San Juan, city in western Argentina, capital of San Juan Province, in an arid zone irrigated by the Río San Juan. It is the commercial center of a major wine-producing area; the area also produces cattle, grain, and fruit. Industries in the city include food canning, bottling, distilling, meat packing, and the manufacture of cement. In the city are a historical museum, the National University of San Juan (1973), the engineering college of the Catholic University of Cuyo (1953), and a seismological station. Casa de Sarmiento, the birthplace of the Argentine president and educator Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, was one of the few buildings to survive the disastrous earthquake of 1944. Founded in 1562 and named San Juan de la Frontera, the city was for many years part of Chile. Population (1991) 119,423.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. San Juan Information info
|
