MENDOZA

When the Spaniards arrived at these lands, they found three different indigenous groups living there: Incas, Huarpes and Puelches. Without a doubt, Huarpes were the most important ones and left a mark that last until today; they were a pacific and industrious group that settled down in Valle de Huentola (what today is Mendoza city). This sedentary group of farmers, with skilful hunters, fishers and ceramists, stood out principally because of its basketworks, elaborating tight meshes that allow the liquid transportation in them and which are unique in America.
 

But definitely the most amazing thing was their exhaustive and ingenious irrigation system. Through this system they were able to turn aside the rivers’ water into different channels of different current to take the water to their corn, beans, pumpkins and quinoas plantations.
 

In this way, due to the irrigation system, the Cuyum Mapu (Land of Sands), as it was called by the indigenous became the present-day oasis. Mendoza River, coming from the conjunction of rivers, brooks and mountain glaciers, is the one that provides all the water that is consumed in the city and in the fields and vineyards, mainly located at east area of the city.
 

Interesting Data:
 

Mendoza province has a surface of 148.827 km² and a population of over 1.500.000 inhabitants.

“Gran Mendoza” formed by the departments of Capital, Godoy Cruz, Guaymallen, Las Heras and the cities of Luján de Cuyo and Maipú, concentrates 54% of all the province population; only 19% of the people live in rural or mountain areas.
 

The climate on the plain is mainly warm continental semi-dry, with heavier rains in summer than in winter, period in which they are really scarce.
 

Above 2000 m. high the temperatures decrease, the difference between day and night increase. In summer it is possible that it rain although not so much as it does in winter, when the rains are abundant and in the form of snow coming from the systems of wet and cold air from the Pacific.