Neuquén (; ) is the capital city of the Argentine province of Neuquén and of the Confluencia Department, located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers which form the Río Negro, making it part of the ecoregion of Alto Valle del Río Negro. The city and surrounding area have a population of more than 340,000, making it the largest city in Patagonia. Along with the cities of Plottier and Cipolletti, it is part of the Neuquén – Plottier – Cipolletti conurbation.
Founded in 1904, it is the newest provincial capital city in Argentina.
Etymology
The name of the city comes from the Neuquén River, which in Mapuche language means "water that has strength". This name was already used since 1884 for the federal territory. Since 1902, it was used for the railway station of the town, which at that time was a hamlet called Confluencia. The name of the town was officially chosen in 1904, when it was declared the capital of the territory. It is the only Argentine city that has a palindrome name, that is a word which reads the same backward as forward.
Economy
Neuquén is both an important agricultural center, surrounded by fertile lands irrigated by the waters of the Limay and Neuquén rivers in an otherwise arid province, and a petrochemical industrial center that receives oil extracted from different points of the province. It belongs economically and geographically to the Alto Valle region that produces apples, pears, and other fruits.
With the discovery of the Vaca Muerta oil fields west of the city (the third largest shale gas and oil reserves in the world), it has begun to experience a boom in real estate and construction. It is expected that over the next few years the city will experience unprecedented growth as it is the only significant city in the region. It has an airport, shopping centers, office space and institutions to become the center of the operations not only of the oil and gas companies, but also their suppliers.
Transport
National Route 22 (RN22) is the main road linking Neuquén with the rest of Argentina. Since 2021 it runs in eastern-western direction north of the city center through the Parque Industrial area, mostly as a four-lane motorway, linking the city with the Atlantic coast at Bahía Blanca to the East and Temuco (Chile), San Carlos de Bariloche and Zapala to the West and South-West. The former RN22, now called Avenida General Mosconi, a wide fast-transit avenue, runs in east-western direction through the southern part of the city center and divides the city into two halves.
The Presidente Perón Airport is west of the city center near the boundary to Plottier and serves regular flights to Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Salta, Mendoza, Comodoro Rivadavia and San Martín de los Andes.
The Tren del Valle commuter rail service links Neuquén with neighbouring Cipolletti and Plottier. Freight trains run to Bahía Blanca and Zapala.
Local transport consists of 30 bus lines, connecting most areas of the city, including Plottier and Las Perlas. The network is run by bus companies Ko-Ko and Empresa Tigre Iguazú. Additionally, several suburban lines connect the city with other cities and towns in the wider metro area, like Cipolletti, Centenario, Senillosa, General Roca and Villa Regina.
While the Río Negro and Río Limay are navigable, there are no port facilities in Neuquén and nearby cities. There was some commercial navigation in the Alto Valle area in the first half of the 20th century, but it has been abandoned since then.
History
The first inhabitants of the area were very mobile and moved according to the seasons of the year, climatic conditions, and the abundance of food and game. Around the 16th century the people living in different areas of the province began to be assimilated by the Mapuche people. One of the most important trails used by the Mapuches passed through the area of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén rivers.
In the 17th century European explorers arrived in the area of the confluence.
In 1604, Hernando Arias de Saavedra decided to explore the trails to Patagonia. With the support of the ranchers of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Corrientes, he departed from Buenos Aires and passed through the mountains of the Sierra de la Ventana. He reached what is now the city of Neuquén and continued on, possibly passing through what is today Auca Mahuida.