noroeste

Noroeste is the Spanish term for the cardinal direction northwest, the sector between north and west. In cartography and navigation, it corresponds to a bearing of about 315 degrees on a standard compass.

The expression is also used to designate regional zones in Spanish-speaking countries. In Spain, the noroeste de España commonly refers to the northwestern portion of the country, typically including Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and parts of Castilla y León. In Argentina, the Noroeste Argentino, abbreviated NOA, designates a macroregion that comprises the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, and Santiago del Estero; it is characterized by diverse topography, from Andean highlands to arid valleys.

Geographically, the noroeste regions vary in climate and landscape. The Spanish northwest features a temperate, Atlantic-influenced climate with lush regions and rugged coastlines, while the Argentine NOA contains high-altitude plateaus, sierra systems, and desert basins, yielding a range from wet uplands to dry valleys. Economies in these areas reflect their environments, with agriculture and tourism playing important roles in both Spain’s northwest and Argentina’s NOA.

Beyond regional names, noroeste is used as a general directional descriptor in everyday language to indicate locations oriented toward the northwest, such as streets, neighborhoods, or territorial divisions.