Neuquén () is a
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of
Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
. It borders
Mendoza Province
Mendoza (), officially the Province of Mendoza, is a province of Argentina, in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders San Juan to the north, La Pampa and Neuquén to the south, San Luis to the east, and the r ...
to the north,
Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
to the west. It also meets
La Pampa Province
La Pampa () is a sparsely populated province of Argentina, located in the Pampas in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise San Luis, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza.
History
In ...
at its northeast corner.
History
The Neuquén Province receives its name from the
Neuquén River.
The term ''"Neuquén"'' derives from the Mapudungun (a local dialect of the
Mapuche language
Mapuche ( , ; from 'land' and 'people', meaning 'the people of the land') or Mapudungun (from 'land' and 'speak, speech', meaning 'the speech of the land'; also spelled Mapuzugun and Mapudungu) is either a language isolate or member of the sm ...
) word ''"Nehuenken"'' meaning ''drafty'', which the aborigines used for the river. The word (without the accentuation) is a
palindrome
A palindrome (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpæl.ɪn.droʊm/) is a word, palindromic number, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as ''madam'' or ''racecar'', the date "Twosday, 02/02/2020" and th ...
.
Lácar Department
Lácar is a department located in the south of Neuquén Province, Argentina.
Geography
The department is bounded by Huiliches Department to the north, Collón Cura Department to the northeast, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, Los Lagos ...
in Neuquén Province has the southernmost known remains of
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
before it was further diffused by the
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...
. Maize remains were found as far south as 40°19' S in Melinquina, with it being found inside pottery dated to 730 ±80 BP and 920 ±60 BP. This maize was probably brought across the Andes from
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
during the
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...
that also reached
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
.
Agriculture was practised in Pre-Hispanic Argentina as far south as southern
Mendoza Province
Mendoza (), officially the Province of Mendoza, is a province of Argentina, in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders San Juan to the north, La Pampa and Neuquén to the south, San Luis to the east, and the r ...
just north of Neuquén Province.
Agriculture was at times practised beyond this limit in nearby areas of Patagonia but populations reverted at times to non-agricultural lifestyles.
[ By the time of the Spanish arrival to the area (1550s) there is no record of agriculture being practised in northern Patagonia.][ The extensive Patagonian grasslands and an associated abundance of ]guanaco
The guanaco ( ; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids; the other species is the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.
Etymology
The gua ...
game may have contributed for the indigenous populations to favour a hunter-gathered lifestyle.[
Inhabited by Tehuelches and ]Pehuenche
Pehuenche (or Pewenche) are an Indigenous people of South America. They live in the Andes, primarily in present-day south central Chile and adjacent Argentina. Their name derives from their dependence for food on the seeds of the ''Araucaria ar ...
at the time of European contact, the territory was initially explored by conquistador
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
es coming from Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
. In 1670 Nicolás Mascardi, a Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest established in Chiloé Archipelago
The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...
, founded the mission '' Nuestra Señora de Nahuel Huapi'' on the northern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. The Jesuit missions lasted few years and the last mission in Neuquén was destroyed in 1717.[ The ]suppression of the Society of Jesus
The suppression of the Society of Jesus was the removal of all members of the Jesuits from most of Western Europe and their respective colonies beginning in 1759 along with the abolition of the order by the Holy See in 1773; the papacy acceded ...
in 1767 halted further missionary activity.[
]
Royalist hideout
During the independence wars initiated by José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (; 25 February 177817 August 1850), nicknamed "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's succe ...
the local natives' rumored the imminent arrival of Spanish Crown Loyalist troops to Patagonia, either from the Chilean port of Chiloé coming from Alto Peru or by the Spanish settlements in the Patagonian Islands, were common among Mapuches indigenous peoples and of the northern Patagonia Pampas of Argentina. The last royalist armed group in what is today Argentina and Chile, the Pincheira brothers, moved from the vicinities of Chillán
Chillán () is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Ñuble Region, Diguillín Province, Chile, located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the center of the country. It has been the capital of the new Ñuble Region since ...
across the Andes into northern Neuquén as patriots consolidated control of the Spanish Crown colony of Capitania of Chile. The Pincheira brothers was a large mounted outlaw gang made of European Spanish, American Spanish, Mestizo
( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
s and local indigenous peoples. This group was able to move to Patagonia thanks to its alliance with two indigenous tribes, the Ranqueles and the Boroanos.[ In Varvarco, far from the de facto territory of the Republic of Chile and the United Provinces, the Pincheira brothers established a permanent encampment with thousands of settlers.][ From this and other bases the Pincheira brothers led numerous raids into the countryside of the newly established republics.][
In 1827 Chilean troops commanded by Jorge Beauchef retaliated by crossing the Andes and raided the royalist encampment.] Chileans forced about three thousand people back across the Andes to repopulate Antuco.[
]
Integration to Argentina (1875–1955)
The Neuquén area came under Argentine influence after explorer Perito Francisco Moreno made several trips to Patagonia
Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
and made accurate descriptions of the area in his book "Viaje al Pais de las Manzanas", reaching Nahuel Huapi lake in 1875. In 1879 Julio Argentino Roca started the Conquest of the Desert (''Conquista del Desierto'') that finally broke the aboriginal resistance. In 1884 Patagonia's political divisions were restructured and the ''Territory of Neuquén'' acquired its current boundaries. The capital of the province moved several times to ''Norquín'' (1884–85), ''Campana Mahuida'' (current Loncopué) (1885–1888), Chos Malal (1885–1901), and finally ''Confluencia'' currently known as Neuquén
Neuquén (; ) is the capital city of the Argentine province of Neuquén and of the Confluencia Department, located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers which form t ...
.
At the beginning of the 20th century the railway reached the city of Neuquén, and a new irrigation system was finished, facilitating the production and later transportation of crops. Petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...
was found in ''Plaza Huincul'' in 1918, giving Neuquén a new push forward.
Local politics have long been dominated by a single political party, the MPN or Movimiento Popular Neuquino founded by Elias Sapag, a prosperous businessman born in Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
.
Migrating to Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, the Sapag family arrived in Neuquén Territory around 1910 with the railroad, eventually making their home in Zapala, whose dry, fertile mountain valleys and orchards were reminiscent of their native Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. Neuquén is rich in natural resources such as natural gas, petroleum, virgin forest
An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...
s and water resources
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. These resources can be either Fresh water, freshwater from natural sources, or water produ ...
suitable for electric power and tourism alike. These resources were formerly managed by the central National Government, which resulted in little local benefit at the time. Because of social unrest, Elias Sapag and two younger brothers, Felipe and Amado, started the MPN, an active political movement rooted in federalism
Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, State (sub-national), states, Canton (administrative division), ca ...
and greater local rights over the territory and its resources.
Argentine Province (1955–present)
The territory was made a province on June 15, 1955, and its constitution promulgated on November 28, 1957. Felipe Sapag soon became politically prominent. Although he was elected governor in 1962 representing the Movimiento Popular Neuquino, a coup against progressive President Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ércoli (Paso de los Libres, October 28, 1908 – Buenos Aires, April 18, 1995) was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, teacher, statesman, and politician. He was elected president of Argentina and governed from May ...
that March prevented Sapag from taking office. Eventually becoming governor in 1963-66 and 1973–76, he presided over one of Argentina's fastest-growing provinces. The national government established the University of Neuquén in 1964, later incorporated into the new National University of Comahue
The National University of Comahue (, UNCNavarro, Fernando A. ''. Tremédica, Asociación Internacional de Traductores y Redactores de Medicina y Ciencias Afines/UNCoPortal de Prensa de la Uncoma, Universidad Nacional del Comahue'/Uncoma) is an ...
in 1971. Removed as governor following the violent March 1976 coup against Isabel Perón
Isabel Martínez de Perón (, born María Estela Martínez Cartas; 4 February 1931) is an Argentine politician who served as the 41st president of Argentina from 1974 to 1976. She was one of the List of elected and appointed female heads of s ...
, Felipe Sapag was returned to office in 1983-87 and 1995-99. His emphasis on public works and political independence from Buenos Aires have helped him and his successors with the MPN win every province-wide election since. His brother Elias Sapag became senator in 1963-66, 1973–76 and from 1983 until his death in 1993, becoming the longest-serving senator in national history. The MPN also elected Governors Pedro Salvatori (1987–91), Jorge Sobisch (1991–95 and 1999–2007) and current Governor Jorge Sapag (2007–11).
Geography
The province's limits are the Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
to the northeast, separating it from the Mendoza Province
Mendoza (), officially the Province of Mendoza, is a province of Argentina, in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders San Juan to the north, La Pampa and Neuquén to the south, San Luis to the east, and the r ...
, the Limay River to the southeast toward the Río Negro Province
Río Negro (, ''Black River'') is a province of Argentina, located in northern Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Its cap ...
, and the Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
mountains to the west, separating it from Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
.
There are two main distinctive landscapes; the mountainous fertile valleys with forest on the west, and the arid plateau with fertile land only near the basins of the rivers on the east, mostly the Limay River and Neuquén River.
The lacustrine system includes other less-important rivers such as the Aluminé River, the Malleo, and the Picún Leufú River, and a series of lakes including Nahuel Huapi Lake (550 km2), shared with Río Negro Province, Aluminé Lake (58 km2), Lácar Lake (49 km2), Huechulaufquen Lake (110 km2), Lolog Lake (35 km2), Traful, Hermoso, Quillén, Ñorquinco, Tromen and Falkner.
The province is home to the magnificent Arrayanes ''(Luma apiculata)'' forest at the Los Arrayanes National Park. Other National parks include Lanín National Park and the Lanín extinct volcano, the Nahuel Huapí National Park shared with Río Negro Province, and the Laguna Blanca National Park.
Climate
Neuquén Province, being relatively far away from both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific ocean by the Andes mountains, which help to block most moisture coming from the Pacific Ocean results in a climate that is the most continent
A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...
al in Patagonia with large diurnal ranges.
Temperature
Mean temperatures are relatively cold for its latitude due to the high altitude.[ The warmest region is the eastern parts of the province where mean annual temperatures range from .][ The coldest areas are located in the Andean region where mean annual temperatures are below or even below at the highest peaks.][ During the summer months, mean December and January temperatures reach up to in the eastern parts although during ]heat waves
"Heat Waves" is a song by British indie rock band Glass Animals released as a single from their third studio album ''Dreamland (Glass Animals album), Dreamland'' on 29 June 2020. A sleeper hit, it is the band's signature song and biggest hit sing ...
, temperatures can exceed .[ In July, the mean temperature ranges from in the east to in the west at the foothills of the Andes.][
]
Humidity and precipitation
Humidity throughout the province varies significantly, depending on the location.[ The Andean region has a mean humidity exceeding 60% or even 70% due to lower temperatures while in the eastern parts, humidity is lower owing to higher temperatures.][ In all locations, humidity is significantly lower during the summer than in the winter.][
Because the Andes block most of the moisture from the Pacific Ocean from coming in, causing it to release most of the precipitation on its western slopes, most of the province is dry, averaging less than a year.][ Northern and eastern parts of the province have mean annual precipitation exceeding . In the western parts of the province, precipitation ranges from from the Andes to areas east of it.][ This area represents a transitional climate between the more arid east and the wetter climates to the west and has a ]Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
like precipitation pattern, similar to central Chile.[ This is due to the seasonal migration of the South Pacific Anticyclone.][ Summer months are drier since the South Pacific high is more southwards, inhibiting rainfall.][ During the winter months, this high is displaced to the north, allowing frontal and low pressure systems from the west to come in, resulting in higher precipitation during this season.][ As such, most of the precipitation in this area falls during the winter months.][ In the southernmost parts of the province, some areas receive more than of precipitation a year.][
]
Wind and sunshine
The winds in the province are moderately strong (slightly stronger in the south) and play a role in making most of the province arid by favoring evaporation.[ The predominant wind directions are from the west or southwest, which occur 40–50% of the time.][ In general, high altitude areas and flat areas receive stronger winds while summers tend to be windier than winters.][
Cloud cover in the province varies widely with the eastern parts receiving less cloud cover than the Andean region which tends to be cloudier.][ Winters tend to be cloudier than summers with mean daily sunshine hours ranging from a high of 11 hours/day in January to a low of 3 hours in June.][
]
Demographics
According to the 2022 Argentine national census, the Province of Neuquén has 726,590 inhabitants.
Economy
Neuquen is one of Argentina's most prosperous provinces, its estimated 47.648 billion Peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
(about US$10.495 billion)[The average exchange for 1 US dollar was 4.54 Argentine pesos in 2012 according to the World Bank](_blank)
/ref> economy in 2012, or, 80,566 pesos (US$17,744) per capita.[
No province in Argentina, however, is as dependent on any one sector as is Neuquen's. Roughly half its output is accounted for by its mining and extractive sector, mainly on account of its massive gas and petroleum production, the most important in Argentina. That dependency is only likely to increase: development of the province's huge unconventional hydrocarbon reserves is beginning, above all in the Vaca Muerta formation.
The province generates a significant part of Patagonia's electric power through the hydroelectric plants of Piedra del Águila, El Chocón, Pichi Picún Leufú, Planicie Banderita (in the Cerros Colorados Complex), and Alicurá. The town of Arroyito hosts the only ]heavy water
Heavy water (deuterium oxide, , ) is a form of water (molecule), water in which hydrogen atoms are all deuterium ( or D, also known as ''heavy hydrogen'') rather than the common hydrogen-1 isotope (, also called ''protium'') that makes up most o ...
plant in the country.
Another important activity is the production of apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
s, pear
Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
s, peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
es and others, specially in the Alto Valle area, shared with Río Negro.
The piquetero movement (organizations of unemployed workers) was born in Neuquén in the 1990s, during the presidency of Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) served as the 50th president of Argentina for ten years, from 1989 to 1999. He identified as Peronism, Peronist, serving as President of the Justicialist Party for 13 years (from 1990 to 200 ...
.
Tourism
:''See also Tourism in Argentina article''
A destination of many Argentines and foreigners, the province has a number of year-round attractions, including:
* San Martín de los Andes
* Villa La Angostura
* Los Arrayanes National Park
* Lanín National Park
* Nahuel Huapí National Park
* Laguna Blanca National Park
* Copahue hot baths.
During the winter, there are the ski resorts in Chapelco
Chapelco, or Cerro Chapelco, is a mountain and massif in Neuquén Province, south-western Argentina. The ski station of the same name is located from the resort town of San Martín de los Andes.
Designed by Federico Graeff and established in 1 ...
, Cerro Bayo and Caviahue.
Many hike or fish, mainly for river trout
Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
, the lake district region of Southwestern Neuquén that stretches into Río Negro and Chubut Province
Chubut ( from Tehuelche language, Tehuelche 'transparent'; ) is a provinces of Argentina, province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa ...
s.
There were a number of dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
s in the area, of which the bones of a 95 million years old '' Argentinosaurus'' are in display at th
Carmen Funes Museum
in ''Plaza Huincul''.
Government
The provincial government is divided into the usual three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoint the cabinet; the legislative; and the judiciary, headed by the Supreme Court.
The Constitution of Neuquén Province forms the formal law of the province.
In Argentina, the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal Police
The Argentine Federal Police ( or PFA) is the national civil police force of the Argentine federal government. The PFA has detachments throughout the country. Until January 1, 2017, it also acted as the local law enforcement agency in the cap ...
but the additional work is carried out by the Neuquén Provincial Police.
Political division
The province is divided into 16 departments
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, ...
().
Villages
* La Buitrera
* Mari Menuco
Notable people
* Marcos Acuña, football player
* Gregorio Álvarez, physician and historian
* Stephanie Beatriz
Stephanie Beatriz Bischoff Alvizuri (born February 10, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for playing Detective Rosa Diaz in the Fox/ NBC comedy series ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (2013–2021), Quiet in the Peacock action-comedy series '' ...
, actor
* , poet
* Raúl di Blasio, pianist
* , poet
* , poet
* , bishop
*
* Rubens Sambueza, football player
* Felipe Sapag, politician
* , Mapuche chieftain
* Mario Daniel Vega, football player
See also
* Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway
* Ferrocarril General Roca
* Servicios Ferroviarios Patagónico
Tren Patagónico (in English: "Patagonian Train") is a state-owned company of Río Negro Province in Argentina which operates an 827-km length broad gauge railway line between Viedma and San Carlos de Bariloche.
The train also runs a shorte ...
* Neuquenraptor
* Neuquensaurus
References
External links
*
Neuquen Province Official Website
Neuquen Province Official Tourism Website
Argentour Neuquen Province
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neuquen Province
Provinces of Argentina
Patagonia
States and territories established in 1955
1955 establishments in Argentina