TUCUMAN, one of the provinces of the Argentine Confederation, South America, lies between 25° 30' and 30' S. lat., 62° and 66° 30' W. long. It is bounded S. by the province of Santiago del Estero ; E. by the desert Indian country called El Gran Chaco ; N. by the province of Salta ; and W. by that of Catamarca. The area is about 42,500 equaro miles; the population is about 45,000.
The province of Tucuman comprehends the greater part of the slightly-inclined plain which extends from the base of the Sierra de Aconquija towards the Rio Salado, but does not reach its banks, being separated from them by a broad tract of waste land. The surface, &c., of the country is described under Artessruxe CONFEDEnATION.
The Rio Salado divides the province from the nomadic tribes of the Gran Chaco, the Rio Tale from the province of Salts, and the Sierra de Aconquija from that of Catamarca. It unites great fertility of soil with abundance of water, and is itot only the most fertile but also the best cultivated state in the Argentine republic ; well deserving its appellation of the 'Garden of the United Provinces.' The climate though hot is dry and salubrious. Rice, wheat, maize, and tobacco are raised and exported. The sugar-cane grows naturally in the law lands, but it is not cultivated. There are extensive groves of aroma
and orange-trees. The declivities of the mountains contain noble timber-trees, and afford excellent pasturage. The cattle are larger and the horses finer than in any other province. In the mountains gold, silver, copper, and lead are said to exist, but no miues are worked at present. The people are n hardy and warlike race, proud of their country, and always ready to take up arms in its defence. The men generally prefer greatly those pursuits which allow them to be much on horseback. There are in the proviuco a great many Indians, who speak the Quichua language. Like the other provinces Tucuceau is a federal state, owning a qualified dependence upon the central govern ment. The executive power is vested in a governor elected by the junta, or provincial assembly.
San Miguel de Tucuman, the capital of the province, ocenpies a remarkably pleasant site on an elevated and well-wooded plain, in 27' 10' S. lat., 65' 20' W. long.; it contains about 7000 inhabitants, and is a place of some trade. It was at Tucuman that the declara tion of the independence of the provinces of the Rio de la Plata was formally made in 1310 by the congress of deputies from the several provinces.