San Juan Province (Argentina)
Encyclopedia
San Juan is a province
of Argentina
, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja
, San Luis
and Mendoza
. It borders with Chile
at the west.
The province has an area of 89,651 km2, covering a mountainous region with scarce vegetation, fertile oases and turbulent rivers. Throughout the entire province there are an important number of paleontological
sites.
Similar to other regions in Argentina, agriculture is one of the most important economic activities, highlighting wine production and Olive oil
. Additionally, a variety of fruit
s and vegetables are produced in the fertile valleys irrigated by artificial channels in the western part, close to the Andes
Mountain Range. This is the second province in volume of wine production at the national level and in South America, and possesses outstanding varietal wines. It is also an important center of mining
and oil
production.
Before the arrival of Spanish
conquistadores, different tribes like Huarpes, Diaguita
s, Capazanes, Olongastas and Yacampis, highly influenced by the Inca empire
, inhabited the area.
The city of San Juan de la Frontera
was founded by Juan Jufré y Montesa in 1562 and relocated 2 kilometres south in 1593 due to the frequent flooding of the San Juan River
.
In 1776, San Juan was annexed to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
, becoming one of the cities of the Province of Cuyo
. In the same year, the first recorded earthquake caused massive damage to the city.
The father of Argentine independence, Gen. Jose de San Martin
, was appointed Governor of the Province of Cuyo
in 1814. From there, San Martin began his legendary crossing of the Andes
, one of military history's great tactical decisions. San Juan, then a small town, was a great supporter of the expedition supplying gold, men and mules.
In 1820, San Juan was granted autonomy from the Province of Cuyo, thereby becoming an autonomous province. The remainder of Cuyo region became Mendoza Province
.
Following an era of international isolation for Argentina, the advent of new, more liberal government in 1853 attracted a number of exiled intellectuals back into San Juan. Among these, was a San Juan military officer and novelist named Domingo Sarmiento. Sarmiento was eventually elected governor in 1862, pursuing sorely needed public investments and enacting Argentina's first law mandating compulsory education (at that time about 80% of the adult population lacked any form of education). Once elected President of Argentina in 1868, those policies became national law.
In 1944 a moderate, yet highly destructive earthquake near the capital
destroyed most of the city and killed 10,000 people. A fundraiser was organized to raise money for the victims of the quake where Colonel Juan Perón
met his eventual wife and political companion Eva Duarte.
A more powerful earthquake
stuck the same city in 1977; however new construction codes put in effect following the 1944 incident kept damage to a relative minimum. The most noteworthy loss following this event was the destruction of the Cathedral of San Juan (image, at top). A new, modernist house of worship was quickly put up in its place and inaugurated in 1979.
Among the most rapidly growing provinces in Argentina after 1945, the national government began the construction of the National University of San Juan, which opened its doors in 1973. Congress further responded to the needs of San Juan's growing agricultural sector by breaking ground in the mid '70s for the largest hydrostructural project in the province up to that point, the Ullum Dam and Reservoir. Inaugurated in 1980, it has contributed to the province's production of irrigated desert crops, like olives, figs and, most importantly, wine grapes.
In 2005, Barrick Gold Corporation, one of the world's largest gold-mining conglomerates, announced the purchase of large tracts in the San Juan Andes where a gold mine was started. These have, so far, been yielding over 11,000 ounces of gold yearly, though evidence suggests these activities may be having an adverse impact on San Juan's glaciers.
In 2007, the same company installed the world's highest-situated wind turbine
at the Veladero mine in San Juan Province at nearly 4,200m elevation.
region. The arid plains start on the east, with a few low hills in the middle and swiftly turn into 6,000-meter-high mountain peaks towards the west. Both areas are subject to the dry hot Zonda
(a kind of foehn wind). Most of the precipitations take place during the summer, often as electrical storms.
The hot wind has modeled the clay-rich red soil into Pampa del Leoncito (Reserva Natural Estricta El Leoncito) and Valle de la Luna (Parque Provincial Ischigualasto
) 200 million year old geological formations.
The Jáchal
and San Juan rivers, both part of Desaguadero River
system, are the source of fertile valleys and centre of the province's economy. The San Juan River finishes in the Huanacache lagoons (sometimes called Guanacache), on the southeast.
San Juan focuses its economy in agriculture, specially wine production. Additionally, preserved foods production is highly developed. Mining
is a growing activity, with the extraction of various minerals financed by multinational companies. Tourism is a relatively new and flourishing activity and it is becoming an important source of revenue for the province.
San Juan's is a somewhat underdeveloped, yet diversified, economy. Its output was estimated in 2006 at US$3.6 billion, or US$5,820 per capita (a third less than the national average).
Agriculture
has, traditionally, played a small, though significant role in San Juan's economy. The province produces crops not widely grown in other regions of Argentina. San Juan is the second-largest producer of Argentine Wine, after neighboring Mendoza Province
.
Winery industry reached San Juan between the years 1569 and 1589 carried by the Spanish conquistadors. Blessed by the optimal weather conditions and soil, the wine-making largely expanded and accelerated development in the province. Since the beginning, the inhabitants of the region understood that the arid climate required an advanced artificial irrigation system with dams and channels.
Viticulture
is the main crop of the province's economy, with some 500 km² (56% of the productive area), and the rest is reserved for wine production counting 90% of the crop. Other products include tomato
, maize
, potato
, fig
and peach
.
Since 1980, San Juan has experienced an industrial expansion that now includes, in addition to the wineries, food processing plants, chemical, plastics, iron, auto parts and textiles factories. Manufacturing now accounts for nearly 20% of San Juan's production output.
In the year 2000, the province came into mineral development with the Veladero Project of Barrick Gold
, which, on the first year of mining alone, yielded more than 11,000 ounces of gold
. These efforts were intensified with more projects including the Easter Lama
, with the particularity that it is shared with neighboring Chile. The more widespread mining products are gold
, lead
, graphite
and clay
.
Large-scale efforts began, in 2006, in the search for petroleum
in the department of Jáchal.
Energy production is mainly hydroelectrical
, produced by a few dam
s such as Quebrada de Ullum
, La Roza, San Emiliano and El Pinar Station, which also help to regulate the water level for irrigation of the arid lands. Electricity is also produced, in a lesser proportion, by thermal power station
s.
San Juan has recently started to have a flourishing tourism industry. Remarkable places are the city of San Juan, the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, the Ullum Dam, San Guillermo National Park
, the Pismanta hot springs, the Mercedario Mount and the pagan
Difunta Correa
shrine
. These sites are specially suitable for ecotourism
or adventure tourism. Furthermore, an increase in agrotourism has started recently, particularly, around the wine industry, creating the so-called "Wine Routes."
The province is divided into 19 departments
.
. This features create a unique landscape that is beginning to be intensively exploited by tourism.
Tourism infrastructure has been also improved recently with the installation of a considerable number of hotels and other accommodation. Heavily developed areas are the northwest, in the town of Rodeo, where posts and countryside hotels have been installed. In the west, the towns of Calingasta Barreal and Tamberías, many projects are being develop to foster adventure tourism by with the practice of climbing the Mount Mercedario
, which is one of the highest peaks in America. The northern zone, Jáchal, is known for its cultural tourism related to the gaucho tradition.
Nevertheless, San Juan
is the economic center of the province and also the most visited place. It is known for its modern architecture that differentiates it from others cities in the rest of the country, with wide tree-lined streets as well as hardwood parks, plazas and walkways, in the middle of the desert of San Juan. This is the cause for which has the nickname of 'city oasis'. The city holds several attractions such as Sarmiento's birthplace and modern Cathedral, among others.
A number of joyful celebrations are held in the province, combining old and new traditions that pay homage to economic activities or natural events like Fiesta Nacional del Sol
, which takes the form of annual parades carousel and various artistic performances.
The winter sports industry has a prosper future in the province. A ski
resort is under development, located in the mountainous area of Calingasta ,western part of the province, where the largest ski tracks in South America are being constructed. This will be the northernmost ski resort in Argentina and will be known as Manantiales
. There are important projects under way that will allow a connection with the province of La Rioja, the entire northern Fertile Valley, Jáchal and Church, and with Chile, which will be a vital part of the strategic corridor Pacific-Atlantic .
This project for the construction of a communication path connecting the Pacific ports of (Coquimbo
, Chile
) and Atlantic (Porto Alegre
, Brazil
) by Paso de Agua Negra, has been under development for more than a decade. Its importance lies in the necessity of the Southern Cone countries to put their export production into the global market at lower costs.
Long distance transportation exists and allows weekly trips to almost all the other provinces and cities in the country. The main hub is the modern bus terminal of the city of San Juan. There are another important transportation centers in San José de Jáchal
and in the city of Caucete
, which is currently under construction. By bus, it takes around 18 hours to get Buenos Aires
.
There are daily flight services to Buenos Aires
from Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport
.
The public transportation system in the city of San Juan
and surrounding areas includes bus
es that connect downtown with other cities such as Villa Krause
, Rivadavia, Santa Lucia, Villa Paula Sarmiento Albarracín and Aberastain. Private taxis (called Remis) and public taxis also exist. Rapid population growth has led to a number of projects for the construction of mass transit systems.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...
, San Luis
San Luis Province
San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country . Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.-History:...
and Mendoza
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
. It borders with Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
at the west.
The province has an area of 89,651 km2, covering a mountainous region with scarce vegetation, fertile oases and turbulent rivers. Throughout the entire province there are an important number of paleontological
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
sites.
Similar to other regions in Argentina, agriculture is one of the most important economic activities, highlighting wine production and Olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
. Additionally, a variety of fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s and vegetables are produced in the fertile valleys irrigated by artificial channels in the western part, close to the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
Mountain Range. This is the second province in volume of wine production at the national level and in South America, and possesses outstanding varietal wines. It is also an important center of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
production.
History
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
conquistadores, different tribes like Huarpes, Diaguita
Diaguita
The Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Diaguita culture developed between the 8th and 16th centuries in what are now the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina, and in the Atacama and Coquimbo...
s, Capazanes, Olongastas and Yacampis, highly influenced by the Inca empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, inhabited the area.
The city of San Juan de la Frontera
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
was founded by Juan Jufré y Montesa in 1562 and relocated 2 kilometres south in 1593 due to the frequent flooding of the San Juan River
San Juan River (Argentina)
The San Juan River is, together with the Jáchal, the most important river of the Argentine province of San Juan. Both join the Desaguadero/Colorado system that end at the Atlantic Ocean....
.
In 1776, San Juan was annexed to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
, becoming one of the cities of the Province of Cuyo
Province of Cuyo
The Province of Cuyo was a historical Province of Argentina. Created on 14 November 1813 by a decree issued by the Second Triumvirate, it had its capital on Mendoza, and was composed by the territories of the present Argentine Provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis.The region was part of Chile...
. In the same year, the first recorded earthquake caused massive damage to the city.
The father of Argentine independence, Gen. Jose de San Martin
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
, was appointed Governor of the Province of Cuyo
Province of Cuyo
The Province of Cuyo was a historical Province of Argentina. Created on 14 November 1813 by a decree issued by the Second Triumvirate, it had its capital on Mendoza, and was composed by the territories of the present Argentine Provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis.The region was part of Chile...
in 1814. From there, San Martin began his legendary crossing of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, one of military history's great tactical decisions. San Juan, then a small town, was a great supporter of the expedition supplying gold, men and mules.
In 1820, San Juan was granted autonomy from the Province of Cuyo, thereby becoming an autonomous province. The remainder of Cuyo region became Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
.
Following an era of international isolation for Argentina, the advent of new, more liberal government in 1853 attracted a number of exiled intellectuals back into San Juan. Among these, was a San Juan military officer and novelist named Domingo Sarmiento. Sarmiento was eventually elected governor in 1862, pursuing sorely needed public investments and enacting Argentina's first law mandating compulsory education (at that time about 80% of the adult population lacked any form of education). Once elected President of Argentina in 1868, those policies became national law.
In 1944 a moderate, yet highly destructive earthquake near the capital
1944 San Juan earthquake
The 1944 San Juan earthquake took place in the province of San Juan, in the center-west area of Argentina, a region highly prone to seismic events. This moderate to strong earthquake destroyed a large part of San Juan, the provincial capital, and killed 10,000 of its inhabitants, 10% of its...
destroyed most of the city and killed 10,000 people. A fundraiser was organized to raise money for the victims of the quake where Colonel Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
met his eventual wife and political companion Eva Duarte.
A more powerful earthquake
1977 San Juan earthquake
The 1977 San Juan earthquake was a major seismic movement that took place in the province of San Juan, Argentina, on 23 November 1977, at 09:26:23 AM. It measured magnitude 7.4 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was at , and at a depth of 17 km...
stuck the same city in 1977; however new construction codes put in effect following the 1944 incident kept damage to a relative minimum. The most noteworthy loss following this event was the destruction of the Cathedral of San Juan (image, at top). A new, modernist house of worship was quickly put up in its place and inaugurated in 1979.
Among the most rapidly growing provinces in Argentina after 1945, the national government began the construction of the National University of San Juan, which opened its doors in 1973. Congress further responded to the needs of San Juan's growing agricultural sector by breaking ground in the mid '70s for the largest hydrostructural project in the province up to that point, the Ullum Dam and Reservoir. Inaugurated in 1980, it has contributed to the province's production of irrigated desert crops, like olives, figs and, most importantly, wine grapes.
In 2007, the same company installed the world's highest-situated wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
at the Veladero mine in San Juan Province at nearly 4,200m elevation.
Geography and climate
The province is part of the continental semi-desert CuyoCuyo (Argentina)
Cuyo is the name given to the wine-producing, mountainous area of central-west Argentina. Historically it comprised the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza. The term New Cuyo is a modern one, which indicates both Cuyo proper and the province of La Rioja...
region. The arid plains start on the east, with a few low hills in the middle and swiftly turn into 6,000-meter-high mountain peaks towards the west. Both areas are subject to the dry hot Zonda
Zonda wind
Zonda wind is a regional term for the foehn wind that often occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes, in Argentina. The Zonda is a dry wind which comes from the polar maritime air, warmed by descent from the crest, which is some 6,000 m above sea level...
(a kind of foehn wind). Most of the precipitations take place during the summer, often as electrical storms.
The hot wind has modeled the clay-rich red soil into Pampa del Leoncito (Reserva Natural Estricta El Leoncito) and Valle de la Luna (Parque Provincial Ischigualasto
Ischigualasto
Ischigualasto is a geological formation and a natural park associated with it in the province of San Juan, north-western Argentina, near the border with Chile...
) 200 million year old geological formations.
The Jáchal
Jáchal River
The Jáchal River is a river in the province of San Juan, Argentina. It is part of the Desaguadero River basin, and one of the most important permanent watercourses in the province, with an average flow of 9 m³/s...
and San Juan rivers, both part of Desaguadero River
Desaguadero River
The Desaguadero River is the general name of a river in western Argentina that receives a number of different names on its path of 1,515 kilometres, with its most important section named Desaguadero proper.-Spring:...
system, are the source of fertile valleys and centre of the province's economy. The San Juan River finishes in the Huanacache lagoons (sometimes called Guanacache), on the southeast.
Population
San Juan concentrates most of its population in the oases or central valleys, Tulum Valley, Zonda, Ullum and Jáchal, containing nearly 80% of this population. The remaining is located in the oasis located at the foot of the Andes in Church and Calingasta. Another population concentration is in Fertile Valley.Economy
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
is a growing activity, with the extraction of various minerals financed by multinational companies. Tourism is a relatively new and flourishing activity and it is becoming an important source of revenue for the province.
San Juan's is a somewhat underdeveloped, yet diversified, economy. Its output was estimated in 2006 at US$3.6 billion, or US$5,820 per capita (a third less than the national average).
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
has, traditionally, played a small, though significant role in San Juan's economy. The province produces crops not widely grown in other regions of Argentina. San Juan is the second-largest producer of Argentine Wine, after neighboring Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
.
Winery industry reached San Juan between the years 1569 and 1589 carried by the Spanish conquistadors. Blessed by the optimal weather conditions and soil, the wine-making largely expanded and accelerated development in the province. Since the beginning, the inhabitants of the region understood that the arid climate required an advanced artificial irrigation system with dams and channels.
Viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
is the main crop of the province's economy, with some 500 km² (56% of the productive area), and the rest is reserved for wine production counting 90% of the crop. Other products include tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
.
Since 1980, San Juan has experienced an industrial expansion that now includes, in addition to the wineries, food processing plants, chemical, plastics, iron, auto parts and textiles factories. Manufacturing now accounts for nearly 20% of San Juan's production output.
In the year 2000, the province came into mineral development with the Veladero Project of Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
, which, on the first year of mining alone, yielded more than 11,000 ounces of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. These efforts were intensified with more projects including the Easter Lama
Pascua Lama
Pascua-Lama is an open pit mining project of gold, silver, copper and other minerals. Pascua Lama is located in the Andes mountains, south of Atacama, straddling the border between Chile and Argentina at an altitude of over 4,500 metres. Toronto-based Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold mining...
, with the particularity that it is shared with neighboring Chile. The more widespread mining products are gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
.
Large-scale efforts began, in 2006, in the search for petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
in the department of Jáchal.
Energy production is mainly hydroelectrical
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
, produced by a few dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s such as Quebrada de Ullum
Quebrada de Ullum Dam
The Ullum Dam is a dam on the San Juan River, in Province of San Juan, Argentina. It is located at the gorge of the Quebrada de Ullum, 18 km upstream from the provincial capital San Juan, and creates a reservoir with an area of 32 km², a volume of 440 million m³, and average and maximum depths of...
, La Roza, San Emiliano and El Pinar Station, which also help to regulate the water level for irrigation of the arid lands. Electricity is also produced, in a lesser proportion, by thermal power station
Thermal power station
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this...
s.
San Juan has recently started to have a flourishing tourism industry. Remarkable places are the city of San Juan, the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, the Ullum Dam, San Guillermo National Park
San Guillermo National Park
San Guillermo National Park is a national park in Argentina, in the Iglesia Department of San Juan Province. It was established in 1998....
, the Pismanta hot springs, the Mercedario Mount and the pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
Difunta Correa
Difunta Correa
The Deceased Correa is a semi-pagan mythical figure in folk-religion, for which a number of people in Argentina and Chile, especially among the popular classes, feel a great devotion...
shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
. These sites are specially suitable for ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
or adventure tourism. Furthermore, an increase in agrotourism has started recently, particularly, around the wine industry, creating the so-called "Wine Routes."
Political division
Departments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...
.
- AlbardónAlbardón DepartmentAlbardón is a department of the San Juan Province . It is located in the center south of the same, which emphasizes a desert landscape with mountains and numerous plantations at, highlighting the presence of prestigious wineries known nationally....
(General San Martín) - AngacoAngaco DepartmentAngaco is a department of the province of San Juan. It is located in the center east of the province, especially in a desert landscape with mountains. Characterized by their remarkable wine production- Toponymy :...
(Villa del Salvador) - CalingastaCalingasta DepartmentCalingasta is a department of the province of San Juan . It is located at the southwestern tip of the province, which is predominantly a landscape of mountains clearly, mountains and rivers...
(Tamberías) - Capital (San JuanSan Juan, ArgentinaSan Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
) - Caucete (CauceteCauceteCaucete is a city in the province of San Juan, Argentina, located 25 km southeast of the provincial capital, on the junction of National Routes 20 and 141. It has 33,609 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the Caucete Department....
) - ChimbasChimbas DepartmentChimbas is a department of the province of San Juan, Argentina. It is located on the south bank of the San Juan River, and is part of greater San Juan. The department is thoroughly urbanized and industrial.- Origin of name :...
(Paula Alabarracín de Sarmiento) - IglesiaIglesia DepartmentIglesia is a department of the province of San Juan . Located in the northwest corner of this province, which is predominantly a landscape of mountains, hills and valleys with substantial vegetation...
(Rodeo) - JáchalJáchal DepartmentJáchal is a department of the province of San Juan . It is located north of the same by making, characterized by its first level agricultural production, which emphasizes the planting of onion...
(San José de JáchalSan José de JáchalSan José de Jáchal is a city in the northeast of the province of San Juan, Argentina, located on National Route 40, south of the Jáchal River. It has 21,018 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Jáchal Department....
) - Nueve de JulioNueve de Julio Department, San JuanNueve de Julio is a department located in the province of San Juan . It is located in the center south of the province, where the surface this on the Valley Tulum...
(9 de JulioNueve de Julio, San JuanNueve de Julio is a town in the province of San Juan, Argentina. It has 7,652 inhabitants as per the ....
) - Pocito (Villa Alberastain)
- RawsonRawson Department, San JuanRawson is a central department of San Juan Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 107,000 inhabitants in an area of 164 km², and its capital city is Villa Krause, which is located around 1,190 km from Capital Federal.-Geography:Rawson is located in...
(Villa KrauseVilla KrauseVilla Krause is the city of the Argentine of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at 640 m above mean sea level, with a population of around 107,000 as per the ....
) - Rivadavia (Rivadavia)
- San MartínSan Martín Department, San JuanSan Martín is a department of the province of San Juan . Located at in the east of this province, which is predominantly a landscape of mountains in the east and significant production wine, with the installation of prestigious wineries with a remarkable track record in the province known...
(San Isidro) - Santa LucíaSanta Lucía DepartmentSanta Lucía is a central department of San Juan Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 43.565 inhabitants in an area of 45km², and its capital city is Santa Lucía, which is located around 1,150km from Capital Federal....
(Santa LucíaSanta LuciaSanta Lucia is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was transcribed by Teodoro Cottrau and published by the Cottrau firm, as a "barcarolla", at Naples in 1849. Cottrau translated it from Napuletano into Italian during the first stage of the Risorgimento, the first Neapolitan song to be given Italian...
) - SarmientoSarmiento Department, San JuanSarmiento is a department located in the south west of San Juan Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 19,000 inhabitants in an area of 14,955km², and its capital city is Media Agua, which is located around 1,195km from Capital Federal.- Geography :Sarmiento is...
(Media AguaMedia AguaMedia Agua is a town in San Juan Province, Argentina. It is the headquarters of the municipal authorities of department Sarmiento and one of the more important towns in the southern San Juan area and within the Tulum Valley, the province's most agriculturally fertile region...
) - UllumUllum DepartmentUllum is a department of the province of San Juan . It is located in the center south of the province, dominated a landscape of mountains and low vegetation is also characterized by its production of at and fruit. Within its surface is Ullum Dam...
(IbañezIbanezis a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
) - Valle FértilValle Fértil DepartmentValle Fértil is a department located in the province of San Juan . Characterized by highly fertile landscapes and placed within its surface Ischigualasto Provincial Park, also known asValley of the Moon, which is heavily visited by tourists from around the world.- Origin of name :The Spaniards,...
(San Agustín) - Veinticinco de MayoVeinticinco de Mayo Department, San Juan25 de Mayo is a department of the province of San Juan , located southwest of the province. Be department is characterized by its high production wine and olivícola.- Geography :...
(Santa Rosa) - ZondaZonda Department'Zonda is a department of the province of San Juan . It is located in the center south of the province, which stressed a landscape of hills and little vegetation...
(Basilio Nievas)
Tourism
San Juan, known as The Land of the Sun, offers mountains, valleys and turbulent rivers of melting glacier water from the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. This features create a unique landscape that is beginning to be intensively exploited by tourism.
Tourism infrastructure has been also improved recently with the installation of a considerable number of hotels and other accommodation. Heavily developed areas are the northwest, in the town of Rodeo, where posts and countryside hotels have been installed. In the west, the towns of Calingasta Barreal and Tamberías, many projects are being develop to foster adventure tourism by with the practice of climbing the Mount Mercedario
Mercedario
Cerro Mercedario is the highest peak of the Cordillera de la Ramada range and the eighth highest mountain of the Andes. It is located 100 km to the north of Aconcagua, in the Argentine province of San Juan...
, which is one of the highest peaks in America. The northern zone, Jáchal, is known for its cultural tourism related to the gaucho tradition.
Nevertheless, San Juan
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
is the economic center of the province and also the most visited place. It is known for its modern architecture that differentiates it from others cities in the rest of the country, with wide tree-lined streets as well as hardwood parks, plazas and walkways, in the middle of the desert of San Juan. This is the cause for which has the nickname of 'city oasis'. The city holds several attractions such as Sarmiento's birthplace and modern Cathedral, among others.
A number of joyful celebrations are held in the province, combining old and new traditions that pay homage to economic activities or natural events like Fiesta Nacional del Sol
Fiesta Nacional del Sol
The National Day of the Sun is an annual celebration of nature that takes place in the City of San Juan and other locations in the San Juan province, Argentina, usually during the month of February...
, which takes the form of annual parades carousel and various artistic performances.
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
resort is under development, located in the mountainous area of Calingasta ,western part of the province, where the largest ski tracks in South America are being constructed. This will be the northernmost ski resort in Argentina and will be known as Manantiales
Transportation
San Juan has a good transportation network, as most of the routes that connect with the rest of the country are in very good maintenance condition. The more important routes are the RN40, which crosses from north to south and joins the provinces of Mendoza and La Rioja, the RN20, which links San Juan with the city of Buenos Aires and Cordoba, the RN150, which allows a connection to the country of ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. There are important projects under way that will allow a connection with the province of La Rioja, the entire northern Fertile Valley, Jáchal and Church, and with Chile, which will be a vital part of the strategic corridor Pacific-Atlantic .
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
) and Atlantic (Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) by Paso de Agua Negra, has been under development for more than a decade. Its importance lies in the necessity of the Southern Cone countries to put their export production into the global market at lower costs.
Long distance transportation exists and allows weekly trips to almost all the other provinces and cities in the country. The main hub is the modern bus terminal of the city of San Juan. There are another important transportation centers in San José de Jáchal
San José de Jáchal
San José de Jáchal is a city in the northeast of the province of San Juan, Argentina, located on National Route 40, south of the Jáchal River. It has 21,018 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Jáchal Department....
and in the city of Caucete
Caucete
Caucete is a city in the province of San Juan, Argentina, located 25 km southeast of the provincial capital, on the junction of National Routes 20 and 141. It has 33,609 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the Caucete Department....
, which is currently under construction. By bus, it takes around 18 hours to get Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
There are daily flight services to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
from Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport is an airport in San Juan Province, Argentina serving the cities of San Juan. It is served by Aerolíneas Argentinas.They started planning San Juan Airport on 15 February 1958...
.
The public transportation system in the city of San Juan
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
and surrounding areas includes bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es that connect downtown with other cities such as Villa Krause
Villa Krause
Villa Krause is the city of the Argentine of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at 640 m above mean sea level, with a population of around 107,000 as per the ....
, Rivadavia, Santa Lucia, Villa Paula Sarmiento Albarracín and Aberastain. Private taxis (called Remis) and public taxis also exist. Rapid population growth has led to a number of projects for the construction of mass transit systems.
See also
- 1894 San Juan earthquake1894 San Juan earthquakeThe 1894 San Juan earthquake was a major seismic movement that took place in the province of San Juan, Argentina, on 27 October 1894, at about 07:30 PM. It was the most powerful earthquake recorded in Argentina, with magnitude 8.0 on the Richter scale...
- 1944 San Juan earthquake1944 San Juan earthquakeThe 1944 San Juan earthquake took place in the province of San Juan, in the center-west area of Argentina, a region highly prone to seismic events. This moderate to strong earthquake destroyed a large part of San Juan, the provincial capital, and killed 10,000 of its inhabitants, 10% of its...
- 1952 San Juan earthquake1952 San Juan earthquakeThe 1952 San Juan earthquake was a seismic movement that took place in the province of San Juan, Argentina, on 11 June 1952, at 12:31:37 a.m. It recorded magnitude 7.0 in the Richter scale. Its epicenter was at , at a depth of 30 km....
- 1977 San Juan earthquake1977 San Juan earthquakeThe 1977 San Juan earthquake was a major seismic movement that took place in the province of San Juan, Argentina, on 23 November 1977, at 09:26:23 AM. It measured magnitude 7.4 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was at , and at a depth of 17 km...
External links
- Official page (Spanish)
- Tourist office (Spanish)
- San Juan Tourist guide (English - Spanish - Deutsch)
- Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Spanish)
- Diario de Cuyo (Newspaper - Spanish)
- CuyoNoticias (digital newspaper - Spanish-English)