Argentinian Territories: the Call of the Jungle

A key factor in the geography, climate, landscape, and culture of northeastern Argentina are its imposing rivers, which give the region a unique character. Its communities base themselves around the strong presence of water.

Thanks to rivers such as the Uruguay River, with a hydrographic basin spanning across Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, or the Paraná River, which flows through Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, northeastern Argentina has a high concentration of biodiversity and great potential for species conservation.

The province of Entre Ríos experienced a huge development of farming colonies as the result of different waves of immigration, starting with the Guaranís and their Amazonian traditions, and later with the occupation by Spanish, Russian, and German descendants.

Located in Corrientes, these are important wetlands with a surface area of 7,500 miles (12,000 km). In 2018, a national park was created here that is home to rivers, lagoons, grasslands, and mountains, with protected fauna and species like the marsh deer or the maned wolf.

Due to its intense fishing activity, the gastronomy of northeastern Argentina includes fish like the dorado or pacú, which are grilled, oven-baked, or cooked in empanados.  Another typical dish, inherited from Guaraní culture, is mbeyú, a type of fried cassava pie.

The native Guaraní people had a strong presence in northeastern Argentina as well as neighboring countries such as Paraguay or south Brazil. They lived in jungle regions and were pioneers of harvesting and consuming yerba maté, the characteristic infusion of Argentina.

Tobacco is one of the flagship products of this region. After cultivating, some varieties are cured and air-dried, hung upside-down from wires or ropes.
 

The Misiones jungle is one of the most biodiverse regions in Argentina. With a subtropical climate, it stands out with its soil rich in organic matter and its impressive native rainforest. It is the habitat of the jaguar, the biggest feline in South America and the third biggest in the world, after the tiger and the lion.

Every year in September, the Misiones city of Oberá celebrates the Fiesta Nacional del Inmigrante (National Immigrant Festival). Due to huge flows of immigration at the end of the 19th century, the province has many communities, like German, Czech, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Polish, among others.