Provincial Government of Chaco, Argentina

About

Chaco is one of the 23 provinces in Argentina. Its capital and largest city, is Resistencia. It is located between the northwestern Argentine highlands and the Paraná River and is bounded on part of the east by Paraguay. Resistencia, in the southeast on the Paraná, is the provincial capital.

The province is mostly low hardwood forest with patches of savanna trending to thorn scrub and savanna in the drier northwest. The province is part of the Gran Chaco, which includes adjoining lands of Argentina to the north and south, the northwestern half of Paraguay, and adjoining areas of Bolivia. Chaco National Park in northeastern Chaco province includes extensive savannas and palm forests.

The region was explored in 1528 by Sebastian Cabot and was settled in the 17th century by Jesuits, who established reducciones (work missions) for the large indigenous population. Resistencia was founded in 1875. Today, the province provides most of Argentina’s cotton; sorghum and sunflowers are also grown.