Salta, city in northern Argentina, capital of Salta Province, near the Rio Arenales in the irrigated Lerma Valley. Salta is the commercial center of an area rich in oil and natural gas and producing sugarcane, tobacco, grain, livestock, wine grapes, and timber. Industries in the city include meat packing, tanning, sawmilling, sugar and flour milling, and the manufacture of leather goods and cement. The cathedral and numerous churches, government buildings, and private mansions throughout the area reflect the Spanish colonial past. Today the city has particular appeal to tourists who are interested in colonial architecture. Two outstanding fiestas are held here annually in September. Among the city's educational institutions is the Catholic University of Salta (1967). The city was founded in 1582 as a convenient stop on the road from the Bolivian silver mines. During the war of independence from Spain, the Spanish were defeated (1813) in Salta by the Argentine general Manuel Belgrano. Population (1991) 367,550.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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