The department Calingasta comprises the southwest corner of the province of San Juan. It is west of the
city of San Juan with an area of . Its boundaries are: • To the north with the
Iglesia Department • To the south with the
Mendoza Province • To the east with the departments of
Sarmiento,
Zonda, and
Ullum • To the west with the
Republic of Chile Relief Calingasta has a rugged, mountainous topography due to its location at the foot of the
Andes. Mount
Mercedario is the eighth-highest mountain of the Andes with an altitude of . It is located north of
Aconcagua. The precordillera range is the
Sierra del Tontal, separating the region from the arid plains to the east. The soil is mainly desert with little vegetation cover except on the river banks in the valleys.
Climate The climate is mostly desert with little precipitation, highlighting marked thermal variations, with notable differences in temperature between night and day. ==References==