La Matanza Partido de La Matanza Stadium

La Matanza ('The Slaughter' in Spanish) is a partido (county or department) located in the urban agglomeration of Greater Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

This provincial subdivision had 1,775,272 inhabitants (at the 2010 Census) in an area of 325.71 km2 (125.76 sq mi). Its capital city is San Justo, which is located around 16 km (10 mi) from the City of Buenos Aires.

History

The origin of the name is uncertain. Is believed to reference a confrontation that Diego, the brother of conquistador Pedro de Mendoza, had with the Querandi tribe in 1536, where he and 22 soldiers that were with him died. This area and the river were named La Matanza (The Slaughter) probably in his name, sometimes using the plural form (Matanzas). The oldest document in which the name of La Matanza appears is dated 29 July 1603.

The partido was named Pago until 1730, then Partido de Matanza y Pozos (Partido of Slaughter and Wells): it was then a largely underpopulated rural area, and was led by a two-mayor system. In 1784, the partido was divided in two into La Matanza and Canada de Moron (Moron Gully). In 1856, the capital city San Justo was founded.

In the 20th century, its population dramatically increased with the influx of the European immigration first and the internal migration later to the surroundings of the City of Buenos Aires, followed by migrants from neighbouring countries (mainly Bolivia and Paraguay) by the end of the century.