Aconcagua facts

Aconcagua Provincial Park

Aconcagua comes from two words indigenous to the Quechua language, spoken by the Incas. 
It is derived from the words Akon-Kahuak, which means "Stone Sentinel."

The Aconcagua Provincial Park in the Central Andes is located to the northwest of the Mendoza Province, Argentina, between 60º 50´ longitude west and 32º 39' latitude south, 180 kilometers (approx. 121 miles) from the city of Mendoza (the capital city of the province). 

This protected natural area was created in the 1983 in an effort to preserve its cultural treasures (flora, fauna and important archeological sites). It is home to numerous glaciers. 

The Aconcagua Provincial Park is one of the ten natural reserves that form the system of Protected Natural Areas of the Mendoza province and one of the three protected areas of the high mountains, in addition to the Tupungato Volcano and the Laguna del Diamante. 

Aconcagua Park is bordered in the west and southwest by the lower Valley of the Horcones, and by the Valle de las Vacas to the east and north. 

With a surface area of 71,000 hectares it is home to many peaks higher than 5000 meters above sea level (approx. 16,404 feet).  In the higher Valley de Horcones it is possible to find Mount Cuerno (5.450), Catedral (5,200), Bonete (5,100) and De los Dedos (5,500). 
In the lower Valley of Horcones you can find Mounts Mirador (5,800), Ibáñez (5,200) and Almacenes (4,800). 
In the Valley de las Vacas the Mounts Ameghino (5,800), Fitz Gerald (5,300), Santa Maria (5,100) stand out, as well as all of the mountains from the Cordon de Penitentes. 
The highest elevation of Aconcagua Park, Mount Aconcagua, which stands at 6962 meters above sea level, is the highest in the Western Hemisphere and the second highest mountain in the Seven Summit Circuit.

Mount Aconcagua resides completely within the territory of Argentina, approximately 12 kilometers from the border with Chile.

Hydrography

The water resources of the Park include a number of glaciers that cover an approximate area of 32 square kilometers, and between them you can find the Glacier de los Polacos (700 ha), las Vacas (2000 ha), Güssfeldt (1000 ha), and the lower and upper Horcones. 

The melting from these glaciers pours their waters into the lower and upper River Horcones, through the Quebrada de Horcones and to the Rio Vacas through the Quebrada of the same name. 

On a smaller scale, the area receives additional water from precipitation, mainly snow, that reaches an annual average of between 400-600 millimeters. 

Lake glaciers do not exist in this area, only the remains of them in the high areas of the mountains. 

The Horcones Lake is the most important lake in Park Aconcagua.

Argentina

The Argentine Republic (official name), is a sovereign state and it is represented as a       federal republic.
The name Argentina comes from the Latin “argentum” and means silver.  This association is based on legends about a country rich in silver that were common among the first explorers who penetrated this region. 
On May 25, 1810, by means of the May Revolution, the first government for the country was established. 
On July 9, 1816, in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina’s Independence was proclaimed.

Location and International Boundaries

The Argentine Republic is located at the southern end of South America.

The international boundaries are:
North: Bolivia and Paraguay
South: Chile and the Atlantic Ocean
East: Brazil, Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean
West: Chile