Exploring the Settlements of Valleys and Plateaus in Patagonia
Valleys, Ravines, and Puna – WEST
7) Located at the oste settlements in the region, these areas have been part of large estates that emerged in the colonial period when Indigenous people held parcels. These settlements have been engaged in farming or raising livestock, and also as workers in the mining industry.
La Quebrada de Humahuaca is a valley formed by river erosion, part of the tour of the Rio Grande de Jujuy. Here, there are small oasis settlements and irrigation systems, such as Maimará and Tilcara.
8) In the Calchaquí Valleys (Calchaquí Valley and Valle de Santa María), settlements are arranged at the edge of rivers (Cafayate, Molinos, San Carlos, and Cachi, oasis) where crops are irrigated.
Part of the production is obtained from properties (warehouses). Much of the working population is engaged in smallholder agricultural activities. These areas are also characterized by the development of handicrafts and the raising of goats, sheep, and some cattle.
Many people face great difficulty selling their products in the market and live in poverty. Others are emigrating in search of better living conditions. The settlements show stagnation in the activities that occupy most of the production. Only large farms and tourism show signs of greater value, but this is not enough to transform living conditions.
In the Quebrada de Humahuaca, small settlements are found, mostly irrigated oases among the highlights of Humahuaca, Tilcara, and Maim. In these settlements, there are differences in elevation that generate various climatic characteristics.
In the small oases of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, crops include vegetables and cereals for local supply. There are also shops that provide services related to roads and tourist activities.
9) The settlements in the highlands have diverse backgrounds, some like Cassava and Codina, which emerged as supply points on the Inca trail. Others, like Yavi, are organized in farmland devoted to livestock and agriculture and also have a higher availability of water for irrigation.
The inhabitants of the Puna travel long distances on foot and carry out different activities to survive, one of which is raising livestock or selling salt.
10) The two most populated highland settlements are Quiaca and La Pampa, which grew as communication centers and service hubs for trade. They also expanded due to the arrival of people from other settlements in the Puna.
The Settlement of Patagonia: 1) The Patagonian area lies south of the Colorado River to Tierra del Fuego. The conquest of the desert and the agreements with Chile were two important factors in the ultimate integration of these territories into their settlement process.
2) The settlement and formation of communities were linked to land distributed as appropriate, initially granted to business enterprises to organize colonies, but which ended up being large ranches.
The colonies were populated by immigrants from Chile and Europe.
The conquest of the desert caused a decrease in the Indigenous population, as part of them were integrated as workers into the new settlements, while others remained in their communities.
3) The settlement of Patagonia is associated with the expansion of cattle ranching and the installation of agricultural colonies. The exploitation of hydrocarbons and minerals also became important.
Tourist activity was the main driver of population growth in the Andean area. Industrial activities prompted significant growth in some coastal cities and Tierra del Fuego. These activities are aimed at the large urban centers of the country or the foreign market. The area of the Black River Basin stands out as the most populous region of Patagonia.
4) The area of plateaus lies south of the Colorado River and east of the Andes. The plateaus descend in stages from west to east, forming cliffs. They are separated by valleys and canyons crossed by rivers that originate in the mountains and flow into the sea. Some plateaus are flat surfaces, while others show hills and small mountains. Much of the area is covered by basalts that provide high resistance to erosion; these plateau edges are called fences. The xerophytic steppe vegetation is composed of grasses and low shrubs, adapted to low rainfall. This vegetation is the main food source for sheep.
In the most arid areas, there are regions with springs or streams where better soils and more abundant vegetation have developed. Livestock farming is practiced extensively, meaning farms use large areas and require less permanent workforce. This form of settlement, called the stay, predominates in most of the plateau area.
Stays and helmets are installed in the valleys and canyons, where they are protected from wind action and where water is available.
Another type of settlement is those related to agricultural activity displayed on the Atlantic coast or oil exploration.
In areas where hydrocarbon deposits are exploited, numerous settlements have developed.