San Juan, Argentina

San Juan is a city in western Argentina, located in an oasis in an arid steppe prime location. It is the capital of San Juan ( province ) province. The real urban area has 112,778 inhabitants (2001, INDEC ), but the development continues in the neighboring departments Chimbas, Rivadavia, Rawson, Pocito and Santa Lucia, so that the metropolitan area is approximately 550,000 inhabitants.

Geography

San Juan is located at 604 meters above sea level in the southern great oasis of the province, which consists of the valleys of Tullum, Ullum and Zonda east of belonging to the Precordillera Sierra del Tontal.

The San Juan River flows around the city in the northeast. The surrounding area is steppe way and consists mostly of Monte - bush, but also from rocky deserts. The climate is dry and subtropical with very high daytime temperatures in summer, in winter the föhnartige Zonda wind is causing temperatures often rise briefly to summer values ​​.

History

San Juan is one of the oldest cities in Argentina. It was founded in 1561 or 1562 by Juan jufré in a neighboring valley. In 1594 the city was moved because of flooding at this point. In colonial times, San Juan belonged temporarily to Chile, with the independence it was but definitely to Argentina.

At the end of the 19th century, the city had a cathedral, a mining school, a botanical garden and 15,000 inhabitants who carried cattle and dried fruit to Chile and Trade exaggerated with wine and brandy. The city was the seat of a German consul.

1944, an earthquake devastated the city, 10,000 people died. Reconstruction was marked by the spirit of the then avant-garde architecture - a project of Le Corbusier was rejected - and one finds today a large number of modern buildings in the city.

Attractions

Only a few buildings, including the hospital, Dr. Guillermo Rawson and the convent of Santo Domingo, who survived the earthquake of 1944. Cathedral in 1979, however, is a good example of the modern architecture that characterizes the city. The science museum is home to fossils of prehistoric animals, many of them from the Ischigualasto National Park. The Wine Museum in an old railway shed houses historic machines from wineries in the region.

Economy

Despite a law that promotes the establishment of industrial enterprises since the 1970s, the city is largely dependent on the agrarian countryside surrounding the oasis of Tulum dependent. Is a leader of the winery, which covered 65 percent of the agricultural area of the oasis, and the related processing industries. Of importance in the energy industry is located in the surroundings of San Juan Reservoir Ullum.

Twinning

  • Vicuña, Chile, mutual cooperation agreement since August 3, 2003
  • Villa de Nerja, Spain, since July 25, 1997

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Arturo Berutti, composer
  • David Rodríguez Garces, composer
  • Ariel Rodríguez Garces, composer
  • Julio Largacha, pianist and music professor
  • Vicente Moncho, composer
  • Ricardo Zunino, Formula 1 racing driver
Provinces of Argentina Departments of Argentina Capital Department, San Juan National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina Departamento Chimbas Department Rivadavia Department, San Juan Rawson Department, San Juan Pocito Department Monte Desert Ischigualasto Provincial Park
707974
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