La Rioja

La Rioja, provincia (province), northwestern Argentina, extending southeastward from Chile. The northeast-central city of La Rioja is the provincial capital.

The province’s southeastern half is an arid to semiarid plain, while the northwestern section is crossed north to south by alternating mountain ranges and semiarid valleys associated with the cordillera of the Andes Mountains. Saline marshes and lakes of the southeast are formed by intermittent streams flowing out of the mountains. Talampaya National Park in southwestern La Rioja and adjacent Ischigualasto Provincial Park in neighbouring northeastern San Juan province were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Together, the two parks occupy more than 1,060 square miles (2,750 square km) of the desert region bordering the mountains.

Like the rest of northwestern Argentina, the region was conquered by Inca armies in the late 15th century and was settled by Spaniards exploring for gold and silver in the late 16th century. The city of La Rioja was founded in 1591 by the governor of Tucumán, and the area remained part of Tucumán province and under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1782, when it came under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata as part of the intendencia (intendency) of Córdoba. After separating from Córdoba in 1816 and achieving the rank of province in 1820, La Rioja experienced 50 years of civil war and unrest. The establishment of an effective national government in Buenos Aires in the 1860s contributed to the province’s stability.

Water supply is the major problem of La Rioja. The small streams do not provide adequate volume, and both agriculture and mining have been seriously restricted for that reason. Dams erected on the Anzulón and La Rioja watercourses provide irrigation and electric power for the immediate area. The small-scale irrigated cultivation includes grapes, olives, and alfalfa. Cattle and sheep are generally grazed at lower elevations. There are significant copper and molybdenum reserves in the Famatina Mountains. A game reserve protecting diminishing herds of vicuña was created in 1980 near Laguna Brava in the high Andes. Area 34,626 square miles (89,680 square km). Pop. (2001) 289,983; (2010) 333,642.