Villa Unión
| Villa Unión | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Villa Unión
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| Coordinates: 29°18′S 68°12′W / 29.300°S 68.200°WCoordinates: 29°18′S 68°12′W / 29.300°S 68.200°W | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | La Rioja |
| Department | Coronel Felipe Varela |
| Elevation | 1,153 m (3,783 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 12,263 |
| Time zone | ART (UTC-3) |
| CPA base | A5250 |
| Dialing code | +54 3825 |
| Climate | BWk |
Villa Unión is a city in northwestern Argentina and the main settlement of Departamento Coronel Felipe Varela with a population of 12,263.
The city is strategically located in the heart of the Bermejo Valley, 1,153 meters above sea level, at the foothills of the Andes mountains. Beautifully set midst the intense red mountain ranges of Sierra de Famatina and Sierra de Maíz, surrounded by local, traditional wineries and the Bermejo River running, often brutally in the rainy season, through the city.
The weather is hot and rainy during the summer, January and February being the wettest months, while it is dry and cold during winter. As the soil can't easily get rid of the heavy rainfall, the area commonly floods during the rainy season. The area represents a typical climate of the mountain desert, with a soaring difference in temperatures between day and night. Villa Unión is affected by a climate phenomenon called the "Zonda wind" - a dry wind often carrying dust, which comes from the polar maritime air, warmed by descent from the crest, which is some 6,000 m (18,999 ft) above sea level. It may exceed a velocity of 40 km/h (25 mph) and may lead to changes in air pressure, commonly causing people headache.
The nearest airport is the Capitán Vicente Almandos Amonacide Airport in La Rioja, 3 kilometers from the city center of the city of La Rioja. Three weekly flights are offered between Buenos Aires and La Rioja by Aerolíneas Argentinas.
Nearby towns from Villa Unión are Los Palacios, Banda Florida, Villa Casteli, Vinchina, Guandacol, Aicuña and Patquía. Nearest major cities from Villa Unión are San Juan, La Rioja, Chilecito, Catamarca and Córdoba.
The area which is now Department of Coronel Felipe Varela, was inhabited by the Diaguita - Chapayane Indians who lived in the village of Guandacol. The Spaniards came to the Bermejo Valley around 1634, but their occupation was resisted by the Indians of Guandacol until 1636, when the Indians were punished for their resistance by Don Geronimo Luis de Cabrera, who banished them from their lands and send them to the hills of the Famatina mountain range. Many died in their journey to the new land, and the few who survived settled in a new location. The old land of the Guandacol Indians was reclaimed in 1649 by General Pedro Nicolás Brizuela, and the land was officially given back to them on 25 January 1650.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, there was a settlement of white people that can be considered as the first inhabitants of Hornillos, present day Villa Unión. They lived in peace with the local indigenous population, which were living in the region after being exiled from their lands.
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Wikipedia