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Chaco Province

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Chaco is a province in the north-east of Argentina.

Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020
Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020

It is part of a huge, flat area called the Gran Chaco. This lowland plain stretches across Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Chaco is the twelfth largest province in Argentina. Its largest city is Resistencia. The province is surrounded by many other places. It borders Salta and Santiago del Estero to the west. Formosa is to the north, while Corrientes is to the east. Santa Fe sits to the south. It even shares an international border with the Ñeembucú department in Paraguay.

Nature creates many borders in this region.

Muelle sobre laguna próxima al río Paraná, cerca de Resistencia, Chaco
Muelle sobre laguna próxima al río Paraná, cerca de Resistencia, Chaco

The Paraná and Paraguay rivers separate Chaco from Corrientes and Paraguay. To the north, the Bermejo River divides Chaco from Formosa. The weather here is subtropical. It has two different zones. The east is humid and wet all year. The west is much drier and is called semi-arid. In the summer, it gets very hot. In the winter, cold air from the south can bring frost.

Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020
Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020

The history of Chaco is very old. Native groups like the Toba and Wichí lived here for a long time. They spoke languages from the Mataco-Guaicru family. In 1585, a Spanish explorer named Alonso de Vera y Aragón founded a settlement. It was called Concepción de Nuestra Señora, but people left in 1632. Later, a place called Campo del Cielo became famous. This area is on the border of Chaco and Santiago del Estero. Long ago, iron meteorites fell there.

Vista general de La Sabana en 1899
Vista general de La Sabana en 1899

This makes the area a protected place today.

Many people have moved to Chaco to make it a productive place.

Chaco 2022 population pyramid
Chaco 2022 population pyramid

In the early 1900s, immigrants arrived from Russia, Germany, and Canada. They helped turn the land into a great place for farming. Today, Chaco produces 60% of all the cotton in Argentina. Farmers also grow soy, corn, and sugarcane. They raise cattle that can handle the high heat. The province has about 1,142,963 people. It is the eleventh most populated province in the country. Chaco is also special because it has many official languages. Besides Spanish, people officially use Kom, Moqoit, and Wichí.

Life in Chaco involves many different types of work.

Fábrica de tanino en Puerto Tirol
Fábrica de tanino en Puerto Tirol

Industry helps the economy grow through things like textiles and paper. Much of this comes from local cotton and sugarcane. The province also has a national park. While it is not a huge center for tourism, it is still an important part of the land. Even though the province faces hard jobs like poverty, it has been recovering. The railway services help many people travel each year.

This helps keep the different parts of the province connected.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Muelle sobre laguna próxima al río Paraná, cerca de Resistencia, Chaco.jpg
Muelle sobre laguna próxima al río...
File:Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020.svg
Koppen-Geiger Map v2 ARG Chaco 1991–2020.svg
File:Vista general de La Sabana en 1899.jpg
Vista general de La Sabana en 1899.jpg
File:Police Museum and first government house in Resistencia, Chaco.jpg
Police Museum and first government house...
File:Chaco Province Government House seen from Marcelo T. de Alvear and Mitre streets.JPG
Chaco Province Government House seen from...
File:Chaco 2022 population pyramid.svg
Chaco 2022 population pyramid.svg
File:Fábrica de tanino en Puerto Tirol.jpg
Fábrica de tanino en Puerto Tirol.jpg
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