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Tandil can also be a spider genus, and a German detergent.

Cities and towns in Argentina Tandil Province Buenos Aires Partido Tandil Population 108,109 Demonym tandilense Area 4935 km² CPA base B7000 Mayor Miguel Lunghi Party UCR

Tandil is the main city of the homonym partido (department), located in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, over Tandilia hill range.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 Place name 4 History 5 Notable natives 6 External links

It's located 180 meters above sea level and its coordinates are 37°19′08″S, 59°08′05″W. Tandil borders on Rauch and Azul (at north), Ayacucho and Balcarce (at west), Lobería, Necochea and Benito Juárez (at south) and Azul and Benito Juárez (at west).

The city is about 330 km away from La Plata (province capital) and Bahía Blanca, 160 km away from Mar del Plata, and 360 from Buenos Aires. It's in a zone known as Humid Pampa.

Its population is 108.109 inhabitants, as of the 2001 census (INDEC), but now Tandil's government estimates that the number reaches 110.000 people. The total partido area is 4.935 km².

Tandil's climate is humid and mild, with an average temperature of 13.7ºC and 889 milimiters of precipitations. Mornings are often cold, even in summer. Fog is very common in autumm and winter (when also frosts are common). Lots of days with minimum temperatures under -5ºC wouldn't be strange. It rains during all the year, but more frequently in summer. Snow and strong heats are not very common.

The name of the city comes from the Mapuche words tan ("falling"), and lil ("rock"). It is probably a reference to the Piedra Movediza ("Moving Stone"), a large boulder which stood seemingly miraculously balanced on the brink of a chasm. The Moving Stone toppled on February 29, 1912. Some people thought that tan in fact meant "moving". In order to demonstrate the slight movements of the boulder, it was common practice to place bottles or some other things on its base to see them break. As of May 2007, a replica was set up in the same place where the original stood.

The city was founded by Martín Rodríguez on April 4, 1823, named Fuerte Independencia (Independence Fortress). Between that year and 1875, the native aborigins (Pamas and Ranqueles) defended from European usurpation, the invaders thinking they would not pose a threat.

With the annihilation and expulsion of the original inhabitants, "operation Conquest of the Desert", European presence became stronger in Tandil, receiving a large number of immigrants from various countries in Europe.

The vast majority of immigrants came from Spain and Italy but also Basque and Danish people settled, the latter constituting a very active community.

Tandil was designated a city by the end of the 19th century and became a popular tourist destination attracting people from Buenos Aires, other parts of the country and also from abroad.

The Piedra Movediza fell down in 1912, for unknown reasons. There have been projects to restore it, but other similar stones remain like El Centinela, making the scenery very attractive. This made easier the creation of other touring places like Sierra del Tigre or Monte Calvario.

• Mauro Camoranesi (born October 4, 1976), professional football player
• Mariano González (born May 5, 1981), professional football player
• René Lavand (born September 24, 1928), famous illusionist
• Víctor Laplace (born May 30, 1943), actor
• Juan Mónaco (born March 29, 1984), professional tennis player
• Juan Martín del Potro (September 23, 1988), professional tennis player
• Juan Eduardo Eluchans, professional football player
• Mauricio Macri, politician
• Guillermo Pérez-Roldán (born October 20, 1969), professional tennis player
• Bernardo Daniel Romeo (born September 10, 1977, professional football player
• Mariano Zabaleta (born February 28, 1978), professional tennis player

• (Spanish) Official government website
• (Spanish) Tandil, lugar soñado
• (Spanish) La Piedra Movediza
• (Spanish) Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (university)
• (Spanish) Hotels, business and gastronomy guide of Tandil