Chaco Province

( Details)

( Details)

- Total - Percentage of Argentina

99,633 km ² 3.6

- Total 2001 - Density

984 446 inhabitants 9.9 inhabitants / km ²

Chaco is a province in the north of Argentina. The provincial capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River near the city of Corrientes.

Geography

Location

The province is bordered on the north by the province of Formosa, on the east by the province of Corrientes and Paraguay and on the south by the province of Santa Fe, in the southwest of the province of Santiago del Estero and to the northwest by the province of Salta.

Climate

The province is located in the Gran Chaco area called, which consists of savannah in the west from dry forest to the east. The precipitation increases from east to west, and are concentrated in the summer months, while in winter it comes, however, to frequent droughts.

Flora and Fauna

In Chaco crocodiles, monkeys, tarantulas and a variety of snakes, such as boas, anacondas and rattlesnakes occur.

Population

There live about 984,000 people in the province Chaco. The population is quite diverse. There live many Paraguayans and Spaniards. Moreover, Mennonites from Russia, Germany and Canada have established, which are mainly engaged in agriculture.

Focusing is the population on the East half of the province, especially on an axis, which coincides approximately with the Ruta Nacional 81 and on the two largest cities of Resistencia and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña are.

Economic centers

• Resistencia, the provincial capital, port, industrial and commercial center, approximately 350,000 inhabitants
• Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, agro - industrial center west of Resistencia, about 85,000 inhabitants
• Charata, agricultural center in the west of the province, 40,000 inhabitants
• Villa Ángela, agricultural center in the south of the province, 35,000 inhabitants
• Juan José Castelli, fast-growing former agricultural colony in the northwest of the province, starting point for tourist trips to the jungle Impenetrable, 30,000 inhabitants.

History and Politics

At the end of the 19th century, there have been disputes between Argentina and Paraguay on the membership of the Chaco. Today's Chaco province was formed in 1884 from the division of the territory in the Chaco Chaco and Formosa. It was only on August 8, 1951, the territory was then also charged to the province.

Administrative divisions

The province is composed of 25 departments. The last creation of a departments took place in 1992 with the establishment of the department Dos de Abril. The departments are usually small. Exceptions are the departments Almirante Brown, general Güemes and Libertador General San Martín, which together comprise almost 50 percent of the province 's territory. The division of the province into departments follows Argentine customs, but in the province of Chaco rather symbolic character, as they send nor choose their own political administration nor elected representatives in the provincial parliament.

The departments are composed of municipalities ( municipios ) together, the dial in a mayor. The municipalities are divided into three categories according to their population. Municipalities over 20,000 inhabitants belong to category 1, communities of 5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants to Category 2 and communities to 5,000 inhabitants to Category 3 For some settlements that do not meet the criteria for community education, the provincial government has created so-called delegaciones Municipales and under the management of another municipality provided. The municipalities exert jurisdiction over the urban and rural areas of their territory. Taken together, they cover the whole territory of the province.

The provincial constitution recognizes the autonomy of municipalities, but by December 2006, only the provincial capital Resistencia had adopted its own municipal constitution.

Economy

Subtropical Agriculture (cotton, tobacco, soybeans) and agrochemical industries dominate the humid eastern part of the province and the region around Juan José Castelli. Also, the forestry of importance.