Los Andes, a Territory at the west, is a bleak mountain region, once belonging to Chile, and a part of the Puna de Atacama. It is but slightly explored, dry and sandy, with salt marshes; it appears to be rich in minerals.
San Antonio, the capital, is a place of small importance not on a railway.
Formosa and Gran Chaco, Territories east of Salta, are precisely opposite to Los Andes in character. Formosa has Bolivia on the northwest; on the long northeast boundary the Pilcomayo River separates it from Paraguay, which is also at the southeast, there separated by the Paraguay River. On the southwest the Bermejo divides it from the Chaco, while Salta is west.
The Chaco of similar shape has at the southeast a bit of the Paraguay River and country, and below a little of Corrientes across the Paraná. Santa Fé and Santiago del Estero are on the south, the latter with Salta west. These two Territories are truly semi-tropical, flat or undulating, sloping to the southeast, partly covered with dense forests, not thoroughly explored; partly with open plains, lakes and marshes, many rivers, much very fertile land suited to tropical products, some of which are grown, and excellent pasturage where herds of cattle are bred, horses, sheep, and goats. The quebracho industry for tannin, and the production of sugar are important, with some cotton plantations and castor oil factories.
Formosa, capital of that Territory, is important as a port, shipping a variety of products down the river, and as the terminus of a railway to go to Embarcación, opening up this rich Territory.
Resistencia, capital of the Chaco, on the Paraná River, is of equal and growing importance. It has railway connection with Santa Fé.
Misiones, at the extreme northeast of Argentina, is a Territory of some similarity to the two just mentioned, but with greater attractions and merit. Long and narrow, it extends up between Paraguay and Brazil, separated from the former country by the Paraná River on the west, from the latter by the Iguassú on the north and by the Uruguay on the southeast, Brazil enclosing it on the north, east, and south. Misiones joins the rest of Argentina only by a small strip along the Province Corrientes on the southwest. Misiones is a subtropical garden largely covered with beautiful forests where the picking of mate leaves is a leading industry; there is some timber extraction, and saw mills. It is an undulating plain with ranges of low mountains and hills. There are various minerals, and in open spaces some cattle.
Posadas, the capital, is a pleasant town, important as a railway and steamboat junction.
Catamarca, a Province again at the west, we find bordering on Chile, south of Los Andes and Salta, with Tucumán and Santiago east, and Córdoba and La Rioja south. The Province is largely mountainous, one peak in the eastern range, Aconquija, being over 15,000 feet. Some short torrential streams, formerly disappearing in salt marshes, are now utilized for irrigation. Cereals and other agricultural products, also cattle are raised. The Province is rich in minerals, with workings in gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and salt.
Catamarca, the capital, on the Catamarca River, is of some importance as the centre of a rich agricultural district.