La Rioja, Argentina

Cities and towns in Argentina La Rioja Province La Rioja Department Capital Location 29°26′S 66°51′W / 29.433°S 66.85°W / -29.433; -66.85Coordinates: 29°26′S 66°51′W / 29.433°S 66.85°W / -29.433; -66.85 Elevation 543 m AMSL Population 289,983 (est. 2001) Phone code +54 3822 CPA base F5300 Mayor Ricardo C. Quintela Party Justicialist Party

La Rioja is the capital city of the Argentine province of La Rioja, located on the east of the province. The city has a population of almost 150,000 as per the 2001 census [INDEC].

La Rioja is located on the foot of the Velasco Sierras, 1,167 km from Buenos Aires, and 430 km from Córdoba. It is one of the most arid and least populated provinces of Argentina. The Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport (IATA: IRJ, ICAO: SANL) at coordinates 29°23′21″S 66°48′09″W / 29.38917°S 66.8025°W / -29.38917; -66.8025 is 7 kilometres away from La Rioja, and serves regular flights to Buenos Aires and Catamarca.

Monument to Jose de San Martin, 25^th of May Plaza, La Rioja.

Former president Isabel Martínez de Perón was born in La Rioja. Another former president, Carlos Menem, was born nearby.

Climate

The weather is dry and semi-desertic with, average temperatures of 5 °C to 20 °C in winter and 21 °C to 35 °C in summer, but with maximum temperatures of more than 40 °C.

History

Juan Ramirez de Velasco founded the city with the name Todos los Santos de la Nueva Rioja on May 20, 1591, while he was the Governor of the Territories of Tucumán, in homage to the region of La Rioja in Spain.

Around the time of the Easter celebrations of 1591 approximately 9,000, of the estimated 11,000 indigenous people living in the surrounding area, attacked the stronghold of La Padercitas in La Rioja as a protest to the poor treatment they received from the Spanish settlers. During this time the Spanish settlers looked to San Francisco Solano to re-establish the peace.

La Rioja was always the principal settlement of the province. The only time it was surpassed in population was in the mid 1800's when Chilecito, a small settlement near the Chilean boarder based around the Hacienda Santa Rita, became the largest town in the province. It wasn't until the early 1900's that La Rioja regained the status of being the largest city.

The city was the only settlement of some importance in the territory of the present province, and when an earthquake severely damaged the city in 1894, it had only 8,000 inhabitants. In was not until the 1970s that the population of the city, and of the province, started growing considerably.

Economy

The economy of the entire province is historically tied to cattle farming and agriculture, as well as wine production. But the beginning of the 1970s brought to the city an industrialisation thrust that makes La Rioja today an important centre in Argentina's pharmacological industry.

The majority of La Rioja's working class find employment in construction, however, La Rioja's economy is also fueled by tourism hosting trips to places like Chilecito and Talampaya National Park. Also the summer harvest or "La Cosecha" is a large employer. During la cosecha many Riojanos find work in nearby green olive plantations, vineyards, and cotton fields and the factories that bottle and distribute these products. La Rioja is also home to The Argentine National University of La Rioja, the university has brought students and professors to the city for work and study since its establishment in the 1970's.

Religion

• Catholics: Cathedral of La Rioja (showing in image above), Church of San Francisco, Convento of Santo Domingo, Church of La Merced
• Pentecostals: The Penecostal Gospel Church of La Rioja
• Evangelists: There are varios independent Evangelist churches of different creeds in La Rioja.
• Mormons: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has several congregations and chapels in La Rioja.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: La Rioja, La Rioja (Argentina)

• Official page (Spanish)
• (Spanish) Municipal information: Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.
• City Information (English)
• Universidad Nacional de La Rioja (Spanish)

v • d • e Provincial capitals of Argentina La Plata, Buenos Aires · San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Catamarca · Resistencia, Chaco · Rawson, Chubut · Córdoba, Córdoba · Corrientes, Corrientes · Paraná, Entre Ríos · Formosa, Formosa · San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy · Santa Rosa, La Pampa · La Rioja, La Rioja · Mendoza, Mendoza · Posadas, Misiones · Neuquén, Neuquén · Viedma, Río Negro · Salta, Salta · San Juan, San Juan · San Luis, San Luis · Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz · Santa Fe, Santa Fe · Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero · Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego · Tucumán, Tucumán