Tolar Grande is a village and rural municipality in Salta Province in northwestern
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
Climate
The climate is typical of the puna area and more precisely of the very dry
diurnal air temperature variation
In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day.
Temperature lag
Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak d ...
, which can reach a difference of 30 ° C between the minimum and maximum temperature of the same day.
Population
According to estimates, by 2015 the population amounted to 210 people. This notable increase was due to policies promoted by local authorities with the aim of reversing the emigration process and the consequent depopulation.
History
Tolar Grande had its period of maximum expansion towards the 1940s. At that time, the town constituted the end of the railroad branch to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, projected to unite the city of
Salta
Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...
with the city of
Antofagasta
Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669.
After the Spanish American wars ...
. It is estimated that at that time, around 5000 people lived in the town, mainly dedicated to railway activity.
At the same time, during this period the La Casualidad Mine was in full activity, transporting the sulfur cargoes from Mina Julia to the Tolar Grande railway station, to be shipped from there to their final destination.
The closure of the mine, the interruption of the railway project, and then the total closure of the branch led to the depopulation of the region, with the consequent deterioration of the living conditions of the few residents who decided not to leave the town.
Salta
Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...
and near the
Salar de Arizaro
Salar de Arizaro ("Arizaro" comes from Atacameno "crow", "condor" and , , "accommodation", "place where something is common".) is a large salt flat of the Andes in north-western Argentina.
It is located between the villages of Tolar Grande a ...
. It is served by the
Salta–Antofagasta railway
The Salta–Antofagasta railway, also named Huaytiquina, is a non-electrified single track railway line that links Argentina and Chile passing through the Andes. It is a railway with a total length of 941 km (571 in Argentina and 330 in Ch ...
and is 170 km from
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and borders at
Socompa
Socompa is a large stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile with an elevation of metres. Part of the Chilean and Argentine Andean Volcanic Belt (AVB), it is part of the Central Volcanic Zone, one of the various segments of the AVB. Th ...
. The tourist attraction Ojos de Mar lies nearby. With a municipal area of 13,785 km2, it covers at almost half of the Los Andes Department territory.
Gallery
File:Cono de Arita, Salar de Arizaro (Argentina).jpg, Cono de Arita in
Salar de Arizaro
Salar de Arizaro ("Arizaro" comes from Atacameno "crow", "condor" and , , "accommodation", "place where something is common".) is a large salt flat of the Andes in north-western Argentina.
It is located between the villages of Tolar Grande a ...
File:Tolar Grande El ayuntamiento..JPG, Town's view