- Tarija Department
Tarija is a department in
Bolivia . It is located in south eastern Bolivia borderingArgentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km². The city of Tarija is the capital of the department.The department is divided into six
province s:# Aniceto Arce
# Burnet O'Connor
# Cercado
#Eustaquio Méndez
# Gran Chaco
# José María AvilésNotable places in Tarija include:
*Villamontes in the department's oil-producing eastern scrubland
*Bermejo a border town adjoiningAguas Blancas , Argentina
*Yacuiba a border town with Argentina.The Department of Tarija is renowned by its mild, pleasant climate, and as such comprises one of the country's foremost agricultural regions. Its citizens have traditionally felt close to, and conducted a lively international trade with, neighboring towns of Northern Argentina.
Crucially, Tarija boasts South America's second largest natural gas reserves. Increased gas revenues and foreign direct investment in gas exploration and distribution are fueling growth and legitimizing
Tarija as the next Bolivian industrial hub. The development of Tarija's gas reserves have been hindered by political instability at the national level, with Tarija choosing to align itself with pro-autonomy forces aiming at the devolution of considerable powers away from the central government in favor of the departments.Tarija is also the home of over 20 different Indigenous tribes (the
Guarani tribe being the largest) ranging from 20 persons up to 1500.The department's eastern dry lands were witness to important battles and events related to the 1932-35 Chaco War with Paraguay. Tarija was also the home of Victor Paz Estenssoro, leader of the 1952 Bolivian Revolution and four-time Constitutional President.
External links
* [http://www.expo.com.bo Bolivian Music and Web Varieties]
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