San Juan

San Juan, (1) a frontier province of the Argentine Republic, bordering on Chili, with an area of 37,697 sq. m. and a pop. (1896) of 85,480. Half of the surface is occupied by mountains—Andean and pampa chains—and the province is rich in minerals, little of which, except coal, has yet been worked. Agriculture—lucerne, corn, and grapes—is the chief occupation. The capital town, San Juan, on the river San Juan, is by rail 735 miles W. by N. of Buenos Ayres and 98 N. of Mendoza. It exports cattle and fodder to Chili, and has a custom-house, a national college, normal school, school of engineering, and a seminary, a library, hospitals for men and women, a gaol, public baths, a bull-ring, &c. Pop. 12,000.—(2) Of several San Juans in Mexico the chief is in Queretaro, 191 miles by rail NW. of Mexico city, with fruit and market gardens, and 10,000 inhabitants.—(3) For San Juan in Porto Rico, see ST JOHN'S.—(4) For San Juan del Norte in Nicaragua, see GREYTOWN.—(5) For San Juan in Juan de Fuca Strait, see FUCA.