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30-585: The city of San Luis was founded in 1594 by Luis Jufré de Loaysa y Meneses, but was subsequently abandoned. It was refounded by Martín García Óñez de Loyola in 1596 under the name San Luis de Loyola . Since the return of Argentina to democratic rule in 1983, in particular, the Rodríguez Saá family (of Peronist affiliation) has occupied the governor's seat. Governor (now Senator) Adolfo Rodríguez Saá has overseen investment by light manufacturers (mostly food-processors and bottling plants) and advances like

60-590: A southern extension of the Sierras Grandes. A dry plateau lies to the west, between the Sierras and the Andes. There are numerous springs and streams along the range. Most drain into salt lakes , including Mar Chiquita to the northeast and Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta on the plateau to the west. The Quinto River drains the southern portion of the Sierras. The Tercero River originates on

90-617: Is about 715 mm (28.1 in) but is highly variable. On the eastern side of the Sierra, rainfall can be as high as 1,200 mm (47 in) per year, but it quickly drops off on the western side to less than 400 millimetres (16 inches). Maximum temperatures at low elevations are high, ranging from 33 °C (91 °F) in summer to 16 °C (61 °F) in winter, but at elevations above 2000 meters, it has an monsoon-influenced continental climate ( Köppen Dwb ), average temperatures are about 10–14 °C (50–57 °F) cooler and exposure

120-1091: Is the capital city of San Luis Province in the Cuyo region of Argentina . It is also the seat of the Juan Martín de Pueyrredón Department . Points of interest in the city include the Park of the Nations, the neoclassical cathedral, a number of museums, including the Dora Ochoa De Masramón Provincial Museum, and examples of colonial architecture. A number of landmarks honour the Argentine War of Independence , as well. Independence Park features an equestrian monument to General José de San Martín , liberator of Argentina, Chile and Perú . Nearby Pringles Plaza honours Colonel Juan Pascual Pringles , one of San Martín's chief adjutants and, briefly, Governor of San Luis Province. Fishing in

150-536: Is very high. However, because the winters are so dry, very little snow falls even at the highest elevations and there is no evidence of glacial or periglacial features from the Pleistocene . The cooler climate in the mountains has encouraged development of many summer resorts for the wealthy of Córdoba, notably Alta Gracia and Jesús María . The Sierras de Córdoba lie between the Espinal ecoregion to

180-459: The Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ), Andean tinamou ( Nothoprocta pentlandii ), olive-crowned crescentchest ( Melanopareia maximiliani ), cliff flycatcher ( Hirundinea ferruginea ), Chaco sparrow ( Rhynchospiza strigiceps ), and black-and-rufous warbling finch ( Poospiza nigrorufa ). Overgrazing, over-hunting, human-caused fires, and firewood harvesting have altered the flora and fauna of

210-619: The Ordovician , there was extremely intense volcanism over the region, almost all of which is now completely eroded. The Sierras de Córdoba where the effects of the ancient Pampean orogeny can be observed, owes it modern uplift and relief to the Andean orogeny in the Tertiary . At lower elevations, the Sierra de Córdoba has a warm temperate to subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), with hot, wet summers with frequent thunderstorms and mild, dry winters. Average annual rainfall at Córdoba

240-493: The Pampa de Achala Provincial Water Reserve (245.89 km ), which covers a plateau in the central Sierra above 1500 meters elevation. The water reserve includes the peaks Champaquí (2,790 m) in the south and Los Gigantes (2,374 m) in the north. Other protected areas include La Calera Nature Reserve (113.77 km ) immediately west of Córdoba, and La Quebrada Nature Water Reserve (42 km ) northwest of Córdoba. Most of

270-481: The Sierras Grandes. The northern part, known as the Sierras del Norte, is considerably lower and less rugged. The Sierras Chicas extend along the east, rising above the eastern plains and the city of Córdoba . The Sierras Grandes lie west of the Sierras Chicas, and include the highest peaks. The Cumbres de Gaspar lie west of the Sierras Chicas and north of the Sierras Grandes. The Sierras de Comechingones are

300-511: The Sierras annually. The most important tourist destinations are Villa Carlos Paz , Cosquín , La Falda , Alta Gracia , and Villa General Belgrano amongst others. Two areas were large producers of wine in the past: Colonia Caroya in the north, and Villa Dolores in the west. These areas traditionally focused on cheaper, sweet wines for domestic consumption. In recent years, sophisticated wine-making has begun taking place, both in these 'traditional' locations, as well as in exciting terroirs in

330-503: The cathedral. The Governor's Executive Building, designed in French renaissance architecture , was completed in 1911. The city's population reached 40,000 in 1960, and grew rapidly afterwards, when light industry and growing numbers of retirees began to migrate to the area; at the 2001 census [ INDEC ] , its population was 153,322. Because the city is located at the part of the Sierras Grandes known as Punta de los Venados (Deer Point),

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360-569: The coldest month, July, has an average of 8.9 °C (48.0 °F). The annual average temperature is 17.4 °C (63.3 °F). Sierras de C%C3%B3rdoba The Sierras de Córdoba is a mountain range in central Argentina , located between the Pampas to the east and south and the Chaco to the north and east. Most of the range is located in Córdoba Province , except for

390-462: The construction of Argentina's most extensive expressway network. San Luis' economy has, over the past generation, been among the most improved in Argentina. Its 2006 output, estimated at US$ 3.386 billion, yielded a per capita income of US$ 9,203 (somewhat above the national average). Historical evolution of the population of the province: The provincial government is divided into three branches:

420-470: The earliest part of the Holocene, the whole mountain range was completely treeless due to extremely low rainfall. This may explain why few endemics are found outside the zone above the timberline — where species that have inhabited the area for thousands of years take a kind of refuge from a warmer, wetter climate. Quebrada del Condorito National Park covers an area of 245.89 km . It lies within

450-448: The east and the Chaco ecoregion to the west. Rainfall is generally higher on the eastern slopes, and the western slopes are in the drier rain shadow of the mountains. The flora and fauna of the Sierras is related to that of the Chaco region , except for high elevations, where Andean species predominate. Lowland dry forest extends up to 750 meters elevation, with Espinal vegetation, including species of Prosopis and Acacia , on

480-697: The eastern and southern extent of its range. Other species of the Polylepis woodlands include the tree Maytenus boaria and the shrubs Escallonia cordobensis , Berberis hieronimii , Satureja spp., and the dwarf shrub Gaultheria poeppigii . High exposure causes the limits of tree growth to be much lower than in the Andes, generally about 2000 meters elevation. High-elevation plant communities include grasslands dominated by Deyeuxia hieronymi, Poa stuckertii, Alchemilla pinnata , and Festuca circinata ; shrublands dominated by Berberis hieronymi , and Polylepis australis woodlands in sheltered areas. Many of

510-479: The eastern side of the mountains, around Villa General Belgrano and La Cumbrecita . The area has a cooler climate, with some (light) snowfall in the winter, and a number of boutique wineries have experimented with different grape types and techniques, sometimes with exceptional results (Familia Navarro Torre recently was awarded a gold medal in the Vinandino competition with a Cabernet-Malbec from 2009). The region

540-637: The eastern slope of the central Sierras, and drains eastwards through the Espinal to empty into the Paraná River . The Sierras de Córdoba are much older than the Andes, having been formed in the Paleozoic and extensively eroded. The mountains, when first built, formed the boundary between Gondwana and the then-expanding Pacific Ocean . They consist chiefly of metamorphic rocks such as quartzite , which were formed when large quantities of marine sediment were subject to enormous heat and pressure. In

570-461: The eastern slopes, and lowland Chaco vegetation, including Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco , on the western slopes. Foothill dry forest, known as Chaco Serrano, extends from 500 to 1300 meters elevation. Lithraea molleoides and Zanthoxylum coco are the predominant trees on the eastern slopes, with Schinopsis haenkeana dominant on the dry western slopes. Romerillal shrubland is found between 1300 and 1700 meters elevation, characterized by

600-509: The executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoints the cabinet; the legislative ; and the judiciary , headed by the Supreme Court. The province is divided into nine departments ( departamentos ). Source for department names: 33°18′S 66°21′W  /  33.300°S 66.350°W  / -33.300; -66.350 San Luis, Argentina San Luis ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsan ˈlwis] )

630-837: The inhabitants of the city are called puntanos . San Luis lies at the foot of the Sierras Grandes , along the northern bank of the Chorrillos River, and is set on a dry pampas plateau, around 730 m (2,400 ft) above sea level. San Luis has a humid subtropical climate ( Cwa , according to the Köppen climate classification ) and it closely borders a semi-arid climate ( BSk ). Summers are hot and humid, and winters are cool and dry, with temperatures falling below 0 °C (32.0 °F) sometimes and snowfalls can occur occasionally. The hottest month, January, has an average temperature of 24.0 °C (75.2 °F), and

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660-411: The mountains' ecology. Other economic activities include tourism and winegrowing . The Sierras de Cordoba extend about 430 km from south to north, from 29º S to 33º 30’ S. They consist of four sub-ranges, the Sierras del Norte, Sierras Chicas, Sierras Grandes, and Cumbres de Gaspar. The range has a largely rounded contour. The highest peak in the Sierras de Córdoba is Mount Champaquí (2880 m) in

690-551: The mountains, creating soil erosion in large areas and reducing the extent of forests and woodlands. It is believed that the vegetation of the Sierra de Córdoba has varied greatly over the Quaternary , with some periods in the Holocene between 8000 and 500 years before today when forests extended to the now-dry western side of the mountain range and the adjacent Sierra de San Luis. At other times, such as glacial periods and

720-416: The mountains. The Córdoba cinclodes ( Cinclodes comechingonus ) breeds only in the mountains, where it inhabits forest patches of tabaquillo ( Polylepis australis ) close to water between 1,600 and 2,800 meters elevation. Olrog's cinclodes ( Cinclodes olrogi ) is found in areas of open grass-covered rock formations near streams and lakes between 1,500 and 2,400 meters elevation. Other native birds include

750-462: The nearby Lake Potrero de los Funes , and other locations, is also popular. The Sierra de las Quijadas National Park is located 122 km (76 mi) from the city. National Route 7 connects San Luis to Mendoza , 255 km (158 mi) to the west, and Buenos Aires , 791 km (492 mi) to the east. San Luis Airport is located less than 3.2 km (2 miles) north of the city centre, and has regular flights to Buenos Aires. San Luis

780-536: The population of the region lives in Córdoba city , which contains about half the provincial population — with most of the rest in the Pampas region well east of the range. The lack of arable land means that few people live in the mountains themselves, where the major industries are grazing and tourism . The Sierras de Córdoba is one of the most important holiday centers of Argentina. Three million tourists visit

810-424: The shrub Heterothalamus alienus . Grasslands of Festuca hieronymi and species of Stipa and Piptochaetium are found between 1500 and 1850 meters elevation. Forests and woodlands of tabaquillo ( Polylepis australis ) are found in sheltered ravines and stream valleys and canyon bottoms with access to year-round moisture. Polylepis australis is typical of the eastern Andes, and the Sierras de Córdoba are

840-593: The southwestern margin which is in San Luis Province . The Sierras de Córdoba are part of the Sierras Pampeanas , a group of mountain ranges which extend north and south on the eastern side of the Andes. The Sierras de Córdoba are covered in dry forests, grasslands, woodlands, and shrublands, and are home to rare and endemic species of plants and animals. Parts of the Sierras have long been used for extensive cattle grazing, which has transformed

870-490: The species in this alpine zone are very rare, and include species endemic to the Sierras. Herds of guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ) once ranged across the Sierras and the Chaco lowlands, but by the beginning of the 20th century they had been extirpated by hunters. More than 100 bird species are found in the mountains, but ranching and hunting have reduced most native mammal populations severely. Two species of birds are endemic to

900-492: Was founded on August 25, 1594, by Luis Jufré de Loaysa y Meneses . The settlement was later abandoned, and was reestablished in 1632 by Martín García Oñez de Loyola as San Luis de Loyola Nueva Medina de Río Seco . By the end of the 19th century, San Luis had 7,000 inhabitants, and in 1882 the Argentine Great Western Railway reached the city on its way to Chile. The following year, work began on

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