San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca

San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca () is the capital and largest city in Catamarca Province in northwestern Argentina, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato. The city name is normally shortened as Catamarca.

The city of , located above sea level, has 159,000 inhabitants (), with more than 200,000 counting the suburbia, what represents around 70% of the population of the province.

Overview

The city is located from Buenos Aires. The closest provincial capitals are La Rioja (), Tucumán () and Santiago del Estero ().

Many pilgrims come to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca to visit the Church of the Virgin of the Valley (1694), which contains a statue of ''Nuestra Señora'' del Valle (Our Lady of the Valley).

Catamarca is also the touristic centre of the province, with its colonial architecture, and serves as a hub to many touristic points and excursions, hiking, mountain-bike tours, horse riding, and wine tasting.

Transportation

San Fernando del Valle is served by Coronel Felipe Varela International Airport (CTC/SANC), with flights to Buenos Aires-AEP.

History and politics

An initial settlement, called Londres, was established here by Spanish colonists in 1558; a permanent settlement was not founded until 1683, by Fernando de Mendoza y Mate de Luna. ''Catamarca'' comes from Quechua meaning "fortress on the slope".

The city, which had only 8,000 inhabitants in 1882 and was reached by a railway line in 1888, grew very slowly, and the region remained poor even in the middle of the 20th century.

Climate

The warm semi-arid climate (Köppen ''BSh'') of Catamarca has an annual average of 20 °C with an average maximum temperature of in summer with several days typically exceeding , and an average minimum of in winter. Temperatures in the high mountains can drop down to , however in the city they rarely go below freezing. The Valle (valley) receives relatively little rainfall from summer thunderstorms; most of the precipitation is received in the form of snow on the high mountain tops surrounding the city.

Economy

Agriculture is San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca's chief economic activity; however, low rainfall makes irrigation necessary.
Fruit and grapes are grown in the oasis areas near the city, and there is a considerable production of wine. Other local production includes preserves and handwoven ponchos.

Cotton and cattle are important economically, as well as mining at the ''Farallón Negro'', ''Bajo de la Alumbrera'' and ''Capillitas'' mines where gold, silver, copper and tin.

Gallery

File:Catedral Basílica Nuestra Señora del Valle, Catamarca.jpg, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Valley
File:Catamarca Capital Terminal Omnibus.JPG, Güemes Avenue and the omnibus terminal
File:Panoramica de San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.jpg, Urban landscape of the city with the Ambato mountain in the back.
File:El Jumeal.jpg, El Jumeal dam.
File:Estatuta de San Francisco, frente al convento.jpg, The San Francisco Convent front, in the city center of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.

See also

* Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Valle

Notes

References

*

External links

Municipality of S. F. del V. de Catamarca
- Official website.

{{Authority control

Populated places in Catamarca Province
Capitals of Argentine provinces
Populated places established in 1683
Cities in Argentina
1683 establishments in the Spanish Empire