Catamarca Province
Encyclopedia
Catamarca is a province
of Argentina
, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise, from the north): Salta
, Tucumán
, Santiago del Estero
, Córdoba, and La Rioja. To the west it borders Chile
.
The capital is San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
, usually shortened to Catamarca. Other important cities include Andalgalá
, Tinogasta
, and Belén
.
Located in an arid and semi-arid climatic zone, Catamarca shows an evident scarcity of superficial hydraulic resources; this fact accounts for human activities and settlements. Advantage has been taken of intermontane areas, such as pockets and valleys, for agricultural activities. To the east of its territory there are several water courses, distributed through canals and irrigation ditches, around which the population is concentrated, with the most efficient network of facilities and services.
Fall is short and pleasant, while winters are extremely dry. Daytime temperatures vary, but they usually stay in the 18ºC (64F) to 22ºC (72F) range, while nights are quite cold at 0ºC (32F) to 7ºC (45F). Days over 30ºC (86F) or nights below -6ºC (21F) cannot be ruled out, even during the same week. In the desert, or in higher areas, frost occurs every night, and temperatures as low as -10ºC (14F) are not rare. In the high Andes, of course, under -30ºC (-22F) may be recorded, but snow is scarce because of the dryness.
Springs arrive quickly in August, and a tremendous drought is to be expected. Daytime temperatures may soar to unexpected values very early, only to fall quickly to wintry levels and then recover. Overall, a few days over 40ºC (104F) are to be expected yearly.
Rainfall ranges from over 650 mm in some mountains in the East, to a general 400 mm in semiarid eastern regions, to about 100 mm in the driest spots.
Highest point: Nevada Ojos del Salado (Salt Springs Peak) 6908 meters.
tribe. In 1558 Juan Pérez de Zurita founded San Juan de la Ribera de Londres, but since it was constantly under attack of the indigenous people it was not very populated, it was re-founded, changed its locating, and renamed several times. For its 6th foundation, on July 5, 1683, Fernando de Mendoza Mate de Luna founded the city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
.
When the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
was created in 1776, Catamarca obtained the title of Subintendencia under the Salta
intendency. In 1821, the province claims its autonomy, and Nicolás Avellaneda y Tula (grandfather of Nicolás Avellaneda
) is elected as the first governor of the province.
There are two versions of the origin of the name. The Quechua version form words "cata" ("slope") and "marca" ("fortress") forming "Fortress on the slope", and the Aymara
version from words "Catán" ("small") and "marca" ("town or moose") resulting in "Small town or moose".
Catamarca remained isolated from the rest of Argentina by its mountains until 1888, when the rapidly expanding railways first appeared in the province. Attracting immigrants with its spacious, fertile valleys and dry, agreeable weather, Catamarca was soon favored by immigrants from Lebanon
and Iran
, who found Catamarca reminiscent of the fertile, orchard-lined mountain valleys of the homes they left behind.
One such family, the Saadis, became prominent in local commerce and politics (much as the Syria
n Menems in neighboring La Rioja
). In 1949, the newly designated province elected Vicente Saadi as governor. Eventually, Saadi, a Peronist, would become indispensable to local politics (a Caudillo), exerting influence mostly by proxy. Passing away in 1988, he was succeeded by his son, Ramon
. In 1990, however, close friends of the Saadis were involved in a brutal murder involving a local, 15-year-old girl. Quickly becoming a cause cèlebre, the death of Maria Soledad Morales cost Gov. Saadi much of his popularity and, in 1991, his office, when Catamarca (for the first time) voted in a Radical Civic Union
(UCR) candidate, Arnoldo Castillo. Elected by his still considerable following to the Senate, Saadi is today an ally of President Cristina Kirchner, though the governor's seat remains in the UCR's column.
Less diversified than most in Argentina, agriculture has never played an important role in the Catamarca economy (contributing less than 5% to its output). The province's livestock includes around 200,000 bovine heads of cattle, 100,000 bovine, and 150,000 goat
s, with an annual production of 7,000 tonne
s of beef, 5 tonnes of sheep meat, and 10 tonnes of pork, although outbreaks of foot and mouth disease has kept at times the production from reaching full potential.
Mining, however, has been unusually relevant in the past and, after becoming somewhat inactive in the early 1990s, grew to prominence again by the year 2000 (now accounting for over 20% of the economy). Catamarca is home to one of the largest copper gold mines in the world, Bajo de la Alumbrera which produces approximately 600,000 ounces of gold and 190,000 tonnes of copper annually. The mine directly employs over 1,000 people and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to the federal and provincial governments.
Its agriculture focuses on wood (walnut
), vineyards, olive, citrus, cotton and tobacco, to which the government gives tax cuts to facilitate economic growth so far with failing results and no oversight.
Tourism is a surging economy in Catamarca, with more than 3,465 beds in hotels and other types of accommodation. Although high hopes are focused in this industry, lack of infrastructure, service oriented and trained businesses and an overall endemic corruption culture, tourism has yet to become a real option for the local economy. Mountains and geological formation are the main attraction, with sights such as Antofagasta de la Sierra
, Balcones del Valle, the Snow-Covered Summits of Aconquija, and the Pass of San Francisco. The San Francisco Pass, an endeavor developed during the Castillo Administrations (1991–2003) at a tremendous cost to public funds has failed to bring trade and tourism to underdeveloped Tinogasta county.
Large numbers of cattle, fattened in the alfalfa fields of Pucara, Tinogasta and Copacabana, were driven into northern Chile across the San Francisco pass and mules were bred for the Bolivian market in 1910's. Cultural attractions include the city of Catamarca, the archaeological park Las Huellas del Inca, prehistoric petroglyph
s, local music, handcrafts and wines.
, 38 from Catamarca north via San Pedro 228 km to Tucuman, 60 north-west from Córdoba Province 577 km from La Guardia
north-west (partly through La Rioja) to Chile
by the Passa de San Francisco (4722 m), 64 west from Santiago del Estero
to join 38 and 157 north from La Guardia
103 km to Frias
where it connects with 89 west from Villa San Martin (Santiago del Estero), and north to Tucuman province at San Pedro, connecting with 64 near Las Cañas.
There is an airport at Catamarca.
and minor local parties the Civic and Social Front of Catamarca
has dominated state politics. It has held the governor's house in Catamarca, first with Arnoldo Castillo
(1991–1999), then with his son Oscar Castillo
(1999–2003), and now with the present governor, Eduardo Brizuela del Moral
.
The province is divided into sixteen departments
.
Department (Capital)
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 northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise, from the north): Salta
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
, Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
, Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
, Córdoba, and La Rioja. To the west it borders 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...
.
The capital is San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato....
, usually shortened to Catamarca. Other important cities include Andalgalá
Andalgalá
Andalgalá is a city in the west-center of the province of Catamarca, Argentina, located in a valley near the Sierra de Aconquija, 260 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. It has about 14,000 inhabitants as per the . It is the head town of the department of the same name...
, Tinogasta
Tinogasta
Tinogasta is a city in the west of the , on the right-hand shore of the Abaucán River, about 280 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. It has about 14,500 inhabitants as of the . It is the head town of the department of the same name. The name of the city comes from...
, and Belén
Belén, Catamarca
Belén is a small town in the province of Catamarca, Argentina. It has about 12,000 inhabitants according to the , and it is the head town of the department of the same name. Belén is the birthplace of Luis Franco.-References:* — Official website....
.
Geography
Most of Catamarca’s territory of 102,602 square kilometers (2.7% of the country total), is covered by mountains (80%), which can be grouped into four clearly differentiated systems: the Pampean sierras, in the east and center; the Narváez-Cerro Negro-Famatina system, in the west; the cordilleran-Catamarca area of transition, in the western extreme; the Puna, an elevated portion, in the northwest.Located in an arid and semi-arid climatic zone, Catamarca shows an evident scarcity of superficial hydraulic resources; this fact accounts for human activities and settlements. Advantage has been taken of intermontane areas, such as pockets and valleys, for agricultural activities. To the east of its territory there are several water courses, distributed through canals and irrigation ditches, around which the population is concentrated, with the most efficient network of facilities and services.
Climate
The province is noted for its quite extreme weather, ranging from semiarid in the east (and almost sub-humid in some particular east-facing slopes) to absolutely desert-like in the west. Temperatures vary widely with altitude, but the low-lying areas are noted for the extreme summer heat: average high temperatures go from 33ºC to 35ºC (91F to 95F) and can sometimes be above 45ºC (113F), albeit with significant cooling at night and low humidity. Almost all the scarce precipitation falls as intense, sporadic thunderstorms in this season.Fall is short and pleasant, while winters are extremely dry. Daytime temperatures vary, but they usually stay in the 18ºC (64F) to 22ºC (72F) range, while nights are quite cold at 0ºC (32F) to 7ºC (45F). Days over 30ºC (86F) or nights below -6ºC (21F) cannot be ruled out, even during the same week. In the desert, or in higher areas, frost occurs every night, and temperatures as low as -10ºC (14F) are not rare. In the high Andes, of course, under -30ºC (-22F) may be recorded, but snow is scarce because of the dryness.
Springs arrive quickly in August, and a tremendous drought is to be expected. Daytime temperatures may soar to unexpected values very early, only to fall quickly to wintry levels and then recover. Overall, a few days over 40ºC (104F) are to be expected yearly.
Rainfall ranges from over 650 mm in some mountains in the East, to a general 400 mm in semiarid eastern regions, to about 100 mm in the driest spots.
Highest point: Nevada Ojos del Salado (Salt Springs Peak) 6908 meters.
History
Before the arrival of the Spanish conquest, most of today's Catamarca was inhabited by the Diaguitas indigenous people, including the fierce CalchaquíCalchaquí
The Calchaquí were a tribe of South American Indians of the Diaguita group, now extinct, who formerly occupied northern Argentina. Stone and other remains prove them to have reached a high degree of civilization...
tribe. In 1558 Juan Pérez de Zurita founded San Juan de la Ribera de Londres, but since it was constantly under attack of the indigenous people it was not very populated, it was re-founded, changed its locating, and renamed several times. For its 6th foundation, on July 5, 1683, Fernando de Mendoza Mate de Luna founded the city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato....
.
When 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...
was created in 1776, Catamarca obtained the title of Subintendencia under the Salta
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
intendency. In 1821, the province claims its autonomy, and Nicolás Avellaneda y Tula (grandfather of Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Remigio Aurelio Avellaneda Silva was an Argentine politician and journalist, and president of Argentina from 1874 to 1880. Avellaneda's main projects while in office were banking and education reform, leading to Argentina's economic growth...
) is elected as the first governor of the province.
Aymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
version from words "Catán" ("small") and "marca" ("town or moose") resulting in "Small town or moose".
Catamarca remained isolated from the rest of Argentina by its mountains until 1888, when the rapidly expanding railways first appeared in the province. Attracting immigrants with its spacious, fertile valleys and dry, agreeable weather, Catamarca was soon favored by immigrants from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, who found Catamarca reminiscent of the fertile, orchard-lined mountain valleys of the homes they left behind.
One such family, the Saadis, became prominent in local commerce and politics (much as the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Menems in neighboring 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:...
). In 1949, the newly designated province elected Vicente Saadi as governor. Eventually, Saadi, a Peronist, would become indispensable to local politics (a Caudillo), exerting influence mostly by proxy. Passing away in 1988, he was succeeded by his son, Ramon
Ramón Saadi
Ramón Eduardo Saadi is a former Argentine senator and former governor for Catamarca Province and a member of the Argentine Justicialist Party...
. In 1990, however, close friends of the Saadis were involved in a brutal murder involving a local, 15-year-old girl. Quickly becoming a cause cèlebre, the death of Maria Soledad Morales cost Gov. Saadi much of his popularity and, in 1991, his office, when Catamarca (for the first time) voted in a Radical Civic Union
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
(UCR) candidate, Arnoldo Castillo. Elected by his still considerable following to the Senate, Saadi is today an ally of President Cristina Kirchner, though the governor's seat remains in the UCR's column.
Demography
Annual growth rate is 23.5‰, while density amounts to 2.6 inhabitants per square kilometer. Urban population represents 70%. (1991).Economy
Catamarca's economy is Argentina's smallest, though not its least developed. Its 2006 economy was estimated at US$1.7 billion, or, US$5,280 per capita, 40% below the national average.Less diversified than most in Argentina, agriculture has never played an important role in the Catamarca economy (contributing less than 5% to its output). The province's livestock includes around 200,000 bovine heads of cattle, 100,000 bovine, and 150,000 goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, with an annual production of 7,000 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s of beef, 5 tonnes of sheep meat, and 10 tonnes of pork, although outbreaks of foot and mouth disease has kept at times the production from reaching full potential.
Mining, however, has been unusually relevant in the past and, after becoming somewhat inactive in the early 1990s, grew to prominence again by the year 2000 (now accounting for over 20% of the economy). Catamarca is home to one of the largest copper gold mines in the world, Bajo de la Alumbrera which produces approximately 600,000 ounces of gold and 190,000 tonnes of copper annually. The mine directly employs over 1,000 people and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to the federal and provincial governments.
Its agriculture focuses on wood (walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
), vineyards, olive, citrus, cotton and tobacco, to which the government gives tax cuts to facilitate economic growth so far with failing results and no oversight.
Antofagasta de la Sierra
Antofagasta de la Sierra is a volcanic field in Argentina. The main type of volcanic edifice in the area are scoria cones. The area contains the youngest vents in the whole of the Puna region of Argentina. It is considered by many authors that the cones in the field are only a few thousand years...
, Balcones del Valle, the Snow-Covered Summits of Aconquija, and the Pass of San Francisco. The San Francisco Pass, an endeavor developed during the Castillo Administrations (1991–2003) at a tremendous cost to public funds has failed to bring trade and tourism to underdeveloped Tinogasta county.
Large numbers of cattle, fattened in the alfalfa fields of Pucara, Tinogasta and Copacabana, were driven into northern Chile across the San Francisco pass and mules were bred for the Bolivian market in 1910's. Cultural attractions include the city of Catamarca, the archaeological park Las Huellas del Inca, prehistoric petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s, local music, handcrafts and wines.
Transport
Major highways include Ruta 33 from Catamarca 98 km south to San MartinSan Martín
-People:*José de San Martín, national hero of Argentina, an 18th-century general and the main leader of the southern part of South America's struggle for independence from Spain...
, 38 from Catamarca north via San Pedro 228 km to Tucuman, 60 north-west from Córdoba Province 577 km from La Guardia
La Guardia
La Guardia is the Italian or Spanish word for "the guard". It can refer to:-Places:*La Guardia , a municipality in Catamarca Province...
north-west (partly through La Rioja) to 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...
by the Passa de San Francisco (4722 m), 64 west from Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
to join 38 and 157 north from La Guardia
La Guardia
La Guardia is the Italian or Spanish word for "the guard". It can refer to:-Places:*La Guardia , a municipality in Catamarca Province...
103 km to Frias
Frias
Frias may refer to:*Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies *Arturo Frias , Mexican-American boxer...
where it connects with 89 west from Villa San Martin (Santiago del Estero), and north to Tucuman province at San Pedro, connecting with 64 near Las Cañas.
There is an airport at Catamarca.
Government and politics
Since its foundation in 1991 by the Catamarcan branch of the Radical Civic UnionRadical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
and minor local parties the Civic and Social Front of Catamarca
Civic and Social Front of Catamarca
The Civic and Social Front of Catamarca is a provincial political party in Argentina.The front was formed in 1991 by the Catamarcan branch of the Radical Civic Union and minor local parties...
has dominated state politics. It has held the governor's house in Catamarca, first with Arnoldo Castillo
Arnoldo Castillo
-Life and times:Arnoldo Aníbal Castillo was born to Carmen Berrondo and Gualberto Castillo in Quilmes, a suburb of Buenos Aires, in 1922. His parents relocated to Catamarca, in the Argentine Northwest, early in his childhood. Castillo enrolled at the National University of Córdoba, wher he studied...
(1991–1999), then with his son Oscar Castillo
Oscar Castillo
Oscar Aníbal Castillo is an Argentine Radical Civic Union politician, currently a Senator for the Civic and Social Front of Catamarca and a former governor of that province. He is the son of the late Arnoldo Castillo, a leading figure in the Catamarca UCR.Castillo was born in San Fernando del...
(1999–2003), and now with the present governor, Eduardo Brizuela del Moral
Eduardo Brizuela del Moral
Eduardo S. Brizuela del Moral is an Argentine Radical Civic Union politician. He has been governor of Catamarca Province since 2003, heading the Civic and Social Front of Catamarca....
.
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...
.
Department (Capital)
- Ambato DepartmentAmbato DepartmentAmbato is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 4,500 inhabitants in an area of 1,797km², and its capital city is La Puerta.-External links:*...
(La PuertaLa PuertaLa Puerta is a village in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head of the Ambato Department.-Attractions:* Iglesia de Nuestra Sra. del Rosario * La Rinconada archaeological site* Cubas cave* Cruce La Puerta...
) - Ancasti DepartmentAncasti DepartmentAncasti is a department located in the southern part of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 4,000 inhabitants in an area of 2,413km², and its capital city is Ancasti, which is located around 1,070km from Capital Federal.-External links:*...
(AncastiAncastiAncasti or Villa Ancasti is a town in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Ancasti Department.-Economy:The foundations of the local economy are agriculture and cattle farming, key produce include maize, potato and squash....
) - Andalgalá DepartmentAndalgalá DepartmentAndalgalá is a central department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 14,000 inhabitants in an area of 4,497km², and its capital city is Andalgalá, which is located around 1,435km from Capital Federal....
(AndalgaláAndalgaláAndalgalá is a city in the west-center of the province of Catamarca, Argentina, located in a valley near the Sierra de Aconquija, 260 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. It has about 14,000 inhabitants as per the . It is the head town of the department of the same name...
) - Antofagasta de la Sierra DepartmentAntofagasta de la Sierra DepartmentAntofagasta de la Sierra is the northernmost department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 1,300 inhabitants in an area of 28,097km², and its capital city is Antofagasta de la Sierra.-Volcanos:...
(Antofagasta de la SierraAntofagasta de la Sierra, CatamarcaAntofagasta de la Sierra is a village in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Antofagasta de la Sierra Department.Antofagasta de la Sierra is a high altitude settlement, the majority of its inhabitants are descended from the Diaguitas and Atacameños.-Economy:The local economy...
) - Belén DepartmentBelén DepartmentBelén is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 12,000 inhabitants in an area of 12,945km², and its capital city is Belén, which is located around 1,465km from the federal capital Buenos Aires....
(BelénBelén, CatamarcaBelén is a small town in the province of Catamarca, Argentina. It has about 12,000 inhabitants according to the , and it is the head town of the department of the same name. Belén is the birthplace of Luis Franco.-References:* — Official website....
) - Capayán DepartmentCapayán DepartmentCapayán is a department located in the south of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 6,358 inhabitants in an area of 4,284km², and its capital city is Huillapima.-External links:* *...
(HuillapimaHuillapimaHuillapima is a town in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Capayán Department....
) - Capital DepartmentCapital Department, CatamarcaCapital is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 141,000 inhabitants in an area of 684km², and its capital city is San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, which is located around 1,145km from Capital Federal.-Districts:*Bajo Hondo*El...
(San Fernando del Valle de CatamarcaSan Fernando del Valle de CatamarcaSan Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato....
) - El Alto DepartmentEl Alto DepartmentEl Alto is an eastern department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 3,400 inhabitants in an area of 2,327 km², and its capital city is El Alto.-External links:*...
(El AltoEl Alto (Catamarca)El Alto is a village and municipality in Catamarca Province in northwestern Argentina....
) - Fray Mamerto Esquiú DepartmentFray Mamerto Esquiú DepartmentFray Mamerto Esquiú is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina. This provincial subdivision has a population of about 11,000 inhabitants in an area of 280 km², and its capital city is San José...
(San JoséSan José de Fray Mamerto EsquiúSan José de Fray Mamerto Esquiú or simply San José is a town in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Fray Mamerto Esquiú Department. It is part of the Gran San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca urban agglomeration....
) - La Paz DepartmentLa Paz Department, CatamarcaLa Paz is a department located in the south of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 21,061 inhabitants in an area of 8,149km², and its capital city is Recreo, which is located around 980km from Capital Federal....
(RecreoRecreoRecreo is a city in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the La Paz Department. Recreo is also referred to the name of the Carts Recreo ....
) - Paclín DepartmentPaclín DepartmentPaclín is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 4,000 inhabitants in an area of 985km², and its capital city is La Merced, which is located around 60km from the provincial capital...
(La MercedLa Merced, CatamarcaLa Merced is a village and municipality in Catamarca Province in northwestern Argentina....
) - Pomán DepartmentPomán DepartmentPomán is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 9,500 inhabitants in an area of 4,859km², and its capital city is Saujil, which is located around 158km from the provincial capital.-Saujil:...
(SaujilSaujilSaujil is a district head of the Pomán Department, of the west of the province of Catamarca , that counts on about 5,000 hab., is made up of the following populations :* Colpes* San José de Colpes* Joyango* San Miguel* Las Casitas...
) - Santa María DepartmentSanta María Department, CatamarcaSanta María is a north eastern department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 22,000 inhabitants in an area of 5,740 km², and its capital city is Santa María.-External links:*...
(Santa MaríaSanta María, CatamarcaSanta María is a city in the province of Catamarca, Argentina. It has about 16,000 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the department of the same name....
) - Santa Rosa DepartmentSanta Rosa Department, CatamarcaSanta Rosa is a department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 10,500 inhabitants in an area of 1,424km², and its capital city is Bañado de Ovanta.-External links:*...
(Bañado de OvantaBañado de OvantaBañado de Ovanta is a town in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Santa Rosa Department. The town was established in 1981 by Provincial decree....
) - Tinogasta DepartmentTinogasta DepartmentTinogasta is a western department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 22,500 inhabitants in an area of 23,582km², and its capital city is Tinogasta, which is located around 1,415km from Capital Federal....
(TinogastaTinogastaTinogasta is a city in the west of the , on the right-hand shore of the Abaucán River, about 280 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. It has about 14,500 inhabitants as of the . It is the head town of the department of the same name. The name of the city comes from...
) - Valle Viejo DepartmentValle Viejo DepartmentValle Viejo is a central department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 24,000 inhabitants in an area of 540km², and its capital city is San Isidro.-Prehistory:...
(San IsidroSan Isidro, CatamarcaSan Isidro is a town in Catamarca Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Valle Viejo Department. It forms part of the Gran San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca urban agglomeration....
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Notable people
- Emilio CaraffaEmilio Caraffa-Life and work:Emilio Caraffa was born in Catamarca, Argentina, in 1862. His family relocated to Rosario, where he attended the local National College , and learned to draw and sketch...
- Post-impressionist painter - Daniel DíazDaniel DiazDaniel Diaz may refer to*Daniel Díaz, Argentine football player*Daniel Martin Diaz, American artist-See also:*Dan Diaz, American composer, producer, and recording engineer/mixer....
- Footballer - Mamerto EsquiúMamerto EsquiúMamerto de la Ascensión Esquiú, Venerable Servant of God was a historically significant Argentine friar.He was born in Piedra Blanca in Catamarca Province to Esquiú and María de las Nieves Medina...
- Friar - Vicente SaadiVicente SaadiVicente Leonidas Saadi was an Argentine Justicialist Party politician. He was a senator and governor for Catamarca Province, and became the patriarch of a family that has dominated Catamarca politics since the 1940s....
- Justicialist PartyJusticialist PartyThe Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
politician
External links
- Official site (Spanish)
- History (Spanish)
- Important Historical Dates (Spanish)
- CatamarcaWeb Portal (Spanish)
- Guide to Catamarca (Spanish)
- CatamarcaTotal Info about hotels (Spanish)
- Hospital Interzonal de Niños Eva Peron (Spanish)