Paraná

About Paraná

Paraná is the capital city of the Argentine province Entre Ríos, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, opposite the city of Santa Fe, capital of the neighbouring Santa Fe Province. The city has a population of 268,889 inhabitants within its urban area. Greater Paraná has a population of 312,713 inhabitants. Its original name was Bajada (landing).

In 1730 inhabitants of the city of Santa Fe settled at the other shore of the Paraná river. The first settlers called it “Baxada del Paraná”. The original settlers came to Paraná after being forced out of Santa Fe by marauding Payaguá and Muños Indians. The settlers established themselves in the modern plaza primerdo de mayo "The Square of the first of May, where they built a fort, other defenses, and a series of huts. Eventually the numbers of the settlers were stable enough to where they could move on from defense to offense and almost wiped out both the Payaguá and Muños.

Between 1854 and 1861, it was the capital city of the Argentine Confederation.

Paraná is not only the head of the provincial government, but also an important river port for...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.