Center Region, Argentina

The Región Centro is one of Argentina's major regions. It includes the central east of the country.

Structure

The provinces belong to the Región Centro:

• Cordoba Cordoba
• Entre Ríos Entre Ríos
• Santa Fe Santa Fe

Data

The area of ​​the Región Centro is 377 109 square kilometers, its population is 7,180,807 ( 2001). The population growth is 0.9 percent per year and the population density of 19.0 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Major cities

In the region of the second and the third largest city of Argentina are, Córdoba ( 1,368,301 inhabitants) and Rosario ( 1,161,188 inhabitants). Both are important industrial and service cities. With some distance follow Santa Fe ( Argentina) ( 454 238 inhabitants) and Paraná ( 247 310 ) with an agro-industrial orientation. Other major cities are Rio Cuarto ( 149 303 inhabitants) in the province of Córdoba and Concordia ( 138 099 inhabitants) in the province of Entre Ríos.

Geography

The region lies at the interface between the Pampa plain to the south and the Gran Chaco savannah in the north. To the west you will find the first foothills of the highlands of the Sierras Pampeanas. The climate is getting drier from east to west, with more precipitation falls in the summer than in winter.

Economy

The cities of the region have a well-developed and diversified industry ( automobile industry in Córdoba and Rosario, electronics and software in Córdoba, agricultural machines in Las Varillas, agribusiness in almost all cities ). The levels used for intensive agriculture, especially the soy cultivation has increased in recent decades in importance. The energy is concentrated in the provinces of Córdoba and Entre Ríos with nuclear and hydro power plants. In the province of Córdoba is also tourism is a major source of income.

Overall, the region is one of the rich areas of Argentina, it generates about a quarter of the gross national product of the country. The cities, however, have suffered from the high level of immigration, which led to urban decay. Since the 1980s, population growth has stabilized in a natural rate, so that for this problem a solution is in sight.

Projects

Between the provinces of the already adequate infrastructure is to be further improved in order to become an internationally competitive region in agriculture and industry. Highways are under construction between Córdoba and Rosario and Córdoba- Concordia Santa Fe, the disused railway lines will be modernized hesitantly at the time. The new bridge between Rosario and Victoria ( Entre Ríos ) is the central Argentina also better connect with the neighboring countries of Brazil and Uruguay.

Tourism

The west of the province of Córdoba with the Sierras de Córdoba is one of the most important tourism centers of the country. Furthermore significant is the coast of the Uruguay River in the province of Entre Ríos with the National Park El Palmar and the Salto Grande dam at Concordia. A tourist attraction is also the carnival in the province of Entre Ríos, especially in Gualeguaychú and Victoria.