&action=edit&redlink=1 "Aprender (Argentina) (not yet written)").[28] In terms of continuous training of state personnel, the Government of Santa Cruz and the Siglo 21 University signed an agreement to incorporate the province into the "Friendly Organizations" program, ratified by the Decree No. 0102/25. The agreement allows public employees and their families to access discounts on degrees, diplomas and courses at that university.[29][30].
Health
It is the district with the highest life expectancy in the country.
The two most important medical care centers in the province are the Río Gallegos Regional Hospital and since 2015 the High Complexity Hospital (SAMIC) in the city of El Calafate.
Economy
The area's economy is based mainly on the extraction of oil, butane gas and methane. This activity has concentrated close to 50% of economic activity until 2005. It has abundant natural reserves, with sustained demand.
Fishing has evolved significantly from 1993 to 1997, when there was then a drop in the catch of hake, squid, shrimp, croaker and squid "Squid (gastronomy)").
In mining, gold is exploited in Cerro Vanguardia with significant production, and gold with silver in the Manantial Espejo mine. Traditionally, mining exploitation was coal in the Río Turbio mines, clays and kaolin in the San Julián area, and the exploitation of salt mines (common salt = sodium chloride and sodium sulfate) for domestic use.
Another characteristic sector is livestock farming with sheep breeding. In the industrial sector, it also has plants for processing and preserving fish and its derivatives.
The province of Santa Cruz is a world pioneer in the use of alternative renewable energies: the great amplitude of the tides - which is verified, with macareos "Macareo (physics)") - mainly in the rias and estuaries is a source of great potential to obtain tidal energy, although in 2005 the most developed of the clean energies is the energy obtained from the strong and constant winds that blow from west to east through much of the province, in this In this case, several windmills produce wind energy. The province ratifies its immense variety of economic production in which it stands out and tries to advance in industry to the Northern Zone, livestock and agriculture to the Central Zone and tourism and commerce to the Southern Zone.
Although climatic conditions have restricted traditional agriculture, the province is having interesting productions of sour fruits (cherry, raspberry, calafate, strawberry) and garlic.
Another great factor in the Santa Cruz economy is tourism (especially in its adventure form) which has intensified since the end of the century.
Communications
Fixed telephony
The National Communications Commission established the telephone prefixes with its update in 1996, the province has few prefixes due to the amount of landline and cellular telephones, that is why they are divided by zones, the prefix with the most users is 297.
Cellular telephony
As in the rest of Argentina, the traditional or incumbent operators (Claro/ América Móviles, Movistar and Telecom Personal) have coverage in the cities and peripheries. There are gaps in coverage on the RN3 when moving away from urban centers. Nextel, on the other hand, does not have coverage south of Bahía Blanca.
In 2005, the El Calafate Telephone Cooperative (CoTeCal) inaugurated, on an experimental basis, a cellular telephone system based on CDMA 450 MHz in El Chaltén, a Patagonian town located 220 kilometers north of El Calafate, on the Andes mountain range. After long periods of study, the cooperative opted for CDMA 450 MHz and organized a tender to install a cellular system with this technology. The turnkey project was executed by the Chinese company ZTE together with its Argentine partner Technology Bureau.[34] The coverage radius, according to CoTeCal, covers the entire northern strip of Lake Argentino towards the East of El Calafate, along Route 11 to the International Airport, extending to Estancia Rincón Amigo, which allows for signal availability to the vicinity of the Miguez rise, and on Route 40, on the way to El Chaltén. Towards the west of El Calafate, the planned coverage reaches the area of the Punta Bandera port and the Los Glaciares national park, having a signal in the areas of Lago Roca, Perito Moreno Glacier and the area of influence.[35] At the end of the 2016 fiscal year, CoTeCal has 821 active lines in CDMA 450, 625 private and 196 in the commercial, professional and institutional categories.
Tourism
Los principales sitios con atractivos turísticos de la provincia son:.
Santa Cruz Beaches
• - Beaches close to the border with Chubut.
• - Caleta Olivia.
• - La Tranquera Beach.
• - Las Golondrinas Beach.
• - Las Roquitas Beach.
• - Alsina Beach.
• - Los Límites Beach.
• - Portal:Province of Santa Cruz. Content related to Province of Santa Cruz.
• - Territorial organization of Argentina.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Province of Santa Cruz.
• - Wikinews has news related to Province of Santa Cruz.
[12] ↑ «El INDEC difundió los resultados provisionales Censo 2022: 4 datos claves sobre la población argentina». Página/12. Consultado el 31 de enero de 2023. «La población argentina tiene actualmente 46 044 703 habitantes, es decir, 5 927 607 de personas más que las relevadas en el último censo, en 2010. En mayo de 2022, pocos días después del relevamiento, el INDEC había difundido los primeros resultados preliminares, que indicaban que la población argentina tenía 47 327 407 habitantes. Sin embargo el dato fue corregido esta tarde.».: https://www.pagina12.com.ar/520102-censo-2022-4-datos-clave-sobre-la-poblacion-argentina
[13] ↑ INDEC (2023). Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2022 : resultados definitivos : indicadores demográficos por sexo y edad. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos -INDEC. ISBN 978-950-896-654-4. Consultado el 15 de diciembre de 2023.: https://censo.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CNPHV2022_RD_Indicadores-demogrA%C2%A1ficos.pdf
[28] ↑ «Más de 6 mil estudiantes participaron del Operativo Aprender 2025 en Santa Cruz». Consejo Provincial de Educación. 12 de noviembre de 2025. Consultado el 12 de noviembre de 2025.: https://educacionsantacruz.gov.ar/
Juan Sebastián Elcano, segundo jefe de la expedición de fray García Jofre de Loaísa, desembarcó a fines de diciembre de 1525 en el estuario del río Santa Cruz.
En 1535 Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor exploró el río Chico, al que llamó de los Gallegos. Tras el paso de Francis Drake en 1578, la Corona española envió en 1579 a Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa para fortificar la zona. Entre 1581 y 1585 Sarmiento de Gamboa creó colonias españolas en el estrecho de Magallanes, la más oriental de las cuales, llamada Nombre de Jesús, se ubicaba en el cabo Vírgenes en territorio santacruceño, casi en el límite actual con Chile.
El 17 de diciembre de 1586, el corsario Thomas Cavendish entró en el estuario del río Deseado con sus barcos Desire, Hugh Gallant y Content, y bautizó Port Desire al actual Puerto Deseado, donde permaneció diez días. En 1592 Cavendish regresó con cinco barcos, dos de los cuales no pudieron pasar el estrecho de Magallanes y se refugiaron en Port Desire. Una de esas naves, la Desire, era comandada por John Davis "John Davis (explorador del siglo XIX)"), de quien el Reino Unido sostiene que luego de partir de Puerto Deseado descubrió las islas Malvinas el 14 de agosto de 1592.
Los misioneros Flores de León") en 1621 y Nicolás Mascardi entre 1671-1672 recorrieron la región e intentaron establecer reducciones; entre 1745 y 1746 se reanudaron las exploraciones españolas por el actual territorio santacruceño.
En 1670, John Narborough visitó Port Desire y reclamó el territorio para Inglaterra.
En 1760, la nave del capitán John Byron se hundió al golpear en una roca en Puerto Deseado.
Al crearse el Virreinato del Río de la Plata, el 12 de agosto de 1776, la Corona española incluyó en él todo el sector de la Patagonia al oriente de los Andes. Uno de los objetivos de la creación de este Virreinato era el del control de los territorios patagónicos ante la creciente incursión de ingleses y franceses. Dictada la Real Ordenanza de Intendentes del 28 de enero de 1782, formó parte de la Intendencia de Buenos Aires.
En 1780 Francisco de Biedma y Narváez, partiendo de Buenos Aires, fundó la Nueva Colonia y Fuerte de Floridablanca en las proximidades del actual Puerto San Julián, luego desocupada por el virrey Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo. Esta colonia, como los demás establecimientos patagónicos, estaban bajo la supervisión del Virreinato del Río de la Plata. El mismo Biedma remontó el río Santa Cruz y descubrió el lago que lleva su nombre. Entre 1825 y 1836 hubo una serie de exploraciones geográficas de la región.
En 1790 la Real Compañía Marítima de Carlos IV, en sociedad con particulares, instaló un fuerte en Puerto Deseado para ser utilizado en la extracción de aceites de lobos marinos y de ballenas. El fuerte fue abandonado en 1807 al disminuir la rentabilidad y por causa del clima y los ataques ingleses. Los restos de este fuerte se hallaron en 2008.[8].
En el barco HMS Beagle, el capitán Roberto Fitz Roy llegó a Puerto Deseado llevando al joven naturalista Carlos Darwin en diciembre de 1833.
En 1859 el argentino Luis Piedrabuena[9] estableció su base en la Isla Pavón, la cual ha devenido en la actual ciudad de Comandante Luis Piedrabuena.
En 1864 Piedrabuena fundó la pequeña población de Las Salinas, que actualmente es una adyacencia de la ciudad de Puerto Santa Cruz.
En 1876 Francisco Pascasio Moreno estableció una base en la ría de Puerto Deseado.
La gobernación de la Patagonia fue creada por la ley N.º 954, del 11 de octubre de 1878. Su territorio se extendía desde el límite fijado por la ley N.° 947 hasta el cabo de Hornos y su capital fue Mercedes de Patagones (hoy Viedma). El 21 de octubre se designá a su primer gobernador, el coronel Álvaro Barros, quien procedió a la inauguración oficial de la gobernación el 2 de febrero de 1879.
El 1 de diciembre de 1878, en momentos en que parecía inminente un conflicto con Chile, el comodoro Luis Py enarboló la bandera argentina en la cumbre del cerro sobre el Cañadón Misioneros, tomando posesión definitivamente de la región. Formaban la División Naval de la llamada Expedición Py el monitor Los Andes, la cañonera Uruguay y la bombardera Constitución. Ese día se fundó Puerto Santa Cruz "Santa Cruz (ciudad)") que, más tarde, fue sede de las autoridades y capital de la gobernación de Santa Cruz.
En 1881 se firmó el tratado de límites entre la Argentina y Chile que asegura definitivamente la posesión argentina de los territorios de la Patagonia Oriental.
National Territory
By Law No. 1532 of October 16, 1884, called Organization of National Territories, the national territories were created, dividing the territory of Patagonia into the governorates of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.
By Decree No. 13941, of May 31, 1944, for geopolitical reasons, the Argentine State separated from the Governorate of Santa Cruz all the territory north of the valley (or talweg) of the Pinturas and Deseado rivers to create the Comodoro Rivadavia Military Zone.
Provincialization
On June 28, 1955, by Law No. 14408, the national territories were provincialized and the Comodoro Rivadavia Military Zone was annulled, restoring to Chubut and Santa Cruz the territories that had been separated from them. A province was created with Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz, but it was not put into effect:
By decree No. 11,429 of July 20, 1955, that province was renamed the Province of Patagonia, "until the corresponding constituent conventions are pronounced."
During the government of Pedro Eugenio Aramburu, by decree-law No. 21178 of November 22, 1956, law No. 14408 was modified, annulling the province of Patagonia and creating the province of Santa Cruz:.
The provincial Constitution was approved on November 28, 1957, and on May 1, 1958, an institutional cycle began in the Province, until then a National Territory. Mario Cástulo Paradelo was elected in legitimacy elections questioned by political proscriptions, as the first constitutional governor of the Province of Santa Cruz.
The Constitution was later reformed in 1994 and 1998.
Government
Executive power
Claudio Vidal currently serves as governor.
Governors of Santa Cruz since 1983.
Geographic aspects
The province is located in the extreme south of the continental sector of the country. The provincial landscape presents two different sectors:
• - To the west, the Andean region: it is characterized by the presence of the section of the Andes mountain range called the Patagonian Andes. In this section the mountain range has a lower height, with its snowy peaks throughout the year, among which the Chaltén (or Fitz Roy) stands out with 3405 m, which is shown on the provincial coat of arms and flag, and the San Lorenzo hill (3706 m a.s.l.). At the foot of the Andean mountain ranges there are large lakes of glacial origin such as Lake Argentino, Lake Viedma and Lake San Martín, Lake Buenos Aires, Lake Pueyrredón, furrowed by icebergs that break off during the summer from the large glaciers that make up the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. In this beautiful region are located the famous Los Glaciares national park and the no less well-known Perito Moreno national park.
• - In the center and east, the extra-Andean region: the relief of stepped plateaus predominates that decrease in height towards the east. A very prominent feature of the Santa Cruz relief is the Great Central Plateau ", delimited by the valley of the Deseado River to the north and by the valley of the Chico River to the south, this plateau is mainly basaltic with some volcanoes and isolated cones (chihuidos"), of little accessibility and with a very harsh climate, there are also river valleys and canyons which will be treated in more detail in the hydrography item.
Among the plateaus are depressions such as Gran Bajo de San Julián, in this, and more precisely in the place called Laguna del Carbón "Laguna del Carbón (Santa Cruz)") with 105 meters below sea level, is the lowest point of the Southern and Western hemispheres.
On the plateaus of Extra-Andean Patagonia you can also find important lakes that, unlike the mountain lakes, owe their origin mainly to tectonic subsidence, among them are Lake Cardiel, Lake Strobel, Lake Ghio and Lake Quiroga.
Starting from the Santa Cruz River basin, to the south of the province extends a humid region with pastures and meadows that, after passing the border between the Argentine and Chilean states, reaches the Strait of Magellan. Such an area, quite flat in relation to the rest of Patagonia, has received the name "Pampas de Diana", such a name of undoubtedly European origin seems to originate from the abundance of hunting existing there until the first half of the century, hunting choiques, huemules, guanacos, and culpeos mainly.
The maritime coastline: the coasts of Santa Cruz are characterized by having abrupt and high cliffs (up to 300 m above sea level) often curiously eroded by the intense tides, however the most notable features are the estuaries at the mouths of the rivers (the main one being the Puerto Deseado estuary) and the great Gulf of San Jorge.
Climate
In general, the climate of the region is arid and cold with very low temperatures almost all year round and strong thermal amplitudes") and insufficient rainfall, determining the biome of the semi-desert, where hard steppe and tusac grasses such as neneo, coirón and adesmias such as Adesmia campestri") and Adesmia volckmanni") predominate. However, the Santa Cruz River basin area in its region extra-Andean is favored by a mild climate thanks to the strong oceanic influence, this is the region of the so-called Pampas of Diana"), towards the Andean foothills and foothills humidity is also important, to the extent of favoring the existence of forests, corresponding to the cold Magellanic jungle") of fagaceae and conifers (lenga, cohiue, ñiré, canelo, mañiú, fir the latter, allochthonous), although due to the altitudes, the humid mountain range, with an average annual rainfall of 800 mm, is cold almost all year round.
Another typical feature of the climate of most of the province of Santa Cruz is the almost constant blow of winds from the Pacific Ocean.
Two types of climate coexist in the province of Santa Cruz: the arid Patagonian climate of the center and east and the cold humid climate of the west. In a thin strip that extends from north to south along the Patagonian mountain range, a cold humid climate prevails that has the influence of the Pacific in terms of the production of rain and snow.
The influence of this climate does not exceed 50 kilometers from the international border with Chile, making the contrast evident with respect to the climate typical of the plateau. The rains are autumn and winter. The arid Patagonian climate is characterized by having annual temperatures between 5 and 10 °C, ranging in January from 12 to 20 °C and in July from –15 to –7 °C.
Precipitation decreases from west to east, making the landscape contrast between the rainy mountainous region to the west and the plateau of reduced precipitation noticeable. The wind that blows from the west, northwest and southwest is a true protagonist that erodes everything in its path.
Snowfall is frequent throughout the province, being greater in the west near the mountain range than in the east near the coast, but in general it is common to see snow throughout the province.
Solar luminosity varies significantly depending on the time of year. The longest day of the year, December 21, the sun rises at 5:30 and sets at 11:00 p.m. The shortest day of the year, June 21, the sun rises at 9:30 and sets at 5:30 p.m.
Water resources
The east coast of the province faces the Argentine Sea, where cliffs up to 300 m high and extensive beaches alternate. A very important water resource is the snowy precipitation on the high peaks of the Andes mountain range and the minor chains that appear as Andean buttresses. This precipitation constantly renews the snow and icy load in such mountains (it is frozen fresh water) and especially in the Argentine fraction of the Southern Patagonian Continental Ice") - also called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field - which is one of the vestiges of the last glaciations, and of which More than a hundred glaciers emerge, among which the Viedma, Upsala and Perito Moreno stand out (the latter one of those that are still advancing in the world).
The seasonal meltwater occupies the deep mountain valleys formed by the advance and retreat of the glacial tongues in such glaciations, and forms vast lakes that constitute the main storage reserves of the Santa Cruz water basins, among which the complex Desert Lake/Las Vueltas River)/Lake Viedma/La Leona River/Lake Argentino/Santa Cruz River stands out, which constitutes a water basin with infinite productive possibilities based on its water spill of 700 to 1100 m³/s depending on the time of year.
Among the most important rivers are the Santa Cruz, Chico "Río Chico (Santa Cruz)"), Gallegos "Río Gallegos (Argentina)"), Coig, Deseado and Pinturas. All of these rivers flow through deep stepped ravines, from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean.
The curiosity of the existence of numerous paleochannels is observed, some reactivated during spring thaws or during heavy rains. Of these paleochannels it is worth mentioning two that appeared recorded on maps until the first half of the century: they run almost parallel to each other; and both, almost parallel to the southern band of the Deseado River. The important paleochannel closest to the Deseado has received the names of Chacarmañak (aboriginal name) or Bajos or San Dionisio, the other important paleochannel is called Salado.
Another singularity is the fact that Lake Buenos Aires has two outfalls, one, the Baker River, to the Pacific Ocean and the other, the Fénix River) - a desired flow that carries flows, after a long journey, to the Atlantic Ocean. But, due to desertification, currently the second and largest outfall is sporadically active.
Less important in extension is the set of water basins that are tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, among these those that include the San Martín, Buenos Aires Pueyrredón and Belgrano lakes, among others, stand out.
Among the numerous lakes, the following stand out: Buenos Aires, Cardiel, Viedma, Argentino, Pueyrredón, Belgrano and San Martín, all in the western, inter-mountain zone of the province.
Fauna
The condor is found in almost the entire province, among the terrestrial animals the puma, the mara, the guanaco, the gray or red fox, the rhea, the wild cat and the skunk stand out, while in the forested region there are huemules, pudúes, the black woodpecker and bighorn Creole cattle.
The coasts are abundantly populated by various species of penguins, South American fur seals and elephant seals, while its coastal waters are heavily populated by dolphins, killer whales, other dolphins and whales. Among the seabirds are the albatross, the cormorant.
Territorial division and local governments
The provincial Constitution, recognizing municipal autonomy, was approved in 1957 and was reformed in 1994 and 1998. The province is divided into seven extensive departments, which contain municipalities and development commissions. The province uses the system of non-adjacent ejidos for its municipalities, so there are unincorporated areas outside any municipal jurisdiction divided into rural establishments.
The departments of the province are:
• - Corpen Aike (Puerto Santa Cruz).
• - Desired (Desired Port).
• - Güer Aike (Río Gallegos).
• - Argentine Lake (El Calafate).
• - Buenos Aires Lake (Perito Moreno "Perito Moreno (Santa Cruz)")).
• - Magallanes (Puerto San Julián).
• - Río Chico "Río Chico Department (Santa Cruz)") (Governor Gregores).
Boundaries
Santa Cruz borders to the north with the province of Chubut, the limit between both provinces being totally artificial and conventional: the 46th South Parallel. To the east, Santa Cruz presents an extensive ocean façade that overlooks the Argentine Sea of the Atlantic Ocean. The limits to the south and west are with the Republic of Chile.
It should be noted that a sector of the border with Chile that extends between Cerro Murallón and Cerro Fitz Roy, called "Sector B" of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is not yet demarcated, although it is delimited by the Boundary Treaty of 1881. This section of approximately 70 km in a straight line will be demarcated according to the criteria established by the "1998 Agreement".[11] This agreement was signed by Presidents Carlos Saúl Menem (Argentina) and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (Chile) in December 1998 and approved on July 15, 1999 by the Chamber of Senators of the Argentine Republic and the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile.
The limit with the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, in the maritime area of the eastern mouth of the Strait of Magellan, is not delimited, but both provinces agreed on a proportion to distribute the benefits that correspond to them from the exploitation of oil and gas in the area.
Patagonian Region
The Patagonian Region was created by the treaty signed in the city of Santa Rosa on June 26, 1996, its purposes are expressed in article 2 of the treaty:
The provinces that comprise it are: La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, covering the subsoil, the adjacent Argentine Sea and the corresponding airspace*".*.
The governing bodies of the Region are the Assembly of Governors and the Patagonian Parliament, the Administrative Commission as the Executive Body and the Forum of Superior Courts of Justice of Patagonia as the Advisory and Consultation Body.
Demography
• - Censo 1991: 159,839 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991) (población urbana: 146,076 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991)) (población rural: 13,713 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 1991)).
• - Censo 2001: 197,191 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001) (población urbana: 189,577 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001), población rural: 7,614 habitantes (Indec "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (Argentina)"), 2001)).
• - Censo nacional 2010: 273.964 habitantes.
• - El censo 2022 informó una población de 337.226 habitantes con un ritmo menor de crecimiento poblacional respecto del censo anterior. Además, se registraron 170.093 mujeres y 167.133 hombres[13]. El crecimiento total fue del 23.1% y la densidad aumentó a 1.4 habitantes por kilómetro.[14].
Locations
The province of Santa Cruz has 15 municipalities, and several development commissions.
The railway network that the province held in 1962 with its two railways in the north and south.
Fitz Roy "Fitz Roy (Santa Cruz)").
• - The Turbio.
• - Mine 3.
• - Dry Canyon.
Education
La educación en la provincia de Santa Cruz "Santa Cruz (Argentina)") es planificada, regulada y administrada por el Consejo Provincial de Educación") (CPE), organismo que gestiona los establecimientos de gestión estatal y supervisa los de gestión privada.[15] El sistema se organiza conforme a la Ley Provincial de Educación N.º 3305 (2012), que estructura cuatro niveles (Inicial, Primaria, Secundaria y Superior) y diversas modalidades, entre ellas Educación Técnico Profesional y Educación Permanente de Jóvenes y Adultos.[16].
Offer and organization
The CPE annually publishes pre-registration calendars and lists of vacancies by level and locality, which structure the assignment of benches for the following school year.[17][18] In parallel, public events are held to offer positions and teaching hours for teachers of all levels and modalities.[19][20].
Higher education
The public university offer includes the National University of Southern Patagonia (UNPA), with four academic units in Río Gallegos, Caleta Olivia, Puerto San Julián and Río Turbio.[21] To this is added the National Technological University through the Santa Cruz Regional Faculty, based in Río Gallegos.[22] In 2025 the provincial government advanced in the tender for a pre-university school in Las Heras "Las Heras (Santa Cruz)"), a project aimed at responding to the growth in demand for vacancies in that locality.[23].
Recent challenges
Various official reports and local coverage record capacity tensions and infrastructure needs, especially in urban centers with population growth. In El Calafate and El Chaltén, delays and complaints were reported during the 2025 pre-registration process despite the dissemination of vacancy lists;[24] in Caleta Olivia, the provincial Executive communicated priority works for heating, electricity and habitability in educational establishments.[25] In addition, the province adjusted aspects of the academic regime at the secondary level in 2023–2024, in line with recent regulatory reviews.[26].
Training and evaluation policies
The CPE implements registration devices and assignment of online and mixed vacancies according to level and locality,[27] and coordinates provincial participation in the national evaluations Learn&action=edit&redlink=1 "Aprender (Argentina) (not yet written)").[28] In terms of continuous training of state personnel, the Government of Santa Cruz and the Siglo 21 University signed an agreement to incorporate the province into the "Friendly Organizations" program, ratified by the Decree No. 0102/25. The agreement allows public employees and their families to access discounts on degrees, diplomas and courses at that university.[29][30].
Health
It is the district with the highest life expectancy in the country.
The two most important medical care centers in the province are the Río Gallegos Regional Hospital and since 2015 the High Complexity Hospital (SAMIC) in the city of El Calafate.
Economy
The area's economy is based mainly on the extraction of oil, butane gas and methane. This activity has concentrated close to 50% of economic activity until 2005. It has abundant natural reserves, with sustained demand.
Fishing has evolved significantly from 1993 to 1997, when there was then a drop in the catch of hake, squid, shrimp, croaker and squid "Squid (gastronomy)").
In mining, gold is exploited in Cerro Vanguardia with significant production, and gold with silver in the Manantial Espejo mine. Traditionally, mining exploitation was coal in the Río Turbio mines, clays and kaolin in the San Julián area, and the exploitation of salt mines (common salt = sodium chloride and sodium sulfate) for domestic use.
Another characteristic sector is livestock farming with sheep breeding. In the industrial sector, it also has plants for processing and preserving fish and its derivatives.
The province of Santa Cruz is a world pioneer in the use of alternative renewable energies: the great amplitude of the tides - which is verified, with macareos "Macareo (physics)") - mainly in the rias and estuaries is a source of great potential to obtain tidal energy, although in 2005 the most developed of the clean energies is the energy obtained from the strong and constant winds that blow from west to east through much of the province, in this In this case, several windmills produce wind energy. The province ratifies its immense variety of economic production in which it stands out and tries to advance in industry to the Northern Zone, livestock and agriculture to the Central Zone and tourism and commerce to the Southern Zone.
Although climatic conditions have restricted traditional agriculture, the province is having interesting productions of sour fruits (cherry, raspberry, calafate, strawberry) and garlic.
Another great factor in the Santa Cruz economy is tourism (especially in its adventure form) which has intensified since the end of the century.
Communications
Fixed telephony
The National Communications Commission established the telephone prefixes with its update in 1996, the province has few prefixes due to the amount of landline and cellular telephones, that is why they are divided by zones, the prefix with the most users is 297.
Cellular telephony
As in the rest of Argentina, the traditional or incumbent operators (Claro/ América Móviles, Movistar and Telecom Personal) have coverage in the cities and peripheries. There are gaps in coverage on the RN3 when moving away from urban centers. Nextel, on the other hand, does not have coverage south of Bahía Blanca.
In 2005, the El Calafate Telephone Cooperative (CoTeCal) inaugurated, on an experimental basis, a cellular telephone system based on CDMA 450 MHz in El Chaltén, a Patagonian town located 220 kilometers north of El Calafate, on the Andes mountain range. After long periods of study, the cooperative opted for CDMA 450 MHz and organized a tender to install a cellular system with this technology. The turnkey project was executed by the Chinese company ZTE together with its Argentine partner Technology Bureau.[34] The coverage radius, according to CoTeCal, covers the entire northern strip of Lake Argentino towards the East of El Calafate, along Route 11 to the International Airport, extending to Estancia Rincón Amigo, which allows for signal availability to the vicinity of the Miguez rise, and on Route 40, on the way to El Chaltén. Towards the west of El Calafate, the planned coverage reaches the area of the Punta Bandera port and the Los Glaciares national park, having a signal in the areas of Lago Roca, Perito Moreno Glacier and the area of influence.[35] At the end of the 2016 fiscal year, CoTeCal has 821 active lines in CDMA 450, 625 private and 196 in the commercial, professional and institutional categories.
Tourism
Los principales sitios con atractivos turísticos de la provincia son:.
Santa Cruz Beaches
• - Beaches close to the border with Chubut.
• - Caleta Olivia.
• - La Tranquera Beach.
• - Las Golondrinas Beach.
• - Las Roquitas Beach.
• - Alsina Beach.
• - Los Límites Beach.
• - Portal:Province of Santa Cruz. Content related to Province of Santa Cruz.
• - Territorial organization of Argentina.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Province of Santa Cruz.
• - Wikinews has news related to Province of Santa Cruz.
[12] ↑ «El INDEC difundió los resultados provisionales Censo 2022: 4 datos claves sobre la población argentina». Página/12. Consultado el 31 de enero de 2023. «La población argentina tiene actualmente 46 044 703 habitantes, es decir, 5 927 607 de personas más que las relevadas en el último censo, en 2010. En mayo de 2022, pocos días después del relevamiento, el INDEC había difundido los primeros resultados preliminares, que indicaban que la población argentina tenía 47 327 407 habitantes. Sin embargo el dato fue corregido esta tarde.».: https://www.pagina12.com.ar/520102-censo-2022-4-datos-clave-sobre-la-poblacion-argentina
[13] ↑ INDEC (2023). Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2022 : resultados definitivos : indicadores demográficos por sexo y edad. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos -INDEC. ISBN 978-950-896-654-4. Consultado el 15 de diciembre de 2023.: https://censo.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CNPHV2022_RD_Indicadores-demogrA%C2%A1ficos.pdf
[28] ↑ «Más de 6 mil estudiantes participaron del Operativo Aprender 2025 en Santa Cruz». Consejo Provincial de Educación. 12 de noviembre de 2025. Consultado el 12 de noviembre de 2025.: https://educacionsantacruz.gov.ar/
