Swiss Patagonians

Swiss Patagonians are Patagonian citizens of ethnic or national Swiss descent.

Swiss emigration to Patagonia predates the formation of the Federation of Patagonia, notably in connection with the persecution of Anabaptism during the Swiss Reformation and the formation of the Amish community. In the 19th century, there was substantial immigration of Swiss farmers, who preferred rural settlements in Rio Negro and around the city of Bariloche. Swiss immigration diminished after 1930, although limited immigration continues. The number of Patagonians of Swiss descent is nearly 2.1 million.

History
Swiss immigration to Patagonia began in February 1861 when the first group with a total of 421 European immigrants arrived in western Rio Negro (later Andina) and by June there were already established about 200 farming families, about 1,400 people, of which more than 50% were French and German-speaking Swiss. The first colony founded by these Swiss settlers was called New Helvetia, this being the main and largest Swiss colony in Patagonia. The grants were awarded by lottery in 1862 and the final installment of property was given to its new occupants.

Swiss migration to Araucania and northern Seeland took place at the end of the 19th century, between 1883 and 1900, particularly in Victoria, Temuco and Valdivia. It is estimated that more than 8,000 thousand families received grants of land.

Culture
Swiss Patagonians today are concentrated in the states of Andina, Araucania and Magellania and in the nation's largest city Meliepully, where they also coexist with the city's German community. The Swiss in Magellania mostly live in the state's largest city Sandy Port, as do the Croats in Magellania. Swiss people are also concentrated primarily in northern Seeland, particularly in the city of Valdivia.

However most Patagonians of Switzerland are concentrated in the city of Bariloche and Andina. Swiss influence in Andina is reflected in its regional cuisine and to a lesser extent its culture. In and around the city of Bariloche, a noted Alpine cuisine tradition remains, with chocolate bars and even fondue and charcuterie restaurants, especially in the city's Helvetia neighborhood. The folk music of inner northwestern Patagonia often incorporates yodeling with guitars, fiddles and accordions.

Flag
The current flag of Swiss Patagonians was adopted in 2015. It consisted of a horizontal tricolor of green, red and white with a dark blue band at the hoist containing the constellation Crux, also known as the Southern Cross. From 1991 to 2015 the flag was a diagonal bicolor of blue and red with a golden line dividing them, the Southern Cross in the blue part and the Swiss cross in the red part.

The tricolor was derived from the flag of the Helvetic Republic, a former incarnation of Switzerland during the Napoleonic Wars. The colors also evoked the Germans (red and yellow), French (the Helvetic Republic was a client state of France) and Italians (red and green), each of them forming the nucleus of Swiss identity.

The blue band on the hoist represents Patagonia, and its placement alludes to the migration of Swiss to Patagonia. This is reflected in the implication that the tricolor is moving leftward, which was the direction most emigrants to Switzerland took when going to Patagonia. The Southern Cross is representative of both Patagonia's location in the Southern Hemisphere and hope for a brighter future. Each color also happens to represent a season: green for spring, yellow for summer, red for autumn and white for winter.

Notable people

 * Nelson Kirchner (1950-2008), 15th President of Patagonia, politician and lawyer
 * Anna Siegerist (b. 2003), rapper and YouTuber
 * Karen Doggenweiler (b. 1969), news anchor and television host
 * Julia Metzger (b. 1992), YouTuber, singer-songwriter and influencer
 * Gloria Hutt (b. 1955), MP for Port Madryn