Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Encyclopedia
Córdoba (ˈkorðoβa) is a province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...

 of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are (clockwise from the north): Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...

, Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...

, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...

, La Pampa
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:...

, San Luis
San Luis Province
San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country . Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.-History:...

, La Rioja
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...

 and Catamarca
Catamarca Province
Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja...

. Together with Santa Fe and Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....

, the province is part of the economic and political association known as the Center Region
Center Region (Argentina)
The Center Region of Argentina is the political and economical association of the provinces of Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos...

.

Córdoba is the second most populous Argentine province, with 3,304,825 inhabitants, and the fifth by size, at about 165,321 km². Almost 41% of its inhabitantes reside in the capital city, Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...

, and its sourroundings, making it the second most populous metro area in Argentina.

History

Before the Spanish conquista
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...

 the region now called Córdoba Province was inhabited by indigenous groups, most notably the Comechingones and Sanavirones.

Once settled in Alto Perú
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...

, the Spaniards searched for a route to the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...

 port in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 to transport the Peruvian gold and silver to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

Córdoba de la Nueva Andalucía (nowadays the city of Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...

) was founded as a middle point on that route on July 6, 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera
Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera
Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera was a Spanish Conquistador, early colonial governor over much of what today is northwestern Argentina, and founder of the city of Córdoba.-Life and times:Cabrera was born in Seville, Spain, in 1528...

.
The Colegio Convictorio de Nuestra Señora de Monserrat was founded by the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 in 1599, followed by the National University of Córdoba
National University of Córdoba
The National University of Córdoba, , is the oldest university in Argentina, and one of the oldest in the Americas. It is located in Córdoba, the capital of Córdoba Province. Since the early 20th century it has been the second largest university in the country in terms of the number of students,...

, Argentina's first university, in 1622. The city continued to grow as an important cultural center, supported by the trade of precious metals from Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. In 1761 a printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...

 was installed in the University.

In 1783, seven years after the consolidation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...

, the Intendency of Córdoba became the capital of what now includes the La Rioja
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...

, Mendoza
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...

, San Juan
San Juan Province (Argentina)
San Juan is a province of Argentina, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders with Chile at the west....

 and San Luis Province
San Luis Province
San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country . Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.-History:...

, dividing the former Tucumán Intendency in two. Rafael de Sobremonte
Rafael de Sobremonte
Don Rafael de Sobremonte y Núñez del Castillo, 3rd Marquis of Sobremonte , third Marquis of Sobremonte, was an aristocrat, military man and Spanish colonial administrator, and Viceroy of the Río de la Plata...

 was its first governor, when Córdoba City had 38,800 inhabitants.

After the May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...

 in 1810, Governor Juan Gutiérrez de la Concha joined a meeting that decided to ignore the authority of the Buenos Aires Junta. Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo attacked the city and executed the leaders of the opposition, among whom was Santiago de Liniers
Santiago de Liniers
Jacques de Liniers was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers...

, leader of the resistance during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...

.

Led by Juan Bautista Bustos after 1820, Córdoba struggled for control of the Nation with Buenos Aires; the United Provinces of South America
United Provinces of South America
The United Provinces of South America was the original name of the state that emerged from the May Revolution and the early developments of the Argentine War of Independence...

 had neither legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

 nor executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...

 branches at the time. Córdoba sought a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...

 organization of the provinces
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...

 while Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...

 pushed for a centralised government in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

.
For 15 years the province was submerged in internal revolts that started to stabilize in 1868 under the provisional government of Félix de la Peña
Félix de la Peña
Félix de la Peña was an Argentine politician, and governor of Córdoba Province, Argentina.After accepting the resignation of Mariano Fragueiro, the Córdoba lower house of representatives named Félix de la Peña as interim governor on July 24, 1860, and a while later confirmed him to the post...

.

During the presidency
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...

 of Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...

 an astronomic observatory (1871) and the Faculty of Physic Sciences and Mathematics (1873) were inaugurated.

The creation of the railways and the consequent immigration brought a second wave of population growth to Córdoba. From 1887 on, several agricultural colonies (San Francisco
San Francisco, Córdoba
San Francisco is a city located at the far east border of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and parts of the city are beyond the border into the province of Santa Fe. In the city National Routes 19 and 158 intersect...

, Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 24,226 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Marcos Juárez Department...

, etc.) emerged, while former rest-point Fraile Muerto (Bell Ville
Bell Ville
Bell Ville is a city in center-south of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 200 km southeast from the capital Córdoba City, on the intersection of National Route 9 and Provincial Route 3 with the Córdoba–Rosario–Buenos Aires railroad....

), Ferreira (Villa María
Villa María
Villa María is a city in Córdoba Province, Argentina, and the head town of the General San Martín Department. It is located in the center of rich agricultural land. The area leads the country in production of milk...

) and Los Luceros (Río Segundo
Río Segundo, Córdoba
Rio Segundo, abbreviated as Río 2o, is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, built on the banks of the river Rio Segundo about 40 km east-southeast of Córdoba and about 660 km west-northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the largest city of the Río Segundo County...

), on the route to Buenos Aires, became agricultural, commercial and industrial centers, respectively.

The University Reform movement, which originated in Córdoba in 1918, was influential not only in Argentina but throughout South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. Modernization of the curricular contents and the improvement of the students' rights were the main achievements of the movement and in Córdoba, and were largely enacted by Governor Amadeo Sabattini
Amadeo Sabattini
Amadeo Tomás Sabattini was an Argentine politician. He served as Governor of Córdoba from May 17, 1936, to May 17, 1940....

, who became Argentina's most progressive governor at the time and enacted civil and land reforms that would later set the national standard.

After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, many foreign workers and workers from other provinces in Argentina were seduced by Córdoba's industrial development, led by the expansion of the car industry. It was during Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...

's presidency (1958–1962) that most new auto industries settled in the city of Córdoba and its surroundings.

As in the rest of the country, Peronist
Peronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...

 groups emerged in 1955 following the coup
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...

 that removed Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...

 from office. These Peronist groups, together with other socialist and anarchist groups, began opposing Argentina's third military dictatorship that began in 1966. Worker and student participation in politics grew due to the widespread discontent with the appointed governor's hard-line stance, culminating in the violent May, 1969, popular revolt known as the Cordobazo
Cordobazo
The Cordobazo was a civil uprising in the city of Córdoba, Argentina, in the end of May 1969, during the military dictatorship of General Juan Carlos Onganía, which occurred a few days after the Rosariazo, and a year after the French May '68...

. This revolt, mirrored by the Rosariazo
Rosariazo
The Rosariazo was a protest movement that consisted in demonstrations and strikes, in Rosario, , between May and September 1969, during the military dictatorial rule of de facto President General Juan Carlos Onganía...

and others in several parts of the country, undermined the power of dictator Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo was de facto president of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as military dictator after toppling, in a coup d’état self-named Revolución Argentina , the democratically elected president Arturo Illia .-Economic and social...

 and ultimately led to his ouster by more moderate military factions.

Córdoba has continued to prosper, despite left-wing violence in 1973, right-wing political interference
Ricardo Obregón Cano
Ricardo Obregón Cano was an Argentine Justicialist Party politician. Born in Río Cuarto, Córdoba, he was Governor of Córdoba from May 25, 1973 to February 28, 1974...

 in 1974, government atrocities
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...

 in 1976–77, 1978–81 free trade policies
José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz
José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz was an Argentine executive and policy maker. He served as Minister of the Economy under de facto President Jorge Rafael Videla between 1976 and 1981, and shaped economic policy during the self-styled National Reorganization Process military dictatorship.-Early...

 that battered Córdoba's sizable industrial sector, the 1980s debt crisis
Latin American debt crisis
The Latin American debt crisis was a financial crisis that occurred in the early 1980s , often known as the "lost decade", when Latin American countries reached a point where their foreign debt exceeded their earning power and they were not able to repay it.-Origins:In the 1960s and 1970s many...

 and, the recent acute financial crisis that ended in 2002.

Geography and Climate

Córdoba, located just north of the geographical center of the nation, is Argentina's 5th largest province. The main feature of the province is the presence of an extensive plain covering the eastern two thirds of the province, and the existence of three major mountain ranges which, combined, are known as Sierras de Córdoba: the easternmost range starts just west of the city of Córdoba and reaches altitudes of mostly around 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) in the southern portion, and over 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) further north, with a maximum altitude of 1,950 meters (6,400 ft) at Cerro Uritorco. West of this chain, two valleys contain most of the tourist spots in the province: the Calamuchita
Calamuchita Department
The Calamuchita Department is a subdivision of the .The department is located in the center-west of the province and includes important tourist destinations, especially along the Calamuchita Valley. The center of this region is the small city of Santa Rosa de Calamuchita...

 valley in the south, and the Punilla Valley
Punilla Valley
The Punilla Valley is a broad fluvial valley in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It is located in the center-northwest of the province, bordered by the Sierras Chicas in the east and the Sierras Grandes and the Achala Pamp in the west, oriented from north to south...

 in the north, home of scenic towns such as Villa Carlos Paz
Villa Carlos Paz
Villa Carlos Paz is a city in the center-north of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, in the south of the Punilla Valley, lying on the western slope of the Sierras Chicas. It has a population of about 56,000 as per the...

, Cosquín
Cosquin
Cosquin may refer toa place* Cosquín, Córdoba, a small town in Argentinaa surname* Emmanuel Cosquin , French folklorist....

, La Cumbre
La Cumbre, Córdoba
La Cumbre is a small town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, in a valley known as the "Valle de Punilla". It has a population of 7800 inhabitants.-History:...

 and La Falda
La Falda
La Falda is a town in the , located 79 km from Córdoba and 800 km from Buenos Aires. It has about 15,000 inhabitants as of the .La Falda lies at the foot of two small mountains , and it is part of an important touristic circuit of the province...

.

West of these valleys, the Sierras Grandes
Sierras pampeanas
The Sierras pampeanas or Pampas Sierras is a geographical region of Argentina.The Sierras pampeanas are a chain of mountains that rise sharply from the surrounding pampa region of Northwest Argentina...

 form the highest chain in the province: their altitude increases gradually to form a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...

 0f 2,000 to 2,300 meters (6,500 to 7,500 ft) known as Pampa de Achala
Pampa de Achala
Pampa de Achala is the name given to a vast region that lies at the heart of the Sierras de Córdoba located within Sierras Pampeanas, and located in central-northwest of Argentina....

, culminating with Cerro Champaqui on the western part, at 2,790 meters (9,150 ft). West of these mountains, there is an impressive drop towards the valley known as Valle de Traslasierra, and across the valley, the Sierras Orientales reach an altitude of 1,650 meters (5,400 ft) at Cerro Yerba Buena. On the northeast corner of the province, a natural depression forms an extensive salt lake called Laguna Mar Chiquita. The actual surface of the lake is 6,000 km² (15,000 mi²), but during extended dry periods (such as in the 1980s) it can be a third of that, with much higher salinity. The southeastern part of the province is home to numerous ponds, lakes and wetlands.

The climate of the province is predominantly temperate, with some regional variations. Generally speaking, summers are hot and humid, falls are pleasant, winters are extremely dry with strong variations in temperature, and springs are windy and variable. The eastern part of the province experiences summer average high temperatures between 30°C and 32°C (86F to 90F) and lows of 16°C to 18°C (60F to 64F), with frequent thunderstorms, heat waves with temperatures higher than 38°C (100F) alternating with periods of much dryer, pleasant weather following cold fronts. Monthly precipitation during this season ranges from 90 mm to 120 mm (3.5 to 4.7 inches). Nights are noticeably cooler in March, which is also the rainiest month, and April often brings very pleasant weather with highs around 23°C (73F) and lows around 11°C (52F). Starting in May, rainfall is low, with less than 25 mm (1 in) monthly during the winter. Frost arrives in late April in the south, and late May in the north.

Winter temperatures average a high of 15°C to 18°C (59F to 64F) and lows of 2°C to 4°C (36F to 39F), but marked variations are possible: northerly winds can push values up to 30°C (86F) and southerly winds can keep afternoon temperatures at 6°C (42F) and bring nighttime temperatures to -5°C (23F). The air is often humid in winter, and thick fog is very common. Snowfall is very rare, almost unheard of in the northeast, but snowstorms can occur: in 2007, between 10 cm and 20 cm (4 in to 8 in) covered a significant part of the region, and temperatures plummeted to -9°C in most areas (16F). Spring is very variable, alternating between very intense heat waves and cool weather periods with severe thunderstorms, hail and strong winds. Total precipitation is over 850 mm (33.5 in) along the border with Santa Fe, and diminishes to about 700 mm (27.5 in) in the west, reaching a minimum of about 600 mm (23.5) in the southernmost part of the province. This climate allows eastern Córdoba to be the nation's main producer of soybeans and peanuts, and a large producer of maize and dairy products.

The foothills of the Sierras are known for their pleasant weather: summer days are slightly cooler and the air feels much dryer despite high precipitation; winters are much dryer with less fog and less wind, and more pleasant sunny days. The eastern slopes of the sierras experience the highest precipitation: usually about 900 mm (35.5 in), with some spots averaging up to 1200 mm (47 in) which fall exclusively in the form of very heavy thunderstorms in the summer. Snowfall occurs more frequently in the sierras, but is rarely heavy due to the dryness of the air.

The weather in the Pampa de Achala
Pampa de Achala
Pampa de Achala is the name given to a vast region that lies at the heart of the Sierras de Córdoba located within Sierras Pampeanas, and located in central-northwest of Argentina....

 is very variable because of the high altitude: generally speaking, the strong radiation provides pleasant summer afternoons, but temperatures at night can be very cold. Frost can happen throughout the year, and winters are extremely dry with nights well below 0°C (32F). Temperatures well under -15°C (5F) have been recorded, and snowfall is very common but in small quantities due to the lack of precipitation during the colder months. Summer thunderstorms can be very violent, bringing large hail, frequent lightning and high winds.

The region of Traslasierra is known for its markedly warmer climate: summer temperatures often reach well over 35°C (95F) and nights are often very warm. Fall arrives later than elsewhere, and spring arrives earlier as well. Winters are pleasant, with common light frost followed by very pleasant afternoons reaching about 19°C (66F). Precipitation is even more seasonal than in the rest of the province, falling exclusively in the summer, and reaching a total of 500 mm (24 in) to 700 mm (27.5 in). The warmer climate is excellent for the production of Mediterranean agricultural products such as figs, olives and grapes. The extreme northern and northwestern areas of the province are located on the transition between the temperate Pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...

 and the subtropical Gran Chaco
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...

: summers are consistently longer and warmer than in other areas, and extremes of 40°C (104F) are more frequent. Winters are shorter, with night temperatures similar to those further south, but with warmer days. This is the most drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

-prone area of the province, with rainfall as little as 400 mm (15.5 in) annually.

Economy

Córdoba has the second largest provincial economy in Argentina, behind only the Province of Buenos Aires. Córdoba's GDP was estimated at US$27.7 billion in 2006 and has long contributed about 8% of the national GDP. Its per capita income (US$9,040) is slightly above the national average.

Agriculture and livestock provide 10% of the province's output, well above the national average. The agriculture is centered around soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...

s, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

 and maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

, and other cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...

s. Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 and sheep enjoy the grass of Córdoba's green hills. The province provides the nation with 15% of its beef production and 28% of its dairy output. The food industry around oil, milk and cereal derivatives is also very important, candy maker Arcor being one of the most important.

The installation of the Fábrica Militar de Aviones in 1927, and subsequent state-owned industries established Córdoba among the most important industrial centers in Argentina; the facility was purchased by Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....

 in 1995. Beginning around 1955, foreign investment in Córdoba's automotive, agricultural machinery and food processing industries further added to its industrial profile. Today, 250 manufacturers of either motor vehicles or auto parts operate in Córdoba, making it Argentina's "motor province." Industry represents another 17% of the province's income, and the energy production that supports it is based mainly on 15 hydroelectric dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

s (2.35 billion kW/hours a year), and the Embalse nuclear power plant
Embalse nuclear power plant
The Embalse Nuclear Power Station is one of the two operational nuclear power plants in Argentina. It is located on the southern shore of a reservoir on the Río Tercero, near the city of Embalse, Córdoba, 110 km south-southwest of Córdoba City....

 (600 MWe
MWE
MWE may refer to:*Manufacturer's Weight Empty*McDermott Will & Emery*Midwest Express, an airline*Merowe Airport - IATA code*Multiword expressionMWe may refer to:*Megawatt electrical...

 of capacity, about 2 billion kWh, yearly).

Mining includes many different minerals, and construction material such as marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...

 and lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...

. Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...

 is also extracted to feed Argentina's three atomic plants.

Tourism, as in the rest of Argentina, is a growing industry favoured by the mild climate, a number of small rivers, and low green hills. Around three million tourists, both foreign and Argentinian, visit Córdoba every year. The province has 500,000 hotel beds, including hostels, tourist farms and other types of accommodation. There are four five-star hotels, of which three are located in Cordoba City (Sheraton Cordoba Hotel, Holiday Inn, Interplaza), and one on the hills at Punilla Valley
Punilla Valley
The Punilla Valley is a broad fluvial valley in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It is located in the center-northwest of the province, bordered by the Sierras Chicas in the east and the Sierras Grandes and the Achala Pamp in the west, oriented from north to south...

 (El Castillo
El Castillo Hotel Fabrega Organizational Center
El Castillo Hotel is a building with medieval architecture that was built in 1870 and is located in Valle Hermoso , Argentina.Throughout its life under the management of different owners, it has been, in chronological order, a family mansion, a time period hotel, a union summer camp, and a...

). Important festivities include the Cosquín National Folk Music Festival
Cosquín Festival
The Cosquín Folk Festival is one of the most important folk music festivals of Argentina, and most important in Latin America....

, and the Jesús María
Jesús María, Córdoba
Jesús María is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 49 km due north from the provincial capital Córdoba, on National Route 9, within the valley of the Sierras Chicas. It has about 27,000 inhabitants as per the ....

 Folk and Taming Festivals.

Córdoba is connected by rail with Buenos Aires, Rosario, Mendoza and Tucumán. The Ingeniero Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport
Ingeniero Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport
Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport , more commonly known as Pajas Blancas, is located north-northwest away from the center of Córdoba, the capital city of the Córdoba Province...

, known as Pajas Blancas, handles international and domestic air traffic, while the Las Higueras Río Cuarto Airport handles only domestic flights.

Government

Córdoba has a unicameral legislature
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...

 elected by universal suffrage. Until December 2001, the legislature was bicameral (a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate), but following the 2001 constitutional reform, this division was abolished. The unified legislature is made up of 70 members: 26 elected to represent each of the provincial departments, and 44 elected by the people of the province as a whole and assigned by a proportional system.

The head of government is the governor, accompanied by a vice-governor who presides the legislature and may fill the governor's place in certain cases. Like the legislators, the governor and vice-governor are elected for a four-year term, and can be re-elected for one consecutive term.

Córdoba has long been a bastion of the centrist Radical Civic Union
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...

, but in 1999 the Justicialist
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...

 José Manuel de la Sota
José Manuel de la Sota
José Manuel de la Sota is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician. He was the governor of Córdoba Province from 1999 until 2007.-Biography:...

 was elected governor, succeeded by fellow Peronist Juan Schiaretti
Juan Schiaretti
Juan Schiaretti , known as 'El Gringo', is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician and accountant. He is the governor of the Province of Córdoba....

 in 2007.

Political divisions

The province is divided in 26 regions or departments
Departments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...

  here listed with their regional capitals.
Department Seat
Calamuchita
Calamuchita Department
The Calamuchita Department is a subdivision of the .The department is located in the center-west of the province and includes important tourist destinations, especially along the Calamuchita Valley. The center of this region is the small city of Santa Rosa de Calamuchita...

 
San Agustín
San Agustín, Córdoba
San Agustín is a city in the center-west of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 2,870 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Calamuchita Department. It lies on National Route 36, about 60 km south from the provincial capital Córdoba....

Capital
Capital Department, Córdoba
Capital Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 1,284,582 inhabitants in an area of 562km². Its capital city is Córdoba, which is also the capital city of Córdoba Province. It is located around 710 km from Capital Federal....

 
Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...

Colón
Colón Department, Córdoba
Colón Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 171,067 inhabitants in an area of 2,588 km², and its capital city is Jesús María, which is located around 760 km from Capital Federal....

 
Jesús María
Jesús María
-Mexico:*The municipality of Jesús María, Aguascalientes*The municipality of Jesús María, Nayarit*The municipality of Jesús María, Jalisco*Villa Jesús María, in Baja California*Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Jesús María del Nayar...

Cruz del Eje
Cruz del Eje Department
Cruz del Eje Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 52,172 inhabitants in an area of 6,653 km², and its capital city is Cruz del Eje, which is located around 861 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:* Alto de Los Quebrachos*...

 
Cruz del Eje
Cruz del Eje
Cruz del Eje is a city in the . It has about 28,000 inhabitants as of the . It is the head town of the department of the same name, which has a population of about 52,000....

General Roca
General Roca Department, Córdoba
General Roca Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 33,323 inhabitants in an area of 12,659 km², and its capital city is Villa Huidobro.-Settlements:*Buchardo*Del Campillo...

 
Villa Huidobro
Villa Huidobro
Villa Huidobro is a city in the southwest of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 5,155 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the General Roca Department. It lies about 380 km south of the provincial capital Córdoba, and 18 km north of the provincial border with La Pampa....

General San Martín
General San Martín Department, Córdoba
General San Martín Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 116,107 inhabitants in an area of 5,006 km², and its capital city is Villa María, which is located around 600 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:*Arroyo...

 
Villa María
Villa María
Villa María is a city in Córdoba Province, Argentina, and the head town of the General San Martín Department. It is located in the center of rich agricultural land. The area leads the country in production of milk...

Ischilín
Ischilín Department
Ischilín Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 30,105 inhabitants in an area of 5,123 km², and its capital city is Deán Funes, which is located around 834 km from Capital Federal....

 
Deán Funes
Juárez Celman
Juárez Celman Department
Juárez Celman Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 55,348 inhabitants in an area of 8,902 km², and its capital city is La Carlota, which is located around 502 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:* Alejandro...

 
La Carlota
La Carlota, Córdoba, Argentina
La Carlota is a city in the south of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, about 110 km south of Villa María and 240 km from Córdoba City. It has 11,490 inhabitants as per the ....

Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez Department
Marcos Juárez Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 99,761 inhabitants in an area of 9,490 km², and its capital city is Marcos Juárez, which is located around 450 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:* Alejo Ledesma* Arias*...

 
Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 24,226 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Marcos Juárez Department...

Minas
Minas Department, Córdoba
Minas Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 4,881 inhabitants in an area of 3,730 km², and its capital city is San Carlos Minas.-Settlements:* Ciénaga del Coro* El Chacho...

 
San Carlos Minas
San Carlos Minas
San Carlos Minas is a town in Córdoba Province in Argentina, it is the head town of the Minas Department-External links:*...

Pocho
Pocho Department
Pocho Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 5,132 inhabitants in an area of 3,207 km², and its capital city is Salsacate, which is located around 850 km from Capital Federal....

 
Salsacate
Salsacate
Salsacate is a town in Córdoba Province in Argentina, it is the head town of Pocho Department...

Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña
Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña Department
Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 34,647 inhabitants in an area of 8,228 km², and its capital city is Laboulaye, which is located around 520 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:*General...

 
Laboulaye
Laboulaye, Córdoba
Laboulaye is a city in the southeast of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 19,908 inhabitants as per the . It lies on National Route 7, near the provincial borders of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires, about 315 km south from Córdoba City and 285 km west from Rosario....

Punilla
Punilla Department
The Punilla Department is an administrative division of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. Its has over 155,000 inhabitants, with a population density of almost 60 inhabitants/km².-Settlements:*Bialet Massé*Cabalango*Capilla del Monte*Casa Grande...

 
Cosquín
Cosquin
Cosquin may refer toa place* Cosquín, Córdoba, a small town in Argentinaa surname* Emmanuel Cosquin , French folklorist....

Río Cuarto
Río Cuarto Department
Río Cuarto Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 229,728 inhabitants in an area of 18,394 km², and its capital city is Río Cuarto, which is located around 608 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:*Achiras*Adelia...

 
Río Cuarto
Río Cuarto
Rio Cuarto may refer to:*Río Cuarto, Córdoba*Cuarto River*Rio Cuarto craters...

Río Primero
Río Primero Department
Río Primero Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 42,429 inhabitants in an area of 6,753 km², and its capital city is Santa Rosa de Río Primero.-Settlements:*Atahona...

 
Santa Rosa de Río Primero
Santa Rosa de Río Primero
Santa Rosa de Río Primero is a town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 6,788 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Río Primero Department. It lies in the center-northeast of the province, by the Primero River , about 75 km from the provincial capital Córdoba....

Río Seco
Río Seco Department
Río Seco Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 12,635 inhabitants in an area of 6,754 km², and its capital city is Villa de María del Río Seco.-Settlements:*Cerro Colorado...

 
Villa de María del Río Seco
Villa de María del Río Seco
Villa de María del Río Seco is a town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 3,819 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Río Seco Department...

Río Segundo
Río Segundo Department
Río Segundo Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 95,803 inhabitants in an area of 4,970 km², and its capital city is Villa del Rosario, which is located around 648 km from Capital Federal.-Settlements:*Calchín*Calchín...

 
Villa del Rosario
Villa del Rosario, Córdoba
Villa del Rosario is a city in the center of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 13,741 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the Río Segundo Department. It is located 80 km east-southeast from the provincial capital Córdoba, on the right-hand banks of the Segundo River ....

San Alberto
San Alberto Department
San Alberto Department is an administrative division of the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It is composed by many municipalities and communes...

 
Villa Cura Brochero
Villa Cura Brochero
Villa Cura Brochero is a town in Córdoba Province in Argentina, it is the head town of the San Alberto Department-External links:*...

San Javier
San Javier Department, Córdoba
San Javier Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 48,951 inhabitants in an area of 1,652 km², and its capital city is Villa Dolores.-Settlements:*Conlara*La Paz*La Población...

 
Villa Dolores
Villa Dolores
Villa Dolores is a small city in the province of Cordoba, Argentina located in the southwestern side of the province with a population is approximately 40,000 inhabitants....

San Justo
San Justo Department, Córdoba
San Justo Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 190,182 inhabitants in an area of 13,677 km², and its capital city is San Francisco, which is located around 670 km from Buenos Aires...

 
San Francisco
San Francisco, Córdoba
San Francisco is a city located at the far east border of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and parts of the city are beyond the border into the province of Santa Fe. In the city National Routes 19 and 158 intersect...

Santa María
Santa María Department
Santa María Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 86,083 inhabitants in an area of 3,427 km², and its capital city is Alta Gracia, which is located around 747 km from Capital Federal....

 
Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia is a city located in the north-centre of the . Its name means "High Grace". It is built upon the Sierras Chicas, in a region that the Comechingón Indians used to call Paravachasca. It has about 43,000 inhabitants .- History :...

Sobremonte
Sobremonte Department
Sobremonte Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 4,531 inhabitants in an area of 3,307 km², and its capital city is San Francisco del Chañar, which is located around 930 km from Capital Federal....

 
San Francisco del Chañar
San Francisco del Chañar
San Francisco del Chañar is a town in Córdoba Province in Argentina, it is the head town of the Sobremonte Department...

Tercero Arriba
Tercero Arriba Department
Tercero Arriba Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 107,460 inhabitants in an area of 5,187 km², and its capital city is Oliva, which is located around 620 km from Capital Federal....

 
Oliva
Oliva, Córdoba
Oliva is a town in Córdoba Province in Argentina. It is the chief town of the Tercero Arriba Department....

Totoral
Totoral Department
Totoral Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 16,479 inhabitants in an area of 3,145 km², and its capital city is Villa del Totoral.-Settlements:*Candelaria Sud*Cañada de Luque...

 
Villa del Totoral
Villa del Totoral
Villa del Totoral is a town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 7,110 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Totoral Department....

Tulumba
Tulumba Department
Tulumba Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 12,211 inhabitants in an area of 10,164 km², and its capital city is Villa Tulumba.-Settlements:*Churqui Cañada*El Rodeo*Las Arrias...

 
Villa Tulumba
Villa Tulumba
Villa Tulumba is a town in Córdoba Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Tulumba Department....

Unión
Unión Department
Unión Department is a department of Córdoba Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 100,247 inhabitants in an area of 11,182 km², and its capital city is Bell Ville, which is located around 513 km from Capital Federal....

 
Bell Ville
Bell Ville
Bell Ville is a city in center-south of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 200 km southeast from the capital Córdoba City, on the intersection of National Route 9 and Provincial Route 3 with the Córdoba–Rosario–Buenos Aires railroad....


External links

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