Malargüe Department

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Malargüe (Mendoza)
Malargüe Department (Mendoza - Argentina) .png
Location of Malargüe (Mendoza) in Mendoza (Argentina)
Data
Capital Ciudad de Malargüe
population 28,887 (2010, INDEC)
surface 41,317 km²
Population density 0.6 inhabitants / km²

Malargüe is the largest municipality in the province of Mendoza (28,887 inhabitants (2010) on 41,317 km²) in Argentina . It is located about 420 kilometers south of Mendoza and borders to the north and east with the municipalities of San Rafael and General Alvear and the province of La Pampa , to the west to Chile and to the south to the province of Neuquén .

The Malargüe area was inhabited by the Puelches and Pehuenches , who were almost wiped out during the desert campaign in the 1870s , before the arrival of the Europeans . The place was founded in 1886, the department became independent from San Rafael in 1950. The oldest sign of agricultural development is the Rufino Ortega mill from 1878. In 1932 its activity and all agriculture cease with the eruption of Descabezado Grande .

In the west, the peaks of the Andes reach almost 5,000 meters (Risco Plateado, 4,999 m), and the city itself is 1,400 meters above sea level. The city lies in an irrigated oasis, and seed potatoes are an important product. Nearby are goats reared. Malargüe's natural resources have been exploited for a long time: natural gas , oil and uranium . Tourism is a major source of income: there are various nature reserves in the surrounding area, hot springs in Los Molles and a well-known winter sports center in Las Leñas . An international airfield was even built for this. Paleontologists often find what they are looking for, dinosaurs rarely, ammonites in many places.

Malargüe is the first (southern) location of the Pierre Auger Observatory for research into high-energy cosmic rays , with 1600 stations, which are set up in a triangular pattern with a distance of 1500 meters on an area of ​​about 3000 km² on a plateau.

Nature reserves

A large part of the Malargüe department is under nature protection.

Payunia is a rough volcanic area with 1,930 km² (to be expanded to 4,430 km²) and 800 craters . The vegetation is sparse in Patagonia, around 14,000 guanacos live there.

The Laguna de Llancanelo is a shallow lake with surrounding wetlands (~ 400 km²). Flamingos , black-necked swans and many migratory birds use it.

The Caverna de las Brujas is a stalactite cave in a nesting area for eagles and Andean condors .

The Castillos de Pincheira are made up of volcanic sediments that look like a castle.

Other sights include the Manqui-Malal waterfall , the legendary Niña Encantada lake , the collapsed limestone caves Pozo de las Animas , the remote high valley Valle Hermoso , the several hundred meters long lava cave , Cueva del Tigre , which you can enter (with equipment) petrified araucaria forest and of course beautiful high Andean landscapes, which are generally only accessible on foot.

Web links

Coordinates: 36 ° 12 ′  S , 69 ° 30 ′  W