La Rioja, Argentina
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2012) |
La Rioja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | La Rioja |
| Department | Capital |
| Founded | 1591 |
| Elevation | 515 m (1,690 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 180,995 |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (ART) |
| CPA base | F5300 |
| Dialing code | +54 3822 |
| Website | Official website |
La Rioja is the capital city of the Argentine province of La Rioja, located in the east of the province. The city has a population of almost 150,000 according to the 2001 census [INDEC].
La Rioja is located on the foot of the Velasco Sierras, 1,167 km (725 mi) from Buenos Aires, and 430 km (267 mi) from Córdoba.
Former president Isabel Martínez de Perón was born in La Rioja. Another former president, Carlos Menem, was born nearby.
Climate
La Rioja has a semi-arid climate (BSh, according to the Köppen climate classification), with average temperatures of 5 °C (41 °F) to 19 °C (66 °F) winter and 21 °C (70 °F) to 35 °C (95 °F) in summer, but with maximum temperatures of more than 45 °C (113 °F). The average annual rainfall is 411.4 mm (16 in), falling almost exclusively during the summer when moist tropical air from the northeast enters the region.
| Climate data for La Rioja Aero, Argentina | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.5 (94.1) |
32.5 (90.5) |
30.1 (86.2) |
26.8 (80.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
30.8 (87.4) |
33.1 (91.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
27.7 (81.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) |
25.5 (77.9) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
10.9 (51.6) |
10.8 (51.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.3 (63.1) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.7 (69.3) |
19.8 (67.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
9.5 (49.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
4.6 (40.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.8 (69.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 113.7 (4.48) |
86.5 (3.41) |
55.9 (2.20) |
19.7 (0.78) |
6.5 (0.26) |
1.3 (0.05) |
3.3 (0.13) |
5.0 (0.20) |
6.1 (0.24) |
14.1 (0.56) |
48.0 (1.89) |
51.3 (2.02) |
411.4 (16.22) |
| Average rainy days | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0.6 | 1 | 0.8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 46.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 63 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 65 | 55 | 52 | 49 | 54 | 57 | 62 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 245 | 224 | 205 | 198 | 202 | 180 | 205 | 239 | 228 | 264 | 252 | 249 | 2,691 |
| Source 1: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional[1] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: The Weather Network (sunshine)[2] | |||||||||||||
History
It was founded in 1591 by the governor of Tucumán Province.[3]
La Rioja was always the principal settlement of the province. The only time it was surpassed in population was in the mid-19th century when Chilecito, a small settlement near the Chilean border based around the Hacienda Santa Rita, became the largest town in the province. It wasn't until the early 20th century that La Rioja regained the status of being the largest city.
Economy
The economy of the entire province is historically tied to cattle farming and agriculture, as well as wine production. But the beginning of the 1970s brought to the city an industrialisation thrust that makes La Rioja today an important centre in Argentina's pharmacological industry. [citation needed]
References
- ^ "La Rioja Aero". 19 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ^ "Climate Statistics for La Rioja Aero., Argentina". 30 December 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
- ^ "La Rioja". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
External links
- Official page (Spanish)
- Municipal information: Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina. (in Spanish)
- City Information (English)
- Universidad Nacional de La Rioja (Spanish)
