La Rioja

Autonomous community and province of northern Spain; area 5,034 sq km/1,944 sq mi; population (2001 est) 270,400. The River Ebro passes through the region, but it is a tributary of the Río Oja, which gives its name to the region. A fertile region, La Rioja is famous for its fine wines (with a characteristic flavour derived from their storage in oak barrels) which are produced chiefly between Logroño and Haro in the upper Ebro valley. The capital is Logroño; other chief cities are Calahorra, Haro, and Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Economy The region has some copper, tin, lead, and coal deposits, but these have been only partly exploited. The economy is essentially based on agriculture, and the area is noted for its wine and fruit; other agricultural products include cereals, vegetables, olive oil, sugar beets, sheep, and some cattle and hogs. Aside from wine production, other agricultural industries include fruit and vegetable canning, meat processing, and distilling. Other manufacturing includes machinery, textiles, tobacco, and chemicals.

La Rioja

Province of northern Spain, occupying the same area as the autonomous community of La Rioja.

La Rioja

Capital of the province of the same name in western Argentina; population (2001) 143,700. La Rioja lies on the small Rioja River, 340 km/211 mi northwest of Córdoba, on the eastern side of the Sierra de Velasco, and at an altitude of 504 m/1,654 ft. The city was founded in 1591, and has some fine buildings dating back to the colonial period. Economic activities include farming, lumbering, and trade.

A major earthquake destroyed large parts of La Rioja in 1894. It is popularly known as the ‘City of the Orange Trees’. A dam on the Rioja, completed in 1930, irrigates and supplies power to the area.

La Rioja

Andean province in Argentina, situated between the provinces of Córdoba, San Juan, and Catamarca; area 89,680 sq km/34,625 sq mi; population (1996) 220,729. La Rioja is the capital of the province, and Chilecito, 60 km/37 mi to the northwest, its main commercial centre. The terrain of La Rioja is extremely mountainous and has only scrub vegetation, except in the valleys and basins, which are irrigated by streams and therefore cultivable. Cattle and sheep farming is the main economic activity and crops grown are cotton, alfalfa, wheat, figs, and grapes for wine; though much of it is only on a subsistence basis. Small-scale mining is widespread; the main minerals are copper, silver, and tungsten.