Tucumán Province
Encyclopedia
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces
of Argentina
. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta
, Santiago del Estero
and Catamarca
. It is nicknamed El Jardín de la República (The Republic Garden).
Before the Spanish colonization
, this land was inhabited by the Diaguita
s and Calchaquí
es, who practiced agriculture.
In 1533 Diego de Almagro
explored the Argentine Northwest
, including Tucumán. By 1565 saw the foundation of San Miguel de Tucumán by Diego de Villaroel, and the creation of the Provincia de Tucumán, Juríes y Diaguitas, whose first governor was Francisco de Aguirre. San Miguel de Tucumán was refounded in 1685 by Miguel de Salas some 65 kilometres from its first location, in order to avoid the constant attacks of the aboriginal malones
.
The local aborigines of the region presented a strong resistance to the Spanish, who decided to move the defeated tribes towards Buenos Aires
, being the most famous the case of the Quilmes
, who were moved to the city of Quilmes
.
Tucumán was a mid-point for shipments of gold and silver from the Viceroyalty of Peru
, with important cattle, textile, and wood activities that provided supplies for the convoys on their way to Buenos Aires. Because of its important geographical position, and as head of the civil and Catholic governments it acquired special importance during the 18th century.
The creation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
in 1776 meant the end of the convoys from Perú
to the port of Buenos Aires. Tucumán, with 20,000 inhabitants by that time, suffered also from the British
imports from the newly opened customs of Buenos Aires, no longer under the monopoly of the Spanish Crown.
In 1783 the Intendency of Tucumán was divided and Tucumán was set under the control of the Intendency of Salta del Tucumán, with its centre in Salta
.
José de San Martín
arrived in Tucumán in 1813 and installed the Military School. In 1814 the Intendency of Salta was divided into the present provinces.
On July 9, 1816, at the Congress of Tucumán
, the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata ("United Provinces of the Río de la Plata") declared their independence from Spain
, but internal conflicts delayed the final fusion of the provinces into the República Argentina.
Following the failure of Argentina's first independence-era government, the Directorate
, Governor Bernabé Aráoz on March 22, 1820, proclaimed the creation of the "Federal Republic of Tucumán." The experiment collapsed, however, when the neighboring provinces of Catamarca
and Santiago del Estero
withdrew, the following year.
The beginning of the 20th century, with the customs restrictions and the arrival of the railway
, brought prosperous economic times for the province and its sugarcane
production. Numerous landmarks were built, such as Ninth of July Park
and the Tucumán Government Palace
, and a daily newspaper founded in 1912, La Gaceta
, became the most circulated Argentine daily outside Buenos Aires
; but, the sugar price crisis of the 1960s and President Juan Carlos Onganía
's order to have eleven large state-owned sugar mills closed in 1966, hit Tucumán's economy hard, and ushered in an era of instability for the province.
The next decade saw mounting unrest due partly to economic hardship and in 1975, Pres. Isabel Perón declared a state of emergency in the province. The decree led to Operation Independence
, an official military campaign at least as brutal on local magistrates, lawmakers and faculty as it was on its stated target, the ERP
. Violence did not fully abate until the appointment of General Antonio Domingo Bussi
, the operation's commander, as governor at the behest of the dictatorship
that deposed Mrs. Perón in 1976. Efficient as well as ruthless, Bussi oversaw the completion of several stalled public works; but, also presided over some of the worst human rights abuses during that painful 1976-77 period. Retaining a sizable following, Bussi was elected governor in his own right in 1995, but lost much of his earlier popularity during his four-year tenure.
Life in Tucumán has since returned to a certain normalcy and, if well its economy languished during much of the 1980s and '90s, it has recovered strongly during the expansive period Argentina has seen since 2002.
Despite Tucumán's small size, it is necessary to distinguish two different geographical systems. The east is associated with the Gran Chaco
flat lands, while the west presents a mixture of the Sierras of the Pampa
s to the south, and the canyons of the Argentine Northwest
to the north, being the highest peak the Cerro del Bolsón
with 5550 metres (18,209 ft).
Summers are long, hot and humid, with high temperatures ranging from 30ºC to 33ºC (86 F to 91F) and nighttime lows around 20ºC (68F) from November to March (5 months). Fall arrives with dryer conditions and cooler nights, and temperatures drop progressively until winter, when highs hover around 18ºC (64F) and nights around 7ºC (45F), and conditions are very dry (but often foggy). There are frequent warm spells in midwinter, when temperatures may reach 28ºC (82F) for a few days, followed by cold spells with high temperatures close to 10ºC (50F). Night frosts are lighter and less frequent than in the Pampas region, and most of the time the temperature will only descend to 0ºC to -2ºC (32F to 28F) a few nights in the year.
Springs arrive very quickly and present hot and dry conditions. Precipitation in the lowlands ranges from 600 mm (24 in) in the east, to close to 1,200 mm in the foothills (48 in), in a very monsoonal pattern with 4-5 completely dry winter months, and a peak of about 200 mm (7.9 in) in the rainiest summer month.
The eastward facing slopes concentrate not only the heaviest precipitation, with spots around 1,800 mm (71 in) falling mostly in the 5 months of the summer monsoon; they also have a unique characteristic, which is that during part of the year, they are constantly immersed in a thick fog, providing humidity for the development of a thick jungle. The climate quickly becomes decidedly temperate with altitude, supporting different kinds of forest which even receive some snow every winter, finally reaching high-altitude grasslands with cool, windy weather year-round.
The high valleys in the west are significantly dryer, with pleasant summers with strong solar radiation and warm afternoons and cold nights, and extremely sunny winters with high thermal amplitude: days can easily surpass 15ºC to 20ºC (59F to 68F), but nights will be frosty, sometimes several degrees below the freezing point.
The abundant precipitation creates a wide area of abundant vegetation and justifies Tucumán’s title of “Jardín de la República” (Garden of the Republic).
The Salí is the province’s main river. Tucumán also has four dams that are used for hydroelectricity and irrigation: El Cadillal on Salí River, the province’s most important dam; Embalse Río Hondo on the Hondo River; La Angostura on de los Sosa River; and Escaba on the Marapa River. The Santa María River crosses the Valles Calchaquíes.
Long among the most underdeveloped Argentine provinces, Tucumán Province has been growing strongly, and, in 2006, its economy reached US$7.2 billion, the nation's 7th largest. Its per capita output of US$5,400 is nearly 40% below the national average but compares favourably with that of most of its neighbors.
Known internationally for its prodigious sugarcane
(with 2,300 km², and the sugar production, 60% of the country's), Tucumán's economy is quite diversified and agriculture accounts for about 7% of output. After the sugar crisis of the 1960s, Tucumán tried to diversify its crops and now cultivates, among others, lemons (world 1st. producer), strawberries, kiwifruit
, beans, maize
, alfalfa
, and soybean
s.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised mainly for local consumption.
Manufacturing
in Tucumán initially centered around sugar production but has diversified significantly since 1960. Sugar mills add about 15% to the total economy. Besides the industrialisation of the sugarcane into sugar, paper, and alcohol, there are food, textile, automotive
, and metallurgical industries. Among the latter, the freight-truck
assembly operated by the Volkswagen Group
controlled Swedish
Scania company is probably the best known. Mining is a minor activity, centered on salt, clay, lime and other non-metallic extractions.
Cultural and sport tourism is common in the province, and attracts a number of Argentine tourists every year. The Panamerican Highway (Route 9
) crosses San Miguel de Tucumán, and connects it with Santiago del Estero
and Buenos Aires. The city also serves as a mid-stop for tourists visiting other provinces of the Argentine Northwest. The Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport have regular flights to Buenos Aires
and Santa Cruz de la Sierra
, and receives almost 300,000 passengers every year.
The most visited destinations of the Province are the Campo de los Alisos National Park
, Valles Calchaquíes, Tafí del Valle
, Ruins of Quilmes
, the Diaguita
community of Amaicha del Valle
, and the city of San Miguel de Tucumán.
There are four important universities in the province: the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
(with 60,000 students), the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino
and the Universidad de San Pablo-T.
(Spanish departamentos).
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
, Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
and Catamarca
Catamarca Province
Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja...
. It is nicknamed El Jardín de la República (The Republic Garden).
History
Before the Spanish colonization
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
, this land was inhabited by the Diaguita
Diaguita
The Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Diaguita culture developed between the 8th and 16th centuries in what are now the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina, and in the Atacama and Coquimbo...
s and Calchaquí
Calchaquí
The Calchaquí were a tribe of South American Indians of the Diaguita group, now extinct, who formerly occupied northern Argentina. Stone and other remains prove them to have reached a high degree of civilization...
es, who practiced agriculture.
In 1533 Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro, , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and later rival of Francisco Pizarro. He participated in the Spanish conquest of Peru and is credited as the first European discoverer of Chile.Almagro lost his left eye battling with coastal...
explored the Argentine Northwest
Argentine Northwest
The Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...
, including Tucumán. By 1565 saw the foundation of San Miguel de Tucumán by Diego de Villaroel, and the creation of the Provincia de Tucumán, Juríes y Diaguitas, whose first governor was Francisco de Aguirre. San Miguel de Tucumán was refounded in 1685 by Miguel de Salas some 65 kilometres from its first location, in order to avoid the constant attacks of the aboriginal malones
Malón
Malón or maloca was a military raiding tactic of the Mapuche peoples from the 17th to the 19th centuries.The "maloca" among the Mapuche is described as a means of obtaining justice, by Juan Ignacio Molina:...
.
The local aborigines of the region presented a strong resistance to the Spanish, who decided to move the defeated tribes towards Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, being the most famous the case of the Quilmes
Quilmes (tribe)
The Quilmes people were an indigenous tribe of the Diaguita group settled in the western subandean valleys of today’s Tucumán province, in northwestern Argentina. They fiercely resisted the Inca invasions of the 15th century, and continued to resist the Spaniards for 130 years, until being defeated...
, who were moved to the city of Quilmes
Quilmes, Buenos Aires
Quilmes is a city in the . It is the capital of Quilmes Partido , and has a population of 230,810. It is located south of the capital of Argentina, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires....
.
Tucumán was a mid-point for shipments of gold and silver from the Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
, with important cattle, textile, and wood activities that provided supplies for the convoys on their way to Buenos Aires. Because of its important geographical position, and as head of the civil and Catholic governments it acquired special importance during the 18th century.
The creation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
in 1776 meant the end of the convoys from Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to the port of Buenos Aires. Tucumán, with 20,000 inhabitants by that time, suffered also from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
imports from the newly opened customs of Buenos Aires, no longer under the monopoly of the Spanish Crown.
In 1783 the Intendency of Tucumán was divided and Tucumán was set under the control of the Intendency of Salta del Tucumán, with its centre in Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
.
José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
arrived in Tucumán in 1813 and installed the Military School. In 1814 the Intendency of Salta was divided into the present provinces.
On July 9, 1816, at the Congress of Tucumán
Congress of Tucumán
The Congress of Tucumán was the representative assembly, initially meeting in Tucumán, that declared the independence of the United Provinces of South America on July 9, 1816, from the Spanish Empire....
, the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata ("United Provinces of the Río de la Plata") declared their independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but internal conflicts delayed the final fusion of the provinces into the República Argentina.
Following the failure of Argentina's first independence-era government, the Directorate
Directorio
Directorio is Spanish for Directorate and could refer to:*Cuban Democratic Directorate, a nongovernmental organization organization that supports the human rights movement in Cuba.*Directorio, early 19th century government of Argentina....
, Governor Bernabé Aráoz on March 22, 1820, proclaimed the creation of the "Federal Republic of Tucumán." The experiment collapsed, however, when the neighboring provinces of Catamarca
Catamarca Province
Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja...
and Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
withdrew, the following year.
The beginning of the 20th century, with the customs restrictions and the arrival of the railway
Rail transport in Argentina
The Argentine railway network comprised of track at the end of the Second World War and was, in its time, one of the most extensive and prosperous in South America. However, with the increase in highway construction, there followed a sharp decline in railway profitability, leading to the break-up...
, brought prosperous economic times for the province and its sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
production. Numerous landmarks were built, such as Ninth of July Park
Ninth of July Park
Ninth of July Park is the largest public park in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.-History and overview:Economic growth in the Argentine Northwest city of Tucumán, as in cities nationwide, created the need for unprecedented urban improvements during the late nineteenth century...
and the Tucumán Government Palace
Tucumán Government Palace
The Tucumán Government Palace is the executive office building of the Government of the Province of Tucumán.-Overview:Tucumán Province, the most populous and economically important in the Argentine Northwest, lacked architecturally significant government offices, early in the 20th Century...
, and a daily newspaper founded in 1912, La Gaceta
La Gaceta (Tucumán)
La Gaceta is a daily newspaper founded in Tucumán, Argentina, and the most prominent in the Argentine Northwest.La Gaceta was established on August 4, 1912, by Alberto García Hamilton, an Uruguayan publisher who left for neighboring Argentina following a political dispute...
, became the most circulated Argentine daily outside Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
; but, the sugar price crisis of the 1960s and President Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo was de facto president of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as military dictator after toppling, in a coup d’état self-named Revolución Argentina , the democratically elected president Arturo Illia .-Economic and social...
's order to have eleven large state-owned sugar mills closed in 1966, hit Tucumán's economy hard, and ushered in an era of instability for the province.
The next decade saw mounting unrest due partly to economic hardship and in 1975, Pres. Isabel Perón declared a state of emergency in the province. The decree led to Operation Independence
Operativo Independencia
Operativo Independencia was the code-name of the Argentine military operation in the Tucumán Province, started in 1975, to crush the ERP , a Guevarist guerrilla group which attempted to secede part of Tucuman as an independent nation, in the north-west of Argentina...
, an official military campaign at least as brutal on local magistrates, lawmakers and faculty as it was on its stated target, the ERP
Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo
Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo or Ejército Popular Revolucionario may refer to:* People's Revolutionary Army * People's Revolutionary Army * People's Revolutionary Army...
. Violence did not fully abate until the appointment of General Antonio Domingo Bussi
Antonio Domingo Bussi
Antonio Domingo Bussi was an Army General and politician prominent in the recent history of Tucumán Province, Argentina.-Early career:...
, the operation's commander, as governor at the behest of the dictatorship
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
that deposed Mrs. Perón in 1976. Efficient as well as ruthless, Bussi oversaw the completion of several stalled public works; but, also presided over some of the worst human rights abuses during that painful 1976-77 period. Retaining a sizable following, Bussi was elected governor in his own right in 1995, but lost much of his earlier popularity during his four-year tenure.
Life in Tucumán has since returned to a certain normalcy and, if well its economy languished during much of the 1980s and '90s, it has recovered strongly during the expansive period Argentina has seen since 2002.
Geography
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
flat lands, while the west presents a mixture of the Sierras of the Pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
s to the south, and the canyons of the Argentine Northwest
Argentine Northwest
The Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...
to the north, being the highest peak the Cerro del Bolsón
Cerro del Bolsón
Cerro del Bolsón is a mountain in the Aconquija Range of Argentina, in Tucumán province. It is the highest point of a significant eastern spur of the main range of the Andes, east of the Puna de Atacama region...
with 5550 metres (18,209 ft).
Climate
Tucuman lies at the convergence of temperate climates and tropical climates further north, retaining characteristics of both in the lowlands. Furthermore, it is highly monsoonal, and depends also on elevation. As a rule of thumb, the far east is dryer and hotter, whereas the Piedmont sees many storms in the summer which moderate temperatures. The first foothills are very humid, provoking a dense jungle, and as altitude increases, a thick forest and then cool grasslands. The westernmost areas are once again a bit dryer because of a rain shadow.Summers are long, hot and humid, with high temperatures ranging from 30ºC to 33ºC (86 F to 91F) and nighttime lows around 20ºC (68F) from November to March (5 months). Fall arrives with dryer conditions and cooler nights, and temperatures drop progressively until winter, when highs hover around 18ºC (64F) and nights around 7ºC (45F), and conditions are very dry (but often foggy). There are frequent warm spells in midwinter, when temperatures may reach 28ºC (82F) for a few days, followed by cold spells with high temperatures close to 10ºC (50F). Night frosts are lighter and less frequent than in the Pampas region, and most of the time the temperature will only descend to 0ºC to -2ºC (32F to 28F) a few nights in the year.
Springs arrive very quickly and present hot and dry conditions. Precipitation in the lowlands ranges from 600 mm (24 in) in the east, to close to 1,200 mm in the foothills (48 in), in a very monsoonal pattern with 4-5 completely dry winter months, and a peak of about 200 mm (7.9 in) in the rainiest summer month.
The eastward facing slopes concentrate not only the heaviest precipitation, with spots around 1,800 mm (71 in) falling mostly in the 5 months of the summer monsoon; they also have a unique characteristic, which is that during part of the year, they are constantly immersed in a thick fog, providing humidity for the development of a thick jungle. The climate quickly becomes decidedly temperate with altitude, supporting different kinds of forest which even receive some snow every winter, finally reaching high-altitude grasslands with cool, windy weather year-round.
The high valleys in the west are significantly dryer, with pleasant summers with strong solar radiation and warm afternoons and cold nights, and extremely sunny winters with high thermal amplitude: days can easily surpass 15ºC to 20ºC (59F to 68F), but nights will be frosty, sometimes several degrees below the freezing point.
The abundant precipitation creates a wide area of abundant vegetation and justifies Tucumán’s title of “Jardín de la República” (Garden of the Republic).
The Salí is the province’s main river. Tucumán also has four dams that are used for hydroelectricity and irrigation: El Cadillal on Salí River, the province’s most important dam; Embalse Río Hondo on the Hondo River; La Angostura on de los Sosa River; and Escaba on the Marapa River. The Santa María River crosses the Valles Calchaquíes.
Economy
Known internationally for its prodigious sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
(with 2,300 km², and the sugar production, 60% of the country's), Tucumán's economy is quite diversified and agriculture accounts for about 7% of output. After the sugar crisis of the 1960s, Tucumán tried to diversify its crops and now cultivates, among others, lemons (world 1st. producer), strawberries, kiwifruit
Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
, beans, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, and soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised mainly for local consumption.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
in Tucumán initially centered around sugar production but has diversified significantly since 1960. Sugar mills add about 15% to the total economy. Besides the industrialisation of the sugarcane into sugar, paper, and alcohol, there are food, textile, automotive
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, and metallurgical industries. Among the latter, the freight-truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
assembly operated by the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
controlled Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Scania company is probably the best known. Mining is a minor activity, centered on salt, clay, lime and other non-metallic extractions.
Cultural and sport tourism is common in the province, and attracts a number of Argentine tourists every year. The Panamerican Highway (Route 9
National Route 9 (Argentina)
National Route 9 is a major road in Argentina, which runs from the center-east to the northwest of the country, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy...
) crosses San Miguel de Tucumán, and connects it with Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
and Buenos Aires. The city also serves as a mid-stop for tourists visiting other provinces of the Argentine Northwest. The Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport have regular flights to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, and receives almost 300,000 passengers every year.
The most visited destinations of the Province are the Campo de los Alisos National Park
Campo de los Alisos National Park
The Campo de los Alisos National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Chicligasta Department, province of Tucumán. It has an area of 100 square kilometres....
, Valles Calchaquíes, Tafí del Valle
Tafí del Valle
Tafí del Valle is a city in Tucumán, Argentina....
, Ruins of Quilmes
Ruins of Quilmes
The Ruins of Quilmes is an archaeological site in the Calchaquí Valleys, Tucumán Province, Argentina. They are the remains of what was the largest pre-Columbian settlement in the country, occupying about thirty hectares...
, the Diaguita
Diaguita
The Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Diaguita culture developed between the 8th and 16th centuries in what are now the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina, and in the Atacama and Coquimbo...
community of Amaicha del Valle
Amaicha del Valle
Amaicha del Valle is a settlement in Tucumán Province in northern Argentina....
, and the city of San Miguel de Tucumán.
There are four important universities in the province: the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
The National University of Tucumán is a national university in the Tucumán Province, in the northwest region of Argentina.-General information:...
(with 60,000 students), the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino
Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino
The Universidad del Norte de Santo Tomás de Aquino is a Catholic university located in San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán province, Argentina.-External links:...
and the Universidad de San Pablo-T.
Political division
The province is divided into 17 departmentsDepartments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...
(Spanish departamentos).
|
 |
External links
- Tucuman.gov.ar Tucuman Province Official Website