Huinganco
Huinganco is a village and municipality in the Minas Department of the Neuquén Province in southwestern Argentina. It is located 470 km nothwest of Neuquén city, the province capital. Situated on the valley of the Neuquén River on the foot of the Cordillera del Viento mountain range, the village is nicknamed the garden of the province because of its natural beauty.
Huinganco is a Pehuenche language name. It is composed of two words: huingan, referring to the local vegetation of the schinus genus, and co, meaning water or stream. It can be translated as the "huingan creek".
The Pehuenche people settled the site of the current village between the 8th and 9th centuries, since its wetlands made it convenient to breed animals.
In 1879, the first Civil Authority of the Neuquén Territory was established in Charra Ruca, near Huinganco. The first settlers, who were mainly Chilean ranchers and farmers arrived some years later. In 1883, gold mining started in the region, attracting migration. The activity boomed between the 1920s and 1950s. The gold prices fell in the 1960s, affecting the town's economy. The lack of jobs caused a migration wave of young people to the Neuquén city area.
The village was officially founded in 1964. The local authorities were able to revive the economy by foresting the mountains of the Cordillera del Viento range and opening the plant nursery that would become Argentina's first communal forest.
Huinganco is a Pehuenche language name. It is composed of two words: huingan, referring to the local vegetation of the schinus genus, and co, meaning water or stream. It can be translated as the "huingan creek".
The Pehuenche people settled the site of the current village between the 8th and 9th centuries, since its wetlands made it convenient to breed animals.
In 1879, the first Civil Authority of the Neuquén Territory was established in Charra Ruca, near Huinganco. The first settlers, who were mainly Chilean ranchers and farmers arrived some years later. In 1883, gold mining started in the region, attracting migration. The activity boomed between the 1920s and 1950s. The gold prices fell in the 1960s, affecting the town's economy. The lack of jobs caused a migration wave of young people to the Neuquén city area.
The village was officially founded in 1964. The local authorities were able to revive the economy by foresting the mountains of the Cordillera del Viento range and opening the plant nursery that would become Argentina's first communal forest.
Map - Huinganco
Map
Country - Argentina
Flag of Argentina |
The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century. Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country's reorganization as a federation. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration, mainly Italians and Spaniards, radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook; over 60% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry, and Argentine culture has significant connections to Italian culture.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
ARS | Argentine peso | $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
EN | English language |
FR | French language |
DE | German language |
GN | Guarani language |
IT | Italian language |
ES | Spanish language |