Confluencia Department

Confluencia
Department
A memorial in Confluencia Department
Country	Argentina
Province	Neuquén
Capital	Neuquén
Area
• Total	7,352 km2 (2,839 sq mi)
Population  (2001)
• Total	314,793
• Density	43/km2 (110/sq mi)
Important cities	Neuquén Plottier Villa el Chocón Plaza Huincul Cutral Có Senillosa Vista Alegre Sausal Bonito

Confluencia is a department located in the east of Neuquén Province in Argentina. Neuquén, the capital city of the province, is located in this department. The department is named Confluencia after the confluence of the rivers Neuquén and Limay.

Geography

The department borders on the north with Añelo Department, on the east and southeast with Rio Negro Province, on the southwest with Picún Leufú Department and with Zapala Department on the west.

Economy

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most important activities in the area. The major productions in the zone are apples, peaches and pears.

Power sources

Electricity

In Confluencia Department there are many important power sources. In Villa El Chocón is located El Chocón Dam, one of the most important electricity sources of the country, with Yacyretá Dam located in Misiones Province. The power generated by the dam is 222 MVA for each generator, and 180 MVA for each transformer. A new kind of production of energy used in the province, as in the department, is wind power but on a small scale.

Petroleum

In the Confluencia Department area, petroleum is extracted mostly in the El Chocón area.

Culture

In the department there are important museums located in the capital city, Neuquén, and an important paleontologic museum located in Villa el Chocón managed by Ruben Carolini, who discovered one of the most important pieces in exhibition at the museum, the Giganotosaurus carolinii in 1995.