VI) CUYO

Hills in the San Rafael district

This zone covers an area of 447,000 km2 with a population of 2,094,000 inhabitants. It is mostly a semi-desert area in the centre West of the country up against the Andean Mountain Range, with irrigation areas where 95% of the wine is produced, many fruit and olive orchards, and 90% of Argentina's mineral production. It is conformed by the following Provinces from North to South:

Catamarca: This is a mountainous area, covering 80% of this Province (to the West) with an area of 83,000 km2, but with only 20% of the population of the Province, 52,000 inhabitants. The main production here is minerals, with one of the world's largest copper and gold mine, called "Bajo de la Lumbrera" recently initiated by an Australian Company, which is producing and exporting annually 800 million US dollars worth of gold and copper in a 50/50 proportion. There are many foreign mining company's following their steps, starting new mining activities.
La Rioja: A mountainous area, covering two thirds of the Province, also to the West, with an area of 62,000 km2, and a population of 83,000 inhabitants. Mining is also the main activity, with some small irrigation areas.

Uspallata in Mendoza, close to the Chilean Border

San Juan: Flat land to the East, with hills and mountains to the West, covering an area of 90,000 km2 and a population of 529,000 inhabitants. The capital of the Province is in the West at the foothills of the Andes, and has the same name, San Juan, with 119,000 inhabitants. The land is very arid and dry, with two irrigation zones covering an area of just less than 2,000 km2 (200,000 hectares) where most of the population is concentrated. The main production is grapes, with one of the highest yields in the world, about 40,000 kgs. of grapes per hectare with a high graduation of sugar, of which 90% is used for wine production. 40% of the county's grape production comes from here, with 10% of the common wine exports, of which 80% goes to other Latin American countries and 15% to Canada. The alternative to grape production is olive plantations and horticulture. San Juan is the country's main producer of melons, fairly strong in exports.

Grape Vines for wine in the Tupungato area of Mendoza

Mendoza: This is mainly a flat dry area with a small mountainous zone to the west, where the highest mountain of the continent is found, "Aconcagua" which is 6,959 mts. high (22,627 ft.). This Province covers an area of 149,000 km2, with a population of 1,400,000 inhabitants, of which 121,000 live in the city of Mendoza, and another

801,000 inhabitants in the irrigation area around the city. This Province produces one million metric tons of grapes per year, which represents 50% of the National production. 99% of the grape production goes to wine. Most of the important wine cellars have recently been bought out by foreign companies, mainly French, which have modernised the installations, today producing excelent wine and increasing yearly in exports. This Province is also the country's mayor producer of fresh fruit (apples, pears, plums, cherries and peaches) 70% of which is industrialised into concentrated fruit juices and dehydrated fruit, and 30% of this total production is exported. The olive production represents 40% of the National production. Horticulture is also important, producing tomatoes, asparagus, onions, garlic, carrots, and other legumes, of which 20% is exported.

Province of San Juan up against the foothills of the Andes

Gauchos riding in the Andean foothills

A lot of tourists are attracted to this zone, thanks to an important ski centre in "Las Leñas", a very attractive Andean zone for summer touring, and both rafting and horse adventure rides in the San Rafael district.

La Pampa: 40% of this Province (to the west) is in this zone, covering an area of 63,000 km2, with a scant population of 30,000 inhabitants. This is all flat land, covered by a low bushy vegetation, very dry with an annual rainfall of 12 inches, which can carry about one cow to every 20 hectares for breeding purposes, in the areas where good drinking water for the stock is available, but with the limitation in other areas, because the water available underground has both a salt and arsenic content, that make it unfit for drinking.

In this zone the land is today worth (2008) between 50 USD upto $ 200 USD per hectare. Except the zones with vine yards under irrigation, in the Provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja and Catamarca, in which the values oscilate between 5.000 USD upto $ 20.000 USD per hectare.