Chaco

Province of northeast Argentina; area 99,633 sq km/38,469 sq mi; population (2001 est) 979,000; its capital is Resistencia, in the southeast. The province forms part of the Gran Chaco area of South America, which extends into Bolivia and Paraguay, and consists of a flat savannah lowland, mainly covered with scrub, and has many lakes and swamps. The eastern parts of the province are heavily forested, producing timber and the quebracho tree, from which tannin extract is made. The chief crop is cotton, and there is cattle-raising.

Until 1951 Chaco was a territory, part of Gran Chaco, a vast plain, mostly level, stretching into Paraguay and Bolivia. The north of Gran Chaco was the scene of the Chaco War.