MERLO

cabacera (county seat) and partido (county) of Gran Buenos Aires, Argentina, west of the city of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires provincia. The region of the present-day partido was colonized shortly after the second and permanent founding of Buenos Aires (1580). In 1730 an interim parish was founded near the estancia (landholding) of Francisco de Merlo. In the same year, Merlo founded the Villa de San Antonio del Camino, which was renamed later in his honour. For many years, the development of Merlo lagged behind the growth of nearby Morn. In 1865 the region was officially declared a partido. It covers 66 square miles (170 square km) and is bordered by the partidos of Morn (northeast), La Matanza (southeast), Marcos Paz (southwest), and Moreno and the Ro de la Reconquista (northwest). Besides the cabacera of Merlo, the significant localities are San Antonio de Padua, Libertad, and Mariano Acosta. The cabacera of Merlo was formerly important solely as a railroad junction and trade centre for the surrounding agricultural and pastoral lands. About half of the partido now lies within the Gran Buenos Aires urban area, and the population density is less than that of most of the partidos. Pop. (1980) partido, 292,587.