Salta

Sister cities

• Tarija
• Calama
• Maracay

History

In early 1536 the large expedition of Diego de Almagro passed through the plains of Chicoana west of the present-day city in its journey to the lands of Chile. While foraging the expeditionaries came to engage in skirmishes with local tribesmen. Salta was founded on April 16, 1582, by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma, who intended the settlement to be an outpost between Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires. The origin of the name Salta is a matter of conjecture, with several theories being advanced to explain it. During the war of independence, the city became a commercial and military strategic point between Peru and the Argentine cities. Between 1816 and 1821, the city was led by local military leader General Martín Miguel de Güemes, who under the command of General José de San Martín, defended the city and surrounding area from Spanish forces coming from further north. Salta emerged from the War of Independence politically in disarray and financially bankrupt, a condition that lingered throughout much of the 19th century. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the arrival of Italian, Spanish, British, and Arab immigrants, particularly Syrians and Lebanese, revived trade and agriculture all over the area while further enhancing the city's multicultural flavor.

Geography

Salta has a subtropical highland climate (Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification), and it is characterized by pleasant weather year-round. Located in the subtropical north, but at an altitude of 1,200 metres, Salta enjoys 4 distinct seasons: summers are warm with frequent thunderstorms, with daytime highs around and pleasant, refreshing nights around . Fall brings dry weather, pleasant days at around and mild nights at around . By winter, the dryness is extreme, with very few rain episodes. Nights are cool at on average, but daytime heating allows for high temperatures of . Snow is rare and frost is quite common, with temperatures reaching down to during the coldest nights. Spring brings sunny weather with warm days and mild nights: days range from with nights between . Salta's winters are rather warm for its elevation and far inland position for a location being just outside the tropics. Of the over of rain that Salta receives yearly, over 80% falls between December and March, when thunderstorms occur almost daily. During the rest of the year, blue skies dominate the region. Seemingly incessant summer thunderstorms greatly rejuvenate the surrounding mountainous landscape, making the various hills and mountainsides within the vicinity of the city green and lush once again. Salta receives 1863 hours of bright sunshine each year or about 5.1 hours per day. The highest recorded temperature was on November 28, 1972, while the lowest recorded temperature was on August 5, 1966.

Most-observed species

• Southern House Wren

  Troglodytes musculus J.F.Naumann, 1823 · Aves
  3,434
• Rufous-collared Sparrow

  Zonotrichia capensis (P.L.S.Müller, 1776) · Aves
  3,291
• Great Kiskadee

  Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,259
• Rufous Hornero

  Furnarius rufus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,986
• Picazuro Pigeon

  Patagioenas picazuro (Temminck, 1813) · Aves
  2,969
• Saffron Finch

  Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,915
• Sayaca Tanager

  Thraupis sayaca (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,833
• Eared Dove

  Zenaida auriculata (Des Murs, 1847) · Aves
  2,801

Most recent

• M 3.9 — 2026-03-24
  26 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Tastil, Argentina
• M 4.6 — 2024-04-30
  7 km N of El Carril, Argentina
• M 5 — 2021-10-06
  14 km N of El Galpón, Argentina
• M 4.6 — 2021-06-04
  49 km WSW of Las Lajitas, Argentina
• M 4.2 — 2020-10-18
  45 km WNW of El Galpón, Argentina
• M 4.5 — 2018-03-17
  7 km N of Palpalá, Argentina