Catamarca
Territory
Catamarca is situated in the central northwest region of Argentina, positioned between 25º 12' and 30º 40' south latitude, and spanning from 64º 55' to 69º 28' west longitude.
Situated on the Andes mountain range, which serves as a natural border with Chile and the Pacific Ocean, Catamarca covers an area of 103,754 km2
Catamarca It is characterized by a rugged relief of different heights, which constitutes 80% of the provincial surface. The mountain ranges run parallel to the Andes Mountains in the direction latitudinal and forming a climatic barrier and geographic that segments parallel regions oriented northeast to southwest.
16
Departments
36
Municipalities
Administrative levels
The province is divided into 16 departments, which are further subdivided into 36 municipalities. Listed below are the regional and micro-regional divisions.
Regional and micro- regional divisions
Western Region
Puna Region
Center Region
Microregions
Eastern Region
Centre Region
It consists of the conglomerate known as Great Catamarca, comprising the departments of Capital, Valle Viejo, and Fray Mamerto Esquiú, as well as the surrounding area of influence which includes Ambato, Capayán, and Paclín.
CENTER REGION
Capital Department
The departmental capital, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, shares its borders with Ambato and Capayán departments to the northeast, Capayán to the south, and Valle Viejo and Fray Mamerto Esquiú departments to the west.
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a significant political, cultural, and commercial center. It serves as the home to the university, various institutions, and museums. The Capital of Catamarca department has only one municipality.
CENTER REGION
Valle Viejo
Department
San Isidro serves as the administrative center of the department. It shares its borders with Fray Mamerto Esquiú and Paclín departments to the north, Capayán department to the south, El Alto and Ancasti departments to the east, and Capital department to the west.
7 km
Distance between the provincial capital and the departmental head
CENTER REGION
Fray Mamerto Esquiú
Department
To the north, it shares borders with Ambato department; to the south, with Valle Viejo department; to the east, with Paclín department; and to the west, with Capital department.
12 km
Distance between the provincial capital and the departmental head
CENTER REGION
Capayán
Department
The departmental seat is Chumbicha. To the north, it shares borders with Ambato and Capital departments; to the south, with the provinces of La Rioja and Córdoba; to the east, Valle Viejo, Ancasti, and La Paz departments; and to the west, with Pomán department. Its primary economic activities include agriculture, livestock, and tourism.
2 Municipalities:
Capayán
Huillapima
66 km
Distance to the Capital
CENTER REGION
Ambato
Department
It shares its northern border with Andalgalá department and Tucumán province, and to the south with Capayán, Capital, and Fray Mamerto Esquiú departments. To the east, it borders Paclín department and Tucumán province, while to the west, it shares borders with Andalgalá and Pomán departments. Throughout the region, notable economic activities include agriculture, livestock, artisan handicrafts, and tourism.
4 Municipalities:
El Rodeo
La Puerta
Las Juntas
46 km
Distance between the provincial capital and the departmental head
Las Varelas
CENTER REGION
Paclín Department
It shares its northern border with Tucumán province, while Valle Viejo department lies to the south. To the east, it borders Santa Rosa and El Alto departments, and to the west, Fray Mamerto Esquiú and Ambato departments.
59 km
Distance between the provincial capital and the departmental head
Western Region
Based on the departmental boundaries, the department is divided into four microregions: Santa Mara, Belén, Tinogasta, and Andalgalá-Pomán. These are the municipalities included in each department:
WESTERN REGION
Andalgalá
Department
It is situated to the east of the western zone of Catamarca province, bordered to the north by Santa María department, to the east by Tucumán province, to the west by Belén department, and to the south by Pomán and Ambato departments.
2 Municipalities:
Andalgalá
Aconquija
330 km
Distance to the provincial capital
ACCESSIBLE VIA ROADS:
RPNº 46
RNNº 38
WESTERN REGION
Pomán
Department
It is situated between the western and central regions of the province, sharing borders to the north with Andalgalá, to the east with Ambato and Capayán, to the west with Belén and Tinogasta, and to the south with La Rioja. Villa de Pomán serves as the departmental seat.
3 Municipalities:
Pomán
Mutquín
Saujil
235 km
Distance to the provincial capital
ACCESSIBLE VIA ROADS:
RNº 38
RPNº 25
WESTERN REGION
Santa María
Department
To the north, it borders Salta province; to the east, Tucumán province; to the south, Andalgalá department; and to the west, Belén department.
2 Municipalities:
Santa María
San José
331 km
Distance to the provincial
capital
ACCESSIBLE VIA ROADS:
RPNº 38
WESTERN REGION
Tinogasta
Department
It is situated between the western and puna regions of the province, bordered to the north by Antofagasta de la Sierra, to the east by Belén and Andalgalá, and to the west and south by La Rioja province.
2 Municipalities:
Tinogasta
Fiambalá
309 km
Distance to the provincial capital
ACCESSIBLE VIA ROADS:
RPNº 60
RNNº 38
WESTERN REGION
Belén
Department
It is situated on the boundary between the west and puna regions of the province. This department shares its northern border with Salta province, to the east with Santa María and Andalgalá departments, to the west with Tinogasta department, and to the south with a portion of Tinogasta department.
9 Municipalities:
Belén
Corral Quemado
Hualfín
Londres
Pozo de Piedra
Villa Vil
San Fernando
Puerta de San José
326 km
Distance to the provincial capital
ACCESSIBLE VIA ROADS:
RNNº 40
RNNº 38
Puerta de Corral Quemado
Puna Region
It has a unique microregion which corresponds to Antofagasta de la Sierra department.
PUNA REGION
Antofagasta de la Sierra Department
Situated in the northeast of the province within the Puna region, this department shares borders with Salta to the north, Tinogasta department to the south, Belén department and a portion of Salta to the east, and the Republic of Chile to the west. Notable economic activities in this region include mining and tourism. The capital city is Villa de Antofagasta de la Sierra.
595 km
Distance between the provincial capital and the departmental head
Eastern Region
It consists of microregions which include La Paz and the microregion Santa Rosa-El Alto grouping the departments according to their shared physical and cultural characteristics.
EAST REGION
La Paz
Department
It is situated in the southeast of the province, bordered to the north by El Alto department, to the northeast and east by Santiago del Estero province, to the northwest by Ancasti department, to the southeast by Capayan department, and to the south by Cordoba province. The capital city is Recreo city.
2 Municipalities:
Recreo
Icaño
230 km
Distance to the provincial capital
EAST REGION
Ancasti
Department
It is located between the East region and Centre of the province. It borders in the north with El Alto, in the East with La Paz, in the west with Capayan and in the northwest with Valle viejo.
90 km
Distance to the provincial capital
EAST REGION
Santa Rosa
Department
It is situated in the southeast of the province, bordered to the north by El Alto department, to the northeast and east by Santiago del Estero province, to the northwest by Ancasti department, to the southeast by Capayan department, and to the south by Cordoba province. The capital city is Recreo city.
2 Municipalities:
Bañado de Ovada
Los Altos
EAST REGION
El Alto
Department
It is situated in the southeast of the province, bordered to the north by El Alto department, to the northeast and east by Santiago del Estero province, to the northwest by Ancasti department, to the southeast by Capayan department, and to the south by Cordoba province. The capital city is Recreo city.
2 Municipalities:
El Alto
Tapso
Territorial
characteristics
Catamarca stands out for its remarkable geographic and climatic diversity, reflected in steppes, jungles, valleys, prairies, deserts, puna, lagoons, salt flats, and rivers, harmoniously blending with its majestic mountains and multicolored volcanoes adorned with vegetation, minerals, salts, and sand.
The province boasts a wealth of natural resources, including:
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A biosphere reserve in Laguna Blanca (Belén).
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Three protected areas: Laguna Blanca (Belén), Campo de Piedra Pómez (Antofagasta de la Sierra), and Sierras de Belén (Belén).
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A private protected area integrated into the network of refuges of Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina: Refugio Merced de Allpatauca (Fray Mamerto Esquiu).
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The world's highest dune in Tatón (Fiambalá).
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One of the world’s largest salt deserts spanning 8,000 km2 in La Paz.
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A "Ramsar Site" area featuring Puna high Andean lagoons in Belén and Antofagasta de la Sierra.
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Nineteen volcanoes towering over 6,000 meters, including the world's highest volcano, Ojos del Salado in Fiambalá.
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In various zones of the Ramsar sites and Natural Reserves, the flora and fauna maintain their original conditions, some exhibiting inhospitable characteristics reminiscent of our planet over 3.5 million years ago.
Topography
The province experiences a continental mild climate with an annual average rainfall ranging from 400 to 500 mm, marked by a notable decrease towards the west, partially offset by snowy precipitations. A significant aspect of the weather is the presence of microclimates created by variations in the topography, including plains, pockets, and mountain ranges.
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The total average annual rainfall is a critical factor determining water availability, influenced by factors such as evaporation, evapotranspiration, and infiltration. These elements significantly impact the volume of available water. Of the 34,724 Hm3 of precipitated water, approximately 700 to 800 Hm3 annually recharge underground aquifers, while the remainder is lost through processes like evaporation, evapotranspiration, deep aquifers, and vegetation.
Catamarca is divided into 9 water basins, each defined by the land portion drained by a unique natural drainage system.
Road Infrastructure
The provincial territory structure is the result of a historical complex process of settlement and human ownership of the land.
The urban centres and its areas of rural influence were articulated in the prehispanic period by ancient paths. The colony period includes Spanish founded cities, settled in strategic places from natural support. The human settlements are linked to the oeases from the west, valleys and water stream in the centre, pastures in the high areas from the east, and the railway laying in the east valley.
These areas, currently, share resources and infrastructure making interurban systems more or less complex that are specifically linked inside and outside the province.
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The road network is influenced by the topography, concentrating the majority of economic, administrative, and service activities in the Great Catamarca area. In this region, micro-regional systems are shaped by capital municipalities, where the concentration of commercial offerings and services occurs. These areas also experience external influences from cities of higher hierarchy or regional influences both within and outside the provincial territory. The primary road network connects El Valle Central to Cordoba, Cuyo, and the northern regions of Argentina through national roads 38 and 33. In the western part of the province, connections are established with Valles Calchaquies to the north and Chilecito and Famatina to the south through National Route 40.
It is noteworthy that there is an outlet to the Pacific in the west through National Route 45-National Route 60. Recreo City, located in the eastern region, is connected to the northern regions of Argentina and Cordoba through National Route 157
From a transportation perspective, the Catamarca territory spans considerable distances, with a significant urban concentration in Gran Catamarca, the primary center of the capital city, and six intermediate hotspots scattered in both the western and eastern zones of its geography
The irregular type of relief impinges on inner transportations, not only in the infrastructure laying but also in the means of operation. This particular trait is distinguished in the current configuration of the transportation system and the provision of existent means. Air connectivity is established through Catamarca’s airport that is part of the nacional network, operating an airline that connects to Buenos Aires. The provincial departments have landing strips in Tinogasta, Santa María, Fiambalá, Londres-Belén, Andalgalá y Antofagasta de la Sierra, without scheduled flights.
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The railway service currently operates in the province East region, through the only working branch, that links Tucumán – Frías – Recreo – Córdoba, for load transfer, with a two weekly trains frequency.
The province capital is linked to Cordoba province through a branch that crossed the east region. Recreo city runs a branch that links Esquiú, La Guardia, Casa de Piedra, Carranza y Chumbicha, where another branch runs and it links this city with the province capital. The west region links La Rioja (Serrezuela, Patquia, Bazán, Cebollar, Mazan, Aimogasta) to Tinogasta. Mazan, which is in La Rioja, runs another branch that links Andalgalá-Pomán, Sijan-Pajonal y Colpes, among other stations.
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The following map shows the relationship between the current road and railway system in relationship to urban nodes:
Road Infrastructure Diagram of the province
