Noroeste

The oldest-settled part of Argentina, which faced Peru rather than the Atlantic. The northwest - Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman, Catamarca - was the southern edge of the Inca empire and then a corridor of the Viceroyalty of Peru, with towns founded from the 1550s to supply Potosi's silver mines with mules, textiles and food. That orientation lasted two centuries and is why the region's colonial architecture, its indigenous population and its music resemble Bolivia's more than Buenos Aires's. The Quebrada de Humahuaca carried that traffic and is a World Heritage site. Independence was fought here: Belgrano won at Tucuman and Salta, and the congress that declared independence in 1816 met at Tucuman. Guemes's gaucho irregulars held the northern frontier against royalist invasions from Upper Peru for years. The region declined once the trade turned towards the Atlantic and the railways favoured the pampa. Sugar in Tucuman and tobacco in Salta became the economy. Quechua and Aymara influence persists in speech and festivals. High-altitude vineyards at Cafayate grow torrontes. The Argentine flag was first raised in this region. The region covers Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman, Catamarca and La Rioja. Its altiplano rises above four thousand metres. The Train to the Clouds climbs to over 4,200 metres. Empanadas and locro are regional staples. Carnival in Jujuy follows Andean rather than Brazilian forms, with devil figures buried and unearthed each year. Salta and Tucuman are the largest cities. Lithium brines in the puna are now heavily prospected, part of the triangle shared with Chile and Bolivia.

• Existed: 1553 CE – present
• Type: Entity