The Mendoza of the Desert: Villages and settlers between resistance and abandonment

Abstract

Mendoza of the desert has not been consideredin the past economicaldevelopment of Argentina. It occupies 97.5% ofthe areaofthe provinceof Mendozaand 2.4% ofthe total population ofthe country lives there. This region has two geographicalareas: the one of the "travesías"and the desert of mountains and plateau. The desert hasa caotic relief and a promisingdevelopment basedin tourism of termasand winter sports. The economicalconditions in the areao[ "travesías"are varied.In past times, the cattleand the crops of dry [arming were developed with the scarce water resources.However, this has changed with the establishmento[ irrigation systems that use the watero[ the rivers. Still there are traditional activities in the region: the collection o[ wood, the hunt 01 animalsand goat cattle; all this activities have low influence in the regionaleconomy. but have impact on the natural resourcesof the west Argentina.