Corrientes

Corrientes, city in northeastern Argentina, capital of Corrientes Province, a port on the Paraná River, near its junction with the Paraguay River. The city is situated in a fertile agricultural region with good transportation facilities by river and by rail; exports include livestock, hides, lumber, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, and citrus fruit. The principal industries of Corrientes are sawmilling, flour milling, tanning, shipbuilding, fishing, and food processing. The city is the site of the National University of the North-East (1957); the Colonial, Historical, and Fine Arts Museum; the Church of La Santisima Cruz, in which is preserved a 16th-century cross; and the Monastery of San Francisco, built in colonial times. The city, originally named San Juan de Vera de las Sietes Corrientes, was founded in 1588. Population (2001) 314,546.