Chilecito is a city in the

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

province of La Rioja, and head of the

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Chilecito Chilecito is a city in the Argentine province of La Rioja, and head of the department of Chilecito. Overview The city is located in the valley formed by the ''Sierras de Velazco'' to the east, and the ''Sierras de Famatina'' to the west. The city ...

Overview

The city is located in the valley formed by the ''Sierras de Velazco'' to the east, and the ''Sierras de Famatina'' to the west. The city was founded in 1715 by Spanish colonizers. Chilecito still preserves the cable-car of ''La Mejicana'' mine built by Bleichert which is part of the city mining past that saw its peak at the end of the 19th century. Chilecito is surrounded by an oasis of irrigation, which has been expanded by way of supplements from underground waters. A great part of agricultural land is used for the cultivation of vineyards because the most significant industrial activity is based in wine-cellars. Walnut and fruit trees are also cultivated and their product is locally processed. The Argentine educator, lawyer, senator, governor and historian

Joaquín V. González Joaquín Víctor González (March 6, 1863 – December 21, 1923) was an Argentine educator, political scientist, writer, magistrate, and politician. Biography Early life González was born in Nonogasta, a rural community near Chilecito, ...

was raised in the vicinity of Chilecito. He also used to spend his vacation in a home that he built here in his later years. The property, which he called '' Samay Huasi'' ( Quechua ''Samay Wasi'', "rest house") was donated to the University of La Plata for use as an artists' retreat. By the end of the 1990s, the university of Chilecito which was still part of the National University of La Rioja became the

National University of Chilecito The National University of Chilecito ( es, Universidad Nacional de Chilecito, UNDEC) is an Argentine national university situated in the city of Chilecito, La Rioja. The institution was established on December 16, 2002, on the Chilecito campus ...

. This decision was highly criticized by different academic and political sectors, especially those concerning to the

President of Argentina The president of Argentina ( es, Presidente de Argentina), officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation ( es, Presidente de la Nación Argentina), is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Ar ...

at the time,

Carlos Menem Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. Ideologically, he identified as a Peronist and supported economically liberal policies. H ...

Population

According to statistics, Chilecito had 49,453 inhabitants (data taken from the ) which represents a 31% population increase in ten years (there were 22,485 inhabitants in 1991). These numbers include the nearby localities of Anguinán, Los Sarmientos, San Miguel and La Puntilla; without them, the population of Chilecito in 2001 was 25,423 inhabitants.

Climate

Remarkable people

* Juan Ramires de Velasco *

, née Joaquín Víctor González * Mateo Rosas de Oquendo * Julián Amatte * Doña Nocenta Pizetta * Francisco Antonio Ortiz de Ocampo * Domingo de Castro y Bazán * Sarmiento de la Vega * Isabel Ibarra y Velasco de Sarmiento de la Vega * Arturo Marasso * Gabino Coria Peñaloza

References

{{Authority control Populated places in La Rioja Province, Argentina Populated places established in 1715 1715 establishments in the Spanish Empire