Gaiman is a town in the
Chubut Province
Chubut ( from Tehuelche language, Tehuelche 'transparent'; ) is a provinces of Argentina, province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa ...
of
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
in
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. It has a population of 6,627 as per the . It is located in the
River Chubut's lower valley (called in
Welsh), about west of
Trelew. Gaiman is a cultural and demographic centre of the main region of the
Welsh settlement in Argentina, known in Welsh as .
The town was founded in 1874 by David D. Roberts and acquired municipal rights in 1885. The
Central Chubut Railway arrived in 1908 connecting Gaiman to
Trelew. The Gaiman Train Tunnel was built in 1914, when the railway extended to
Las Plumas ().
Many people in the region have maintained the use of Welsh alongside
Spanish.
The annual youth
Eisteddfod
In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music.
The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...
, a Welsh cultural festival, is held every September. The (Regional Historical Museum) in the former station house commemorates the history of the Welsh community in the region.
The town is also known for its multiple teahouses, which maintain a traditional Welsh tea ritual and offer Welsh cakes.
There are a number of Welsh
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
chapels, of which the largest is .
The town's name originates in an indigenous
Tehuelche place-name meaning "rocky point or
whetstone."
Just to the south of Gaiman is the
Bryn Gwyn Paleontological Park.
Gallery
File:Bgaiman9.JPG, First House (''Y tŷ cyntaf'')
File:GaimanWelshSchool.JPG, Welsh school, shares motto with Aberystwyth University
File:GaimanTunel.JPG, Old train tunnel entrance
File:GaimanRC.JPG, Roman church
References
External links
Project-Hiraeth – Documents the stories of the Welsh colony in Patagonia, Argentina through film, text and illustration.*
Municipality of Gaiman Official website
Populated places in Chubut Province
Populated places established in 1874
Welsh settlement in Patagonia
1874 establishments in Argentina
{{Chubut-geo-stub