Industrial and commercial South America

by Annie S. Peck

Mendoza, the capital, is headquarters for the wine industry. Grapes are brought thither from the regions north and south. Raisins and alcohol are also produced. Excellent livestock, cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, goats, and pigs are raised; in the San Rafael section, Durhams and Herefords, many of which are sent over to Chile.

San Luis, east both of Mendoza and San Juan, lies south of La Rioja and Córdoba, has the latter and La Pampa east, and La Pampa south. The Province has mountains of the Córdoba system, some rising to a height of 7000 feet, with fertile well watered valleys; at the west are swamps, while the south is flat and arid. There are a number of rivers and much attention is paid to agriculture, to cattle raising, and horse breeding. The minerals, of great variety, are hardly noticed.

Santa Fé, the last of the Provinces west of the Paraná River, extends along its right bank from the Chaco on the north a distance of nearly 500 miles to the Province of Buenos Aires on the south, with Corrientes and Entre Rios on the other side of the river, and Córdoba and Santiago on the west. This State, second in population to Buenos Aires, though fifth in area, is a great plain with slight elevations, having dense forests at the north, at the south the fertile prairie, and along the great river many islands, covered with luxuriant vegetation. It is an agricultural, cattle raising country, with mills and factories also; and with extensive commerce in cereals, meat, hides, quebracho extract, and timber, from the many fluvial ports. The chief of these, Rosario, is the second largest city of the Republic with a population of 317,000. The Province contains 3000 miles of railway.

Corrientes, east and south of the Paraná River, therefore south of Paraguay, has Misiones at the northeast, Brazil east, across the Uruguay River, Entre Rios south, and Santa Fé and the Gran Chaco west across the Paraná. The Province has temperate uplands and warmer lowlands, and is well watered by rivers and some lakes and marshes. Corrientes is prominent as a cattle-raising State and has also large flocks of sheep.

The capital, Corrientes, is an important river-port visited during most of the year by vessels drawing 12 or 13 feet. Goya, farther south, is famed for its excellent cheese.

Entre Rios, south of Corrientes, has Uruguay east beyond the Uruguay River, Buenos Aires south across the Paraná, and Santa Fé beyond the same river on the west. It is in general a fertile, well-watered plain, with a forest region at the northwest running over into Corrientes, containing much valuable timber. It is a stock-raising and an agricultural region, largely devoted to cereals, with grain of the finest quality. It has also many industrial establishments.

Paraná, the capital, is a growing centre with some fine buildings, electric lights, and other facilities. Concordia, on the Uruguay River, is an important commercial town.

Buenos Aires, the last, largest, and most important of the Provinces, with the greatest population, is the only one with an ocean front. Buenos Aires has on the north Córdoba and Santa Fé; northeast, on the other side of the Paraná and La Plata, Entre Rios and Uruguay; the Atlantic is on the east and south with a bit of Rio Negro, which with La Pampa is on the west, with a little also of Córdoba. The land is flat, but with two ranges of hills; the highest in one range is 1200, in the other about 3000 feet. Several useful, some navigable rivers flow towards the ocean. The country is agricultural and pastoral, especially devoted to cattle and wheat, but in the numerous towns, industries and manufactories are developing. Many great railway systems converge at the Federal Capital. There are good roads near most of the towns, which is not the case in the other Provinces, and good auto roads lead from Buenos Aires to Tigre and to La Plata.

South of the Provinces, at least below Buenos Aires, is what was once called Patagonia, now divided into Territories.

La Pampa Central, a Territory which extends farther north, is already from its population entitled to be a Province. Lying south of Mendoza, San Luis, and Córdoba, it has Buenos Aires on the east, Rio Negro Territory south, with the Colorado River as the dividing line; and west, Neuquen and Mendoza. The Territory is undulating, with hills, valleys, prairie, and lakes; the soil is generally fertile, yielding fine crops; wheat, corn, barley, linseed, alfalfa, vines, fruits. Large herds of cattle roam over the pastures but are usually sent out for fattening.