NEUQUN

provincia, west-central Argentina. It is bordered by the high peaks of the Andes Mountains and Chile (west), the Colorado River and tributaries (north), and the Limay River (south). The western part of the provincia has intermontane lakes with some stands of forest. In the east are large plains with stunted vegetation and many saline deposits. The city of Neuqun (q.v.), the provincia capital, is at the confluence of the Neuqun and Limay rivers, which form the Negro River at the extreme eastern corner of the provincia. In addition to part of Nahuel Huap National Park, the provincia has the Lann and Laguna Blanca national parks. Apples, pears, grapes, and plums grown in irrigated valleys adjacent to the lower Neuqun and Limay rivers provide an important source of income; sheep are grazed in the west. The exploitation of petroleum and natural gas remains significant near Neuqun city and the town of Cutral-C. Area 36,324 square miles (94,078 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 385,606. city, capital of Neuqun provincia, west-central Argentina. It is located at the confluence of the Neuqun and Limay rivers, which there form the Negro River. Founded in 1904, the city is a market centre for the adjacent fruit-growing area, which became more productive in the 1970s with the completion of the El Chocn Dam on the Limay River and the Cerros Colorados Dam on the Neuqun River. Fruits are processed locally, and many bodegas (wine cellars) are nearby. The city's industries manufacture heavy equipment and construction materials for the oil fields to the north and west. Pop. (1980) 90,089.