TIGRE

cabecera (county seat) and partido (county), on the outskirts of Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. It lies northwest of the city of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires province, on the Ro de la Plata estuary. An early settlement of the partido was centred on a chapel built in 1678 (reconstructed in 1820). The partido is bordered to the north by an important branch of the Paran River, the Paran de las Palmas River, and to the east by the Ro de la Plata. The Lujn River, flowing southeast into the Ro de la Plata, divides the partido. Besides the cabecera of Tigre, the other major localities are Carup, Don Torcuato, General Pacheco, and Benavdez. The cabecera has become a river trade centre for an area extending north from Buenos Aires city to the province of Entre Ros. It is known for its fruit market, reminiscent of the former Les Halles market in Paris. The lands of the partido northeast of the Lujn River are marshland interlaced with numerous rivers and canals of the Paran River delta. These navigable waterways connect the major rivers of the region while making Tigre an attractive resort for water sports such as yachting, rowing, and fishing. Visitors to the area often enjoy cruises on tour boats or taxi launches. Each March and November, regattas are held on the Lujn River. The Naval Museum was established in 1892 to exhibit ship artifacts, models, navigational instruments, and paintings of Argentine naval battles. With the growth of the national capital, Tigre has merged into the north-northwestern suburban fringe of Greater Buenos Aires. Four railway lines serve the partido, as does the national highway system. Area partido, 139 square miles (360 square km). Pop. partido (1960), 91,725; (1980) 206,349; (1991 prelim.) 256,005. also spelled Tigray, or Tigrai, people inhabiting northwestern Eritrea and limited areas of neighbouring Sudan. The Tigre speak Tigr, a Semitic language related to ancient Ge'ez and to modern Tigrinya, the language of the Tigray people. The largest federation of Tigre is that of the Amer (Beni Amer), a branch of the historically important Beja peoples. These Muslims all recognize the religious supremacy of the Mirghaniyah family of eastern Sudan. Another group, the Bet-Asgade (Bet Asgede), converted from Ethiopic Christianity to Islam. The life of the nomadic herdsman, so characteristic of neighbouring Sudan, is followed by most Tigre. The group accounted for nearly one-third of the population of Eritrea in the late 20th century. Compare Tigray (people).