Before the Spanish conquest, numerous native peoples (now called Diaguitas and Calchaquíes) lived in the valleys of what is now Salta Province; they formed many different tribes, the Quilmes and Humahuacas among them, which all shared the Cacán language. The Atacamas lived in the Puna, and the Wichís (Matacos), in the Chaco region.
The first conquistador to venture into the area was Diego de Almagro in 1535; he was followed by Diego de Rojas. Hernando de Lerma founded San Felipe de Lerma in 1582, following orders of the viceroy Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa; the name of the city was soon changed to "San Felipe de Salta". By 1650, the city had around five hundred inhabitants.
An intendency of "Salta del Tucumán" was created within the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1774, San Ramón de La Nueva Orán was founded between Salta and Tarija (Tarija was added to the intendency later, in 1807). In 1783, in recognition of the growing importance of the city, the capital of the intendency of Salta del Tucumán was moved from San Miguel de Tucumán to Salta.
The battle of Salta in 1813 freed the territory from Spain, but occasional attacks were mounted from the Viceroyalty of Peru as late as 1826. Gervasio de Posadas created the province of Salta in 1814, containing the current provinces of Salta, Jujuy, and parts of southern Bolivia and northern Chile.
The National Government of Los Andes, constituted from the province in 1902 with a capital at San Antonio de los Cobres, was returned to Salta Province in 1943 as the Department of Los Andes.
Antonio Alice's painting, La muerte de Güemes, which received a gold medal at the Centenary Exposition, is on display at the offices of the Salta Provincial Government.[4]
The total land area of the province is 155,488km2 (60,034sqmi), making it the sixth largest province by area in Argentina.[5]:14–15 The main rivers of the province are the Pilcomayo, Bermejo, and the Juramento, which later becomes the Salado River.[5]:15 Salta Province is located at a geologically active region, and suffers from occasional earthquakes. There have been four earthquakes of note in the province:
The 1692 earthquake was the inspiration for Salta's annual citywide festival, held on 16 September, in honor of El Señor y la Virgen del Milagro.[6]
Climate
Köppen climate map of Salta, Argentina
Although Salta Province is located near the Tropic of Capricorn, it has a wide range of climates due to variation in altitude and the influence of orography.[7] The orientation of the Andes influences the distribution of precipitation within the province.[7]
The easternmost parts of the province have a hot semi-arid climate (KöppenBSh) with a rainy season in the summer.[7][8] The mean annual temperature and precipitation are 20°C (68.0°F) and 500 millimetres (19.7in).[7][8] Temperatures can reach up to 47°C or 116.6°F during summer, while they can fall down to −5°C or 23°F during winter.[7][8]
The first slopes of the Andes force the moist, easterly winds to rise, provoking very high condensation leading to the formation of clouds that generate copious amounts of rain.[9] The eastern slopes of the mountains receive between 1,000 to 1,500mm (39 to 59in) of precipitation a year, although some places receive up to 2,500mm (98in) of precipitation annually owing to orographic precipitation.[9][10] Most of the precipitation is concentrated in the summer, with winters being dry.[11] The high rainfall on these first slopes creates a thick jungle that extends in a narrow strip along these ranges, creating an area of great species diversity.[7][11] At higher altitudes on these slopes, the climate is cooler and more humid, with the vegetation consisting of deciduous and pine trees.[11]
Between the high altitudes to the west and the low plains to the east lie the valleys.[8] The climate of these valleys is either humid subtropical with dry winters (KöppenCwa) or subtropical highland (Cwb), favouring human settlement and agricultural activities.[8] Mean annual precipitation is around 1,000mm (39in), most of it during summer.[8] Mean temperatures exceed 20°C (68.0°F) during the summer, while during winter, they are below 14°C (57.2°F).[8]
Further west, the Altiplano is a plateau at 3,000 to 4,000 metres (9,800 to 13,100ft) above sea level. This region has a cool semi-arid climate (KöppenBSk): high temperatures vary little (since the warmer season is cloudy, and the cooler sunny), ranging from 14 to 21°C or 57.2 to 69.8°F; night temperatures go from 6°C or 42.8°F in midsummer, to −8°C or 17.6°F in midwinter, and extremes under −15°C or 5°F might be recorded. All rain falls exclusively in the summer, with annual totals between 200 and 400 millimetres or 8 and 16 inches. Several salt flats exist in this area.
The highest altitudes found in the western parts of the province have a cool arid climate (KöppenBWk), with large diurnal ranges (temperature range between day and night).[7]
Economy
A winery located between the mountains in Cafayate.
Salta's economy is relatively underdeveloped, yet diverse. Its economy in 2006 was estimated at US$5.141 billion or, US$4,764 per capita, 45% below the national average.[12] In 2012, its economy was estimated at $30.613 billion pesos (about US$6.743 billion) or $23,971 pesos (about US$5,280) per capita.[13][14]
Agriculture and its derived industries are still an important activity in the province, adding over 10% to output. Tobacco, sugar cane and viticulture are the most important and produce most of the exports from the area. Other crops mostly for local consumption are maize, beans, citrus, bananas, and tomatoes. The sugar cane is processed in plants in Salta before it is sent to the rest of Argentina and other countries. The plant in San Martín de Tabacal is the most important of them. The famous wines of the Valles Calchaquíes region (mainly Torrontés, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon) near Cafayate are produced in numerous vineyards of diverse sizes. American breeds of cattle are raised only on the humid subtropical east, along with some sheep and goats.
The Salta province is home to a number of natural, social and historic attractions.
The provincial capital city, also named Salta and nicknamed "La Linda" ("The beautiful") is both an important tourist destination, and the centre point for visiting the rest of the province. The city holds different attractions; among them are its colonial houses and cathedral, and the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (Spanish:Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña de Salta) that holds the three frozen Incamummies found at the Llullaillaco volcano and known as the Children of Llullaillaco .
The Tren a las Nubes ("Train to the Clouds") crosses canyons and cliffs before arriving at the 3,775 metres altitude (12,500 feet) of San Antonio de los Cobres. The red-rock formations of the Valles Calchaquíes and the wine-town of Cafayate are the second most visited place in the province. Many visit the Cachi mountains and the villages (such as Payogasta) around it.
According to the results from the 2010 census [INDEC], the province has a population of 1,214,441.[16] It constitutes 3.0% of the total population in Argentina.[18]:63 This represented a 12.5% increase in the population compared to 2001 census [INDEC] which had 1,079,051 inhabitants.[19] 6.5% of the population or 79,204 persons declared themselves as having Indigenous background,[20]:69 making it one of the provinces that has a high percentage of indigenous people, being ranked 5th behind Chubut, Neuquén, Jujuy and Río Negro.[18]:278 The most populous indigenous groups in the province are the Wichí, which make up 24.9% of the total indigenous population followed by the Kolla (21.6%), and the Guaraní (13.7%).[20]:69 As well, only 4,189 persons declared themselves to be Afro-Argentine.[21]
The province is governed as representative and republican form of government.[5]:14 The provincial government is divided into three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoints the cabinet; the legislative; and the judiciary, headed by the Supreme Court.
The province is divided in 23 departments (Spanish: departamentos), containing 59 municipalities (Spanish: municipios).[22] The capital of the province is the city of Salta, which is where the provincial government is located at.[22]
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located in northern Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Chaco, officially the Province of Chaco, is one of the 23 provinces in Argentina. Its capital and largest city, is Resistencia. It is located in the north-east of the country.
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Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the second-smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina.
Jujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.
Santiago del Estero, also known simply as Santiago, is a province in the north of Argentina. Neighboring provinces, clockwise from the north, are Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.
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This article presents official statistics gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. The National Ministry of Health publishes official numbers every night.
↑ Parker, William Belmont (1920). Argentines of today. Volume 5 of Hispanic Notes and Monographs. Vol.2 (Digitized May 22, 2008ed.). New York: The Hispanic Society of America. pp.637–640. ISBN9780722295779.
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