CORRIENTES, a north-eastern province of the Argentine Republic situated between 2 7 ° and 31 ° S. lat. and 57° and 62° W. longitude. It is bounded north and west by the Parana river which separates it from Paraguay in north and from the territory of the Chaco and the province of Santa Fe in the west ; in the north-east by the territory Misiones ; east by the river Uruguay, which separates it from Brazil and Uruguay ; and south by the province of Entre Rios. Its area is about 55,04o sq.m., of which at least one-eighth is water surface. Corrientes had a population of 347,055 in 1914 and 406,708 in 1925.
The surface of the province, broadly speaking, is an extensive plain covered by swamps and lagoons in the north, undulating in the south and broken by ranges of hills in the north-east. The low-lying areas about the lagoons are practically unfit for perma nent settlement unless drained. The southern districts of the province are high and rolling with woods alternating with natural pasture lands, and are admirably adapted to grazing and agri culture. The north-eastern corner is also high, some of the hills reaching an elevation of 65o ft., and is heavily forested, like the adjacent territory of Misiones. The province is divided into two water sheds, those of the Parana and the Uruguay. The principal lagoons, which are the sources for several of the rivers, are the Ibera in the central and north-eastern section and the Maloya in the north-western section. The climate on the higher plains is sub-tropical, but in the northern swamps it is exceedingly humid and hot. Its annual mean temperature of 69.8° F makes Corrientes the hottest province of Argentina.
The principal industry of Corrientes is the raising of live stock. According to the live stock census of 1922 there were within the province 3,793,584 cattle, 2,18°,552 sheep and 47,454 swine. Agri culture is also of great importance ; however, it has not been de veloped as extensively as conditions would permit. The chief crops are Indian corn (maize), cotton, tapioca, sweet potatoes, tobacco, watermelons, peanuts and linseed. The province is also known for its oranges, peaches, olives and pomegranates. The forest lands, estimated at 5,000,000 ac., are covered chiefly with hardwoods, many of which are suitable for cabinet work. Manu factures are limited, the more important being yerba mate mills, sawmills, sugar refineries and tanneries. The exports include cat tle, horses, hides, forest products, cereals, tapioca, oranges and quarried stone.
The principal cities are Corrientes, capital (Pop., 1926 estimate, 35,000), situated on the left bank of the Parana and an important port of call for steamers trading between Buenos Aires and the upper reaches of the Parana; Goya (1926 estimate, 15,000), a flourishing commercial centre on a side channel of the Parana, I5o m. S. of Corrientes, handling agricultural and pastoral prod ucts. Mercedes (1926 estimate, 14,000) and Curuzu-Cuatia (Io, 700), inland towns; Bella Vista (1926 estimate, 7,000), situated on the Parana, 8o m. S. of Corrientes, the commercial centre of a large district; Esquina (1926 estimate, 6,000) on the Parana at the mouth of the Corrientes river, 86 m. S. of Goya, which exports timber and firewood; Empedrado also on the Parana; and Monte Caseros (1926 estimate, 8,000), Paso de los Libres and Santo Tome all ports on the Uruguay. Transportation is confined chiefly to the rivers and 62o m. of railway. The Argentine North-eastern railway crosses the province in a south-east direction from Cor rientes to Monte Caseros, its eastern terminus. The East Argen tine railway follows along the eastern boundary of the province from Santo Tome to form a junction with the Entre Rios rail ways. The population of Corrientes is composed largely of Indian and mixed races, and Guarani is still the chief language of the country people. Over 5o% of the population is illiterate.
See Z. Sanchez, Notas Descriptivas de la Provincia de Corrientes (1894) ; and The Times Book on Argentina (1927).