Tucumán, east of Catamarca, south of Salta, with Santiago east and south, is the smallest of the Provinces, but more varied in character than most. It has snow-capped mountains, and well watered valleys and plains, some quite tropical; with agriculture, or with dense forests of quebracho, oak, pine, etc. There is activity in sugar refining and tanning, with steam saw mills, and with cereals and fruit.
Tucumán, the capital, is a large city, especially important, as the center of the sugar industry, and with many varied interests.
Santiago del Estero, more than seven times the size of Tucumán, is south of Salta and the Chaco, with Chaco and Santa Fé east, Córdoba south, and Catamarca and Tucumán west. Mostly in the lowlands, it is in places covered with forest; in other parts is a salt, clayey, partial desert which is now being crossed by railways. Here woodmen cut out quebracho trees, though in this section it does not rain for 11 months in the year, nor can wells, they say, be dug to get water unless they are over 3000 feet deep, as water obtained higher is salt. The summer temperature by day runs nearly to 120° F., while in winter it falls to 50°, with cool nights always. Water difficulties are obviously great, worse than formerly at Iquique. To cross these partly forested deserts by rail is a 40-hour journey. Between the two rivers, the Salado and Dulce, both used for irrigation, the soil is fertile, producing sugar cane, vines, wheat, alfalfa, for which the soil is favorable, coffee, and tobacco. Some quarrying of marble and gypsum goes on; but timber is the main industry.
The capital is a small town of the same name on the Rio Dulce.
La Rioja is a long, irregularly shaped Province south of Catamarca, with that and Córdoba east, San Luis and San Juan south, the latter running nearly all the way up on the west, leaving a small space of Rioja bordering on Chile. Among high mountains at the west are fertile irrigated valleys with varied agriculture; there are forests with quebracho, carob, and acacia; but much of the eastern part is low, sandy, and barren. Great mineral wealth of many varieties exists, but silver and copper are chiefly exploited.
La Rioja, the capital, is the centre of a rich fruit growing district, with some mining.
San Juan, with an extended border on Chile, has Rioja north and east, San Luis and Mendoza on the south, on the west are lofty mountains and well watered valleys; in the east barren sand hills and marshes. Wine making is the most important industry; varied minerals give promise for the future. The Province has been called rather slow, but it is now said to be waking up; irrigation is beginning and other improvements will follow.
Córdoba, an important Province, much larger, is the fourth in population and the second in wheat production. It has Santiago north, Santa Fé east, Buenos Aires and La Pampa south, and San Luis, La Rioja, and Catamarca west. Although mostly rather flat, there are mountains in the northwest of an altitude of 8000-9000 feet among which are deep broad valleys. The country is chiefly agricultural and pastoral.
Córdoba, the old capital, founded in 1573, in a charming location among the hills, preserves some rather mediaeval characteristics, its university dating from 1613. A wonderful reservoir is near, the Dique San Roque, called one of the largest semi-natural reservoirs in the world. A wall of masonry was built across a gorge among the mountains forming a lake which holds 825,000,000 cubic feet of water. Fifteen miles lower is a basin from which lead two primary canals carrying water for irrigation, which extends over 300,000 acres.
Mendoza, the third largest Province and the most southern of the Andean, with a long border on Chile, is just below San Juan; has San Luis on the east, and on the south the Territories of La Pampa Central and Neuquen. The surface is much diversified, containing the highest peaks of the Andes including Aconcagua at the west, and eight passes across the Andes, among them, the famous Uspallata, at the summit of which is the celebrated statue, the Christ of the Andes, at a height of 12,796 feet above the sea. More than 2000 feet below, the Trans-Andine tunnel pierces the range. The Province has many rivers from which there is extensive irrigation; for the climate and the soil are dry, though the latter is fertile when irrigated. It is a great section for grapes.