Villa Mercedes, San Luis

Villa Mercedes is the capital of the department of General Pedernera the east of the San Luis province in western Argentina. It has 96 781 inhabitants ( 2001), making it the second largest city of the province.

Location

The city lies on the Rio Quinto (Spanish for " fifth river " ), which was so named by the Spaniards had come from the north, as they met for the fifth time a river. Just a few kilometers north of the city, the mountain range of Sierra de los Comechingones begins. South of the Río Quinto, the topography of the land is flat and has Pampa character.

History

1856 was founded on the territory of today's a fortress called Fortin Constitucional to stand against the thronging from the south Ranqueles Indians. 1861, the place was called Villa Mercedes. After the destruction of the indigenous population by Julio Argentino Roca the town began a slow growth from 1880. Only in the 1970s, the population exploded, thanks to a law that in structurally weak regions, the establishment of industries - as it was then San Luis - promoted.

Attractions

Worth seeing are two monumental buildings from the turn of the century to 1900: the Escuela Normal Mixta and the Colegio Nacional. The town hall is decorated in the Art Deco style. The city park is located on the Río Quinto.

Economy

Villa Mercedes was originally dominated by agriculture and agro- industry. Since the 1970s, however, it is become a center of diverse industries that were established as part of the special economic regime for structurally weak regions here and the development of the economy in the city rapidly accelerated.

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