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This province is a delicacy to the senses: mild and pleasant weather, the orange shades of its sunsets, the aroma of freshly baked “chipa” and roasted fish, chamamé´s friendly melody and omnipresent waters.
Corrientes is located in the Argentine Mesopotamian region and has a surface area of 88,199 sq km. It borders on Paraguay in the north, and Chaco and Santa Fé provinces in the west. The Paraná River is the actual border line in both cardinal points: the Guayquiraró and Mocoretá creeks separate Corrientes from Entre Ríos in the south; across the Uruguay River are the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the Federative Republic of Brazil. Northeasterly, separated by the Itaembé and Chirimía creeks, is Misiones province.
With a population of around a million people, the most populated cities are Corrientes (capital city), Goya and Paso de los Libres.
Economy and Production
In the last few decades, not so traditional activities, such as livestock breeding, have started to gain more ground: forestry and intensive horticulture at Goya and Lavalle are examples of this. Other major activities are cotton, tobacco, yerba mate and rice production. The last two constitute the cornerstone of the economy of Corrientes.
Three basins have experienced a considerable development as regards forestry: Santo Tomé, Gobernador Virasoro and Colonia Liebig stand out due to their yerba mate and tea crops; Paso de los Libres and Monte Caseros is farming citrics and honey whereas Concepción and Santa Rosa grow flowers.
Tourism has been one the activities with the highest growth, especially nature-oriented tourism and this is in light of its bodies of water such as: the Paraná, Uruguay, Corriente and Santa Lucía rivers as well as the Iberá Estuaries. Visitors can enjoy different activities: fishing, kayaking, animal and bird watching, hiking and so forth.
Also, the Yacyretá dam is located in this area. This joint Argentine-Paraguayan project is situated at Saltos de Apipé on the Paraná River, on the border with Paraguay. This strategic point was selected in order to profit from the waterfalls and the possibility to contain the water stream by means of a dam located on three different islands: Yacyretá in Paraguay, and Tavalera and Apipé in Argentina. This hydroelectric dam generates approximately 40% of the energy consumed in Argentina.
Culture
The Guaraní culture constitutes the main tradition among others in the province. This is embodied in its people’s customs, gastronomy, music and hand-crafts.
“Chipá”, a Paraguayan cheese bread roll made of manioc flour, can be tasted across this area. Chamamé music, a typical folkloric style, can also be heard; this music is characterized by its lively melody and the predominant use of the accordion.
The strong water presence has made fishing one the most relevant activities of the province: the surubí, dorado, boga and pacú are fish which are usually present in their local gastronomy and important national festivals such as: the Dorado Festival in August at Paso de la Patria; the Subirí Festival between April and May and the Pacú Festival in March.
Religion
The religious tradition is a distinctive feature for Corrientes inhabitants. Not only do major processions take place but this is also revealed in its relevant ecclesiastic architecture, especially in the city of Corrientes and Goya.
However, the two most important religious icons by excellence are the Itatí Vigin –mother and protector of the local villagers, whose commemoration takes place on July 16th- and Gauchito Gil, a pagan saint who is worshipped by thousands of faithful followers every January 8th, anniversary of his death. This may be the popular religious figure with the most worshippers in the country. His popularity stems from the belief that this man, Antonio Gil Nuñez, could work miracles. He died in 1847.
