La Rioja Province, Argentina

La Rioja is one of the provinces of Argentina.  It is in the west side of the country. The province's two largest cities are La Rioja and Chilecito. 

La Rioja gained independence from Spain, like the rest of Argentina, in 1826. The next century for La Rioja would be unstable and divisive in many ways, and La Rioja was led politically by the Federalists in the province for decades. Facundo Quiroga led the Federalist party in its early days and was the dominant political figure across La Rioja. Additionally, caudillista leadership played a key role in La Rioja politics in the 19th century as well.

Petroglyphs at the Talampaya National Park are dated around 10,000 years BCE.

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