Map of the province of Santa Cruz and its departments
Map of the province of Santa Cruz and its departments.
The Province of Santa Cruz or, more briefly, Santa Cruz is one of the 23 provinces in the Argentine Republic. In turn, it is one of the 24 self-governing states or jurisdictions of the first order that make up the country and one of the 24 national legislative electoral districts. Its capital and most populated city is Río Gallegos. It is located south of the Patagonian region, which occupies the southern half of the country, bounded on the north by Chubut, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and south and west by the Magallanes and Aysén region of the Republic of Chile. With 243 943 km² it 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 - and with 1.1 hab/km², the least densely populated.
Apart from the capital, its main cities are Caleta Olivia, head of the north 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.
The province of Santa Cruz is divided into 7 departments.
The Province of Santa Cruz or, more briefly, Santa Cruz is one of the 23 provinces in the Argentine Republic. In turn, it is one of the 24 self-governing states or jurisdictions of the first order that make up the country and one of the 24 national legislative electoral districts. Its capital and most populated city is Río Gallegos. It is located south of the Patagonian region, which occupies the southern half of the country, bounded on the north by Chubut, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and south and west by the Magallanes and Aysén region of the Republic of Chile. With 243 943 km² it 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 - and with 1.1 hab/km², the least densely populated.
Apart from the capital, its main cities are Caleta Olivia, head of the north 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.
The province of Santa Cruz is divided into 7 departments.
| Department | Capital | Population (2017) | Area (km²) |
| Corpen Aike | Puerto Santa Cruz | 13,752 | 26,350 |
| Deseado | Puerto Deseado | 136,687 | 63,784 |
| Güer Aike | Río Gallegos | 131,668 | 33,841 |
| Lago Argentino | El Calafate | 27,099 | 37,292 |
| Lago Buenos Aires | Perito Moreno | 10,873 | 28,609 |
| Magallanes | Puerto San Julián | 11,449 | 19,805 |
| Río Chico | Gobernador Gregores | 7,014 | 34,262 |