Zonda Department

Toponymy

The name of this department is of indigenous origin that translates means "sky high'means wind and warm characteristic of the province" WindZonda "

History

The settlement of this area goes back to the first centuries of the first millennium, with the settlement of the community Ullum-Zonda(descendants of those Indians Huarpes), which was characterized by the practice in agriculture and in ceramics.

Upon arrival of the Spaniards and after the founding of San Juan de la Frontera, these lands were not immediately populated by the conquerors, but when it was the figure of the Huarpes, began to disappear.

The former owners were 'Cornelius Albarracín (maternal grandfather Domingo Faustino Sarmiento) and 'Matias Sanchez de Loria (ascendant by maternal line Narciso de Francisco Laprida), which were devoted to the planting of the at and olive.

The valley also Zonda contituyó step forced on the path towards Chile and Calingasta. For a long time, Zonda and had no life of its own because of its population scattered, formed part of the same department along with Marquisate and Ullum. After the founding of the town of Marquisate by the brothers Echezarreta, in the late nineteenth century, the Quebrada de Zonda became the traditional place of sanjuaninos summer.

The independent life of the department began in the twentieth century, when legislation for 1935 is separated from the municipality of Rivadavia. It had to wait until 1942, when the Organic Act municipal September 4 set definite limits. His header Basil Nievas villa in a small downtown that reminds one of the first settlers

Geography

The department Zonda is located in south central San Juan Province in the west, 20 kilometers from the City of San Juan, it has an area of 2,905 square miles. Its boundaries are:

The department Zonda has a distinctly mountainous relief because its entire surface is occupied by the foothills, highlighting girl Zonda Mountains to the east, creating a natural boundary between the departments Rivadavia and Pocito, the highest peak is the White caves, 4,190 meters high. The Sierra del Tontal to the west is the natural boundary with the department Calingasta, whose summit reaches a maximum altitude of 4,366 meters high. In these mountains are located courses of rivers Chacay and Las Cuevas which later became the Rio Saso that beside the River Uruguay are tributaries of the San Juan River

The climatic features hover between 10 °C with annual temperatures up to 40 °C in summer and in winter below 0 °C, with the presence of two southern winds, cold and zonda flowing from west to east, is hot and dry.

In the case of animals are cougars, guanacos in the high peaks, reptiles, insects and arachnids. Among the birds highlights the condors, eagles, owls and eaglets of the Sierra Chica de Zonda. The Flora is represented by acerillo, carob, jarilla, challenge, cattails and reeds.

Population

The department Zonda has a population of 4,050 inhabitants and a density of 1.7 people per square kilometre as INDEC, which achieves one of the department's most unpopulated parts of the province. Its largest concentration is located in the northwestern department, in their village head (Villa Basil Nievas).

Economy

Agriculture is the main economic activity of the department, which is accomplished by observing 1,944 hectares, primarily with at, how such fruit, melon, plum, almond, strawberry and blueberry. Olivo, vegetables, cereals, fodder, and forestry. The industry is represented by wineries.