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Las Lajas ("The Flagstones") is a town in Neuquén Province, Argentina, and the capital of Picunches Department. The town, at an altitude of above mean sea level, is located on the right shore of Agrio River at the Andean foothills. National Routes 22 and 40 intersect in this area of the central Neuquén Province. The Cuchillo Curá range, considered the most important underground ecosystem in Argentina, extends approximately from Las Lajas. Before the Araucanization of Patagonia, Las Lajas was originally populated by Pehuenche and Picunche natives. In 1788, the first expedition into the territory, under the command Francisco Esquivel y Aldao, reached Las Lajas. In 1882, commander Ortega established a fort for the Argentinian Army. The town was established on 8 February 1897, by General Enrique Godoy, the Argentinian Army's 4th Division commander. To take possession of the region and protect the inhabitants from the natives, the town became the headquarters of the 8th and 9th Cavalry Regiments. It was named "Las Lajas" after the creek Las Lajitas, whose bed soil is mainly composed of the stones. Governor Alsina and the inhabitants of the town requested to move the National Territory's capital from Chos Malal to Las Lajas. The capital was ultimately moved to Neuquén city in 1902. The town received its current status of second-category municipality in 1967. The fodder production is largest agricultural activity in the region. The soils of the area remain unexplored, and for the lack of technical information, subsequently the oil and natural gas invest in locations such as Loma de La Lata. Another major aspect of the town is the Argentina Army's 21 Mountain Infantry Regiment. Following its closure of in the late 1990s, the regiment re-opened in 2004 with a diminution of the personnel to 250 soldiers as of 2011, out of an original of 1,000. This increased the number of customers and raised the solicitations for commercial licenses. The opening of the Pino Hachado Pass increased the quantity of vehicles and people that go through the town. ==History== Archeological evidences found at Mallín del Tromen suggest that the Picunches Department was populated at around 4500 BP. Before the Araucanization of Patagonia, which took place sometime between 1550 and 1850, this region of the current Neuquén Province was inhabited by Picunche and Pehuenches natives. In 1788, the first expedition into the territory of the current province reached the Las Lajas area under order of commander Francisco Esquivel y Aldao, who traveled from Mendoza with his men. The first fort of the Argentinian army in the area was built by commander Ortega around 1882. The local postal office started working in 1886 and the telegraph arrived one year later.〔 On 8 February 1897, the Argentinian Army's 4th Division Commander General Enrique Godoy ordered the establishment of the town as the headquarters of the 8 and 9 Cavalry Regiments. It was named Las Lajas ("The Flagstones" in Spanish) after the near creek Las Lajitas, whose bed possesses abundance of that kind of stone. The regiments were there to protect the colonists after the occupation of the native lands, and to take the control of the region. Two years later, an Agrio River flood destroyed the hamlet, which had to be reconstructed on the upper part of the valley. Those lands belonged to the later Governor Juán Alsina, who exchanged them for lands in Primeros Pinos and Pino Hachado. The local court was opened on 23 January 1901, and the following year the first police station was established. In 1903, Governor Alsina and local ranchers wanted to move the National Territory's capital from Chos Malal to Las Lajas, predicating that its location was more accessible for the rest of the Territory's towns in comparison with the previous city. The capital was ultimately moved to Neuquén city in 1902 with the support of Carlos Governor Bouquet Roldán and landowners of the Confluencia Department. In 1933, the province's government designated the ejido for the developing committee. Due to its sustained development, the town received its current status of second-category municipality in 1967. In 1996, a popular but unsuccessful riot tried to prevent the closure of the 21 Mountain Infantry Regiment which was crucial to the town's economy. It remained closed for seven years until its reopening in 2004 with a considerably lower number of men in comparison to its past.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Las Lajas, Neuquén」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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