| General Roca | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
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General Roca
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Río Negro |
| Department | General Roca |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carlos Soria (Justicialist Party) |
| Highest elevation | 300 m (984 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 227 m (745 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 78,275 |
| Time zone | ART (UTC-3) |
| CPA base | R8332 |
| Dialing code | +54 2941 |
General Roca is a city in the northeast of the Argentine province of Río Negro, northern Patagonia. UN/LOCODE is ARGNR.
It was founded on September 1, 1879 by Coronel Lorenzo Vintter during the Conquest of the Desert. In 1899 it was destroyed by a flooding of the Río Negro, and had to be re-built 5 kilometres west in higher lands.
Its present population is of around 78,000 inhabitants (as per the 2001 census [INDEC]), making it the second most populated city in the province after Bariloche, and the second most important in the Alto Valle after Neuquén.
The main activity around the city is the intensive agriculture under irrigation, which made possible an intense agro-industrial activity. The main crops are pears and apples. The city hosts the annual National Festival of the Apple.
General Roca, named after Julio A. Roca, is located some 1,200 km from Buenos Aires, 505 km from Bahía Blanca, 513 from Viedma and 400 km from the deepwater port of San Antonio Este. The city is connected to the east by Argentine National Route 22, and is also crossed by provincial routes 6 and 65, which connect it to other cities in the Alto Valle, with the south of the province, and with the La Pampa Province. Through the centre of the city drives the wide rail train lane that joins Zapala with Bahía Blanca and Buenos Aires. The local airport connects General Roca with other points of the country, mainly with Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
Together with Villa Regina, Allen, Cinco Saltos, Cipolletti, Neuquén and many other smaller towns, they constitute the lineal urbanisation of the Alto Valle of the Negro River. Besides apples and pears, there are vineyards, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables. Within the industrial sector highlight the fabrication of refrigerating storehouses, fruit and vegetable packaging, and other agricultural related industries.