Picunches Department

Picunches
Location of Picunches in Río Negro (Argentina)
Data
Capital	Las Lajas
population	6,427 (2001, INDEC)
surface	5,913 km²
Population density	1.1 inhabitants / km²

The Picunches department is located in the west of the Neuquén province in southern Argentina and is one of the province's 16 administrative units .

It is bordered by the Loncopué department to the north, the Añelo department to the east, the Zapala and Catán Lil departments to the south, the Aluminé department to the southwest and Chile to the west .

The capital of the Picunches department is Las Lajas .

population

According to INDEC estimates, the population increased from 6,427 inhabitants (2001) to 7,164 inhabitants in 2005.

cities and communes

The Picunches department is divided into a second category municipality ( Las Lajas ), a third category municipality ( Covunco Abajo ) and two Comisiones de Fomento ( Bajada del Agrio and Quili Malal ). Other small settlements ( parajes ) are Agrio del Medio , La Buitrera , Mallin Quemado , Peña Haichol , San Demetrio and Villa del Agrio .

Coordinates: 38 ° 30 ′  S , 70 ° 24 ′  W