LA RIOJA

comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) and historical region of Spain coextensive with the north-central Spanish province of La Rioja (until 1980 called Logroo). As Logroo, the province was first organized in 1833. The autonomous community was established by the statute of autonomy of 1982. The region historically belongs to Old Castile. The folds of the Obarenes Mountains rise in the northwest corner of La Rioja, marking the border with the province of Burgos. The Ebro River flows northwest to southeast, skirting the provinces of lava and Navarre to the north. La Rioja is also bordered by the province of Zaragoza to the east. The Ebro basin rises southward into the hills of the upper Rioja. The Iberian range, dominated by the Demanda and Urbin mountain ranges, rises in the south and extends into the province of Soria. The southern sector, Cameros, also mountainous, is crossed by the Glera (Oja), Najerilla, Iregua, Leza, Cidacos, and Alhama rivers. A continental climate, modified by Atlantic influences, prevails. Temperatures are highest near the Ebro River; precipitation increases from east to west and south to north. Annual precipitation is moderate, ranging from 16 to 28 inches (400 to 700 mm). The population is concentrated in the irrigated farmland (grapes, cereals, horticultural produce) along the Ebro River and its affluents. The latter were easily channeled and were tapped for traditional irrigation. The Canal of Lodosa, initiated in 1930, has channeled the Ebro River itself and greatly expanded the land under irrigation. The population of the lower Rioja tends to cluster in towns with 2,000 or more inhabitants, while the settlements of the Iberian range, where dry farming and animal husbandry predominate, have been steadily losing population. Emigration has centred on the city of Logroo (q.v.), the provincial capital, and on the provinces of Vizcaya, Guipzcoa, Zaragoza, Barcelona, and Madrid. The Iberian range has traditionally been a transhumant zone, but the number of livestock has declined sharply since the dissolution of royal grazing privileges in 1836. The upper Rioja produces some of Spain's finest red wines. Basque capital financed the specialization of vineyards in the late 19th century; 12 were established between 1867 and 1900. The vineyards of the lower Rioja are noted for their slightly sweet red table wine. The introduction of quality control has favoured large vintners over small ones, though small producers in the lower Rioja have survived by forming cooperatives. The proximity of the Basque market has led to the diversification of agricultural production; new crops include gherkins, carrots, leeks, and asparagus. Before the Industrial Revolution a modest textile industry centred on the towns of Cameros, Ortigosa, Munilla, Enciso, and Cervera del Ro Alhama. Food processing has been the leading industry since the mid-19th century, but factories (mostly family-owned) suffer from low capital investment and offer only seasonal employment. The food-processing industry has been stagnant since the Spanish Civil War (193639), while the proximity of the industrialized zones of Navarre, lava, Zaragoza, and Burgos has discouraged the industrial diversification of La Rioja. Oil was discovered at Njera in 1980. The leading commercial centres are Logroo, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Arnedo, and Calahorra. Various popular festivals held throughout the region celebrate viticulture. The Vendimia Riojana is held during the third week of September in the city of Logroo to celebrate the grape harvest; festivities include a parade of carts and bullfights. Area 1,944 square miles (5,034 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 2,896,801. provincia, northwestern Argentina, extending southeastward from Chile. The provincia's southeastern half is an arid to semiarid plain, while the northwestern section is crossed north to south by alternating mountain ranges and semiarid valleys associated with the Andean cordillera. Saline marshes and lakes of the southeast are formed by intermittent streams flowing out of the mountains. Like the rest of northwestern Argentina, the region was conquered by Inca armies in the late 15th century and was settled by Spaniards exploring for gold and silver in the late 16th century. The capital, La Rioja, was founded in 1591 by the governor of Tucumn, and the area remained part of Tucumn provincia and under the control of the viceroyalty of Peru until 1782, when it came under the jurisdiction of the viceroyalty of Ro de la Plata as part of the intendencia (intendency) of Crdoba. After separating from Crdoba in 1816 and achieving the rank of provincia in 1820, La Rioja experienced 50 years of civil war and unrest. The establishment of an effective national government in Buenos Aires in the 1860s contributed to the provincia's stability. Water supply is the major problem of La Rioja. The small streams do not provide adequate volume, and both agriculture and mining have been seriously restricted for this reason. Dams erected on the Anzuln and La Rioja watercourses provide irrigation and electric power for the immediate area. The small-scale irrigated cultivation includes grapes, olives, and alfalfa. Cattle and sheep are generally grazed at lower elevations. There are significant copper and molybdenum reserves in the Famatina Mountains. A game reserve protecting diminishing herds of vicua was created in 1980 near Laguna Brava in the high Andes. Area 34,626 square miles (89,680 square km). Pop. (1989 est.) 191,000. city, capital of La Rioja provincia, northwestern Argentina, on La Rioja River at the foot of the Velasco Mountains. Founded in 1591 by explorers for gold and silver, it long remained a small commercial and administrative centre close to intermittently worked deposits of copper, silver, and lead ores in the high Andes to the west. Its destruction by earthquake in 1894 led to its reconstruction along modern lines. Contemporary commercial activities are based on agriculture (including cultivation of grapes, olives, apples, and pears), wine making, and elementary industries. The nearby dam on La Rioja (completed in 1930) is a source of power and irrigation. Notable landmarks include the ruins of a 16th-century Jesuit church and regional museums of archaeology and folklore. Pop. (1980) 67,043.