View source for Provinces of Argentina

{{Short description|Top level administrative division of Argentina}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| image = Map of Argentina with province names + disputed territories hatched.png
| name = Provinces and an Autonomous City of Argentina
| alt_name = 
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| caption = Argentina's provinces. This map includes territorial claims on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and a portion of Antarctica, outlined in red.
| category = [[Federated state]]
| territory = [[Argentina]]
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| current_number = 23 Provinces<br />1 Autonomous city
| number_date = 
| type = 
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| population_range = Smallest: [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego Province]], 190,641<br>Largest: [[Buenos Aires Province]], 17,569,053
| area_range = Smallest: [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego Province]], 21,263 km² (province), [[Buenos Aires|Autonomous City of Buenos Aires]], 203 km²<br>Largest: [[Buenos Aires Province]], 307,571 km²
| government = [[State government|Provincial government]]
| government1 = 
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| subdivision = 
| subdivision1 = Buenos Aires City: [[Subdivisions of Buenos Aires|Commune]] (15)
| subdivision2 = Buenos Aires Province: [[Partidos of Buenos Aires|Partido]] (135)
| subdivision3 = Other provinces: [[Departments of Argentina|Department]] (378)
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}}

{{Politics of Argentina}}

[[Argentina]] has 23 [[Province|provinces]] ({{langx|es|provincias}}, singular {{Lang|es|provincia}}) and one [[autonomous city]], [[Buenos Aires]], which serves as the federal capital, as determined by [[Argentine National Congress|Congress]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 3}}

The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions and exist under a [[federalism|federal]] system.

== History ==
{{Main|History of Argentina}}

During the [[Argentine War of Independence|War of Independence]], cities and their surrounding areas became provinces through local councils ([[Cabildo (council)|cabildos]]). This process was finalized during the Anarchy of the Year XX, forming the first 13 provinces.

[[Jujuy Province|Jujuy]] seceded from [[Salta Province|Salta]] in 1834, and the thirteen provinces became fourteen. After seceding for a decade, [[Buenos Aires Province]] accepted the 1853 [[Constitution of Argentina]] in 1861, and its capital city was made a federal territory in 1880.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}}

A law from 1862 designated as [[national territory|national territories]] those territories under federal control but outside the frontiers of the provinces. In 1884 they served as bases for the establishment of the [[governorate]]s of Misiones, Formosa, Chaco, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.{{sfn|Rock|1987|p=155}} The agreement about a frontier dispute with Chile in 1900 created the [[National Territory of Los Andes]]; its lands were incorporated into Jujuy, Salta and [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]] in 1943.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}} [[La Pampa Province|La Pampa]] and [[Chaco Province|Chaco]] became provinces in 1951. [[Misiones Province|Misiones]] did so in 1953, and [[Formosa Province|Formosa]], [[Neuquén Province|Neuquén]], [[Río Negro Province|Río Negro]], [[Chubut Province|Chubut]] and [[Santa Cruz Province, Argentina|Santa Cruz]], in 1955. The last national territory, Tierra del Fuego, became the [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province]] in 1990.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}} This province nominally includes Argentina's claims to the [[Falkland Islands]] and [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]] and to a [[Argentine Antarctica|segment]] of [[Antarctica]] that overlaps with the [[British Antarctic Territory|British]] and [[Chilean Antarctica|Chilean]] claims on that continent.

== Political organization ==
{{See also|List of provincial governors in Argentina|List of provincial legislatures in Argentina}}
Argentina is a federation of twenty-three provinces and one [[autonomous city]], [[Buenos Aires]]. Provinces are divided for administration purposes into [[Departments of Argentina|departments]] and [[Municipalities of Argentina|municipalities]], except for [[Buenos Aires Province]], which is divided into [[Partidos of Buenos Aires|partido]]s and ''localidades''. Buenos Aires City itself is divided into [[Communes of Buenos Aires|communes]] (''comuna'') and non-official [[Barrios of Buenos Aires|neighbourhoods]] (''barrios'').

Provinces hold all the power that they chose not to delegate to the [[Government of Argentina|federal government]];{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 121}} they must be representative commonwealths and must not contradict the [[Constitution of Argentina|Constitution]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 5, 6}} Beyond this, they are fully autonomous: they enact their own constitutions,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 123}} freely organize their local governments,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 122}} and own and manage their natural and financial resources.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 124, 125}} Thus, each province has its own set of provincial laws and justice system, a supreme court, a [[List of provincial governors in Argentina|governor]], an [[Law enforcement in Argentina|autonomous police force]], and a [[List of provincial legislatures in Argentina|congress]]; in eight provinces, the legislature is [[Bicameralism|bicameral]], comprising an [[Upper house|upper chamber]] (the Senate) and a [[Lower house|lower chamber]] (the House of Deputies), while in the remaining fifteen provinces and in Buenos Aires City, it is [[Unicameralism|unicameral]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salvador.edu.ar/ui2-35-rflye1.htm|title=Legislaturas de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y provinciales – República Argentina|publisher=Universidad del Salvador|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515170427/http://www.salvador.edu.ar/ui2-35-rflye1.htm|archive-date=2013-05-15|url-status=dead|access-date=2009-09-19}}</ref>{{efn-ua|The City of [[Buenos Aires]] is an [[autonomous city]], but its local organization has similarities with the provinces: it has its own constitution, an elected mayor, a congress, and representatives to the Senate and Deputy chambers.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 129}}}}

In case of sedition, insurrection, territorial invasion, or any other emerging threats against the laws of the nation on any province or the federal capital, the Congress has the authority to declare a [[federal intervention]] on the compromised district,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 6}} even in the absence of a formal request by the affected part.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 75 inc. 31}} When Congress is in recess and thus unable to intervene, the President is entitled to decree such intervention, but this executive order is subject to Congressional override upon the Houses' immediate reassembly.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 99 inc. 20}} Once the intervention is declared the compromised district's government is immediately dissolved—in whole or in part depending on Congressional decision—and the President appoints a representative or intervenor, who will serve for a short time until the emergency is solved. Since 1983 four provinces were intervened, namely Catamarca, Corrientes (twice), Santiago del Estero (twice), and Tucumán.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=590951|title=Intervenciones en la historia|work=La Nación|date=11 April 2004|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011210935/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/590951-intervenciones-en-la-historia?sitio=desktop|archive-date=11 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the 20th century, some provinces have had governments that were traditionally controlled by a single family (i.e. the Saadi family in Catamarca, or the Sapag family in Neuquén); in one case, it is still the same situation as of 2009: the province of San Luis was ruled almost without a break by the [[Rodríguez Saá]] family since December 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elecciones2009.gov.ar/informacion/archi_histo_gober.htm|title=Archivo Histórico – Gobernadores provinciales de la República Argentina 1983–2007|publisher=Ministerio del Interior – Presidencia de la Nación|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608091734/http://www.elecciones2009.gov.ar/informacion/archi_histo_gober.htm|archive-date=8 June 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=8 June 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Article 61 of the Constitution of the city of [[Buenos Aires]] states that "''Suffrage is free, equal, secret, universal, compulsory and not accumulative. The foreign residents enjoy this right, with the correlative obligations, on equal terms with Argentine citizens registered in this district, in the terms established by the law''."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislatura.gov.ar/1legisla/constcba.htm|title=Constitución de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires|language=es|date=1 October 1996|publisher=Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires|access-date=2007-12-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122115358/http://www.legislatura.gov.ar/1legisla/constcba.htm<!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=2007-11-22}}</ref>

==List of provinces==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Provinces of Argentina<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/uar.html|title=Provinces of Argentina|last=Gwillim Law|date=30 May 2015|work=Statoids|access-date=28 September 2015}}</ref>
! class="unsortable" | Flag
! Province
! Capital
! Secondary capital<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.ign.gob.ar/NuestrasActividades/Geografia/DatosArgentina/DivisionPolitica|title= División política, superficie y población|trans-title= Political division, area and population|language= Spanish|author= INDEC and IGN|date= |publisher= Instituto Geográfico Nacional|accessdate=21 March 2024}}</ref>{{efn-ua|Defined by law 27,589}}
! {{small|[[Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes|HASC]] subdivision code}}
! {{small|Population (2022)}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Censo 2022 |url=https://www.indec.gob.ar/indec/web/Nivel4-Tema-2-41-165 |url-status=live |website=INDEC: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos |language=es}}</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | {{small|Area}}<ref name=":0" />
!Density per<br>km<sup>2</sup><ref name=":0" />
|-
| {{Flag icon|Buenos Aires|size=50px}}
| [[Buenos Aires|Autonomous City of Buenos Aires]]
| [[Buenos Aires]]
| N/A
| DF
| align="right" | 3,121,707
| align="right" | {{convert|205.9|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|15,161.3
|-
| {{flagicon|Buenos Aires Province|size=50px}}
| [[Buenos Aires Province|Buenos Aires]]
| [[La Plata]]
| [[La Matanza Partido|La Matanza]] and [[General Pueyrredón Partido|General Pueyrredón]]
| BA
| align="right" | 17,523,996
| align="right" | {{convert|305907|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|57.3
|-
| {{flagicon|Catamarca|size=50px}}
| [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]]
| [[San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca]]
| [[Tinogasta]]
| CT
| align="right" | 429,562
| align="right" | {{convert|101486|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|4.2
|-
| {{flagicon|Chaco|size=50px}}
| [[Chaco Province|Chaco]]
| [[Resistencia, Chaco|Resistencia]]
| [[Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña]]
| CC
| align="right" | 1,129,606
| align="right" | {{convert|99763|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|11.3
|-
| {{flagicon|Chubut|size=50px}}
| [[Chubut Province|Chubut]]
| [[Rawson, Chubut|Rawson]]
| [[Comodoro Rivadavia]]
| CH
| align="right" | 592,621
| align="right" | {{convert|224302|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|2.6
|-
| {{flagicon|Córdoba|size=50px}}
| [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba]]
| [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]]
| [[Río Cuarto, Córdoba|Río Cuarto]]
| CB
| align="right" | 3,840,905
| align="right" | {{convert|164708|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|23.3
|-
| {{flagicon|Corrientes|size=50px}}
| [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]]
| [[Corrientes]]
| [[Goya, Argentina|Goya]]
| CN
| align="right" | 1,212,696
| align="right" | {{convert|89123|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|13.6
|-
| {{flagicon|Entre Ríos|size=50px}}
| [[Entre Ríos Province|Entre Ríos]]
| [[Paraná, Argentina|Paraná]]
| [[Concordia, Entre Ríos|Concordia]]
| ER
| align="right" | 1,425,578
| align="right" | {{convert|78384|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|18.2
|-
| {{flagicon|Formosa|size=50px}}
| [[Formosa Province|Formosa]]
| [[Formosa, Argentina|Formosa]]
| [[Formosa, Argentina|Formosa]]
| FM
| align="right" | 607,419
| align="right" | {{convert|75488|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|8.0
|-
| {{flagicon|Jujuy|size=50px}}
| [[Jujuy Province|Jujuy]]
| [[San Salvador de Jujuy]]
| [[San Pedro de Jujuy]]
| JY
| align="right" | 811,611
| align="right" | {{convert|53244|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|15.2
|-
| {{flagicon|La Pampa|size=50px}}
| [[La Pampa Province|La Pampa]]
| [[Santa Rosa, Argentina|Santa Rosa]]
| [[General Pico]]
| LP
| align="right" | 361,859
| align="right" | {{convert|143493|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|2.5
|-
| {{flagicon|La Rioja (Argentina)|size=50px}}
| [[La Rioja Province (Argentina)|La Rioja]]
| [[La Rioja, Argentina|La Rioja]]
| [[Chilecito]]
| LR
| align="right" | 383,865
| align="right" | {{convert|91494|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|4.2
|-
| {{flagicon|Mendoza|size=50px}}
| [[Mendoza Province|Mendoza]]
| [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza]]
| [[Guaymallén]]
| MZ
| align="right" | 2,043,540
| align="right" | {{convert|149069|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|13.7
|-
| {{flagicon|Misiones|size=50px}}
| [[Misiones Province|Misiones]]
| [[Posadas, Misiones|Posadas]]
| [[Oberá]]
| MN
| align="right" | 1,278,873
| align="right" | {{convert|29911|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|42.8
|-
| {{flagicon|Neuquén|size=50px}}
| [[Neuquén Province|Neuquén]]
| [[Neuquén]]
| [[Cutral Có]]
| NQ
| align="right" | 710,814
| align="right" | {{convert|94422|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|7.5
|-
| {{flagicon|Río Negro (Argentina)|size=50px}}
| [[Río Negro Province|Río Negro]]
| [[Viedma]]
| [[San Carlos de Bariloche]]
| RN
| align="right" | 750,768
| align="right" | {{convert|202169|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|3.7
|-
| {{flagicon|Salta|size=50px}}
| [[Salta Province|Salta]]
| [[Salta]]
| [[San Ramón de la Nueva Orán]]
| SA
| align="right" | 1,441,351
| align="right" | {{convert|155341|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|9.3
|-
| {{flagicon|San Juan|size=50px}}
| [[San Juan Province (Argentina)|San Juan]]
| [[San Juan, Argentina|San Juan]]
| [[Caucete]]
| SJ
| align="right" | 822,853
| align="right" | {{convert|88296|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|9.3
|-
| {{flagicon|San Luis|size=50px}}
| [[San Luis Province|San Luis]]
| [[San Luis, Argentina|San Luis]]
| [[Villa Mercedes]]
| SL
| align="right" | 542,069
| align="right" | {{convert|75347|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|7.2
|-
| {{flagicon|Santa Cruz|size=50px}}
| [[Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)|Santa Cruz]]
| [[Río Gallegos]]
| [[Caleta Olivia]]
| SC
| align="right" | 337,226
| align="right" | {{convert|244458|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|1.4
|-
| {{flagicon|Santa Fe|size=50px}}
| [[Santa Fe Province|Santa Fe]]
| [[Santa Fe, Argentina|Santa Fe]]
| [[Rosario]]
| SF
| align="right" | 3,544,908
| align="right" | {{convert|133249|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|26.6
|-
| {{flagicon|Santiago del Estero|size=50px}}
| [[Santiago del Estero Province|Santiago del Estero]]
| [[Santiago del Estero]]
| [[La Banda]]
| SE
| align="right" | 1,060,906
| align="right" | {{convert|136934|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|7.7
|-
| {{flagicon|Tierra del Fuego|size=50px}}
| [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego]]
| [[Ushuaia]]
| [[Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego|Río Grande]]
| TF
| align="right" | 185,651*
| align="right" | {{convert|20698|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}*
|8.8*
|-
| {{flagicon|Tucumán|size=50px}}
| [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]]
| [[San Miguel de Tucumán]]
| [[Monteros]]
| TM
| align="right" | 1,731,820
| align="right" | {{convert|22592|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=x|<br/><small>(|)</small>}}
|76.7
|}
''* Derived from multiple values''

== See also ==
{{Portal|Argentina}}
* [[Comparison between Argentine provinces and countries by GDP (PPP) per capita]]
* [[Demographics of Argentina]]
* [[ISO 3166-2:AR]], the ISO codes for the provinces of Argentina.
* [[List of Argentine provinces by gross regional product]]
* [[List of Argentine provinces by Human Development Index]]
* [[Conference of Governors of National Territories (Argentina)|Conference of Governors of National Territories]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist-ua}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
; Legal documents
{{Refbegin}}
* {{citation|url=http://www.senado.gov.ar/web/interes/constitucion/english.php|title=Constitution of the Argentine Nation|author=National Constituent Convention|place=Santa Fe|date=22 August 1994|ref={{harvid|Constitution of Argentina}} |publisher= Honorable Senado de la Nación Argentina |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604215413/http://www.senado.gov.ar/web/interes/constitucion/english.php|archive-date=4 June 2011}}
{{Refend}}

; Books
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Rey Balmaceda |first=Raúl |title=Mi país, la Argentina |publisher=Arte Gráfico Editorial Argentino |place=Buenos Aires |year=1995 |language=es |isbn=84-599-3442-X}}
* {{cite book |last=Rock |first=David |author-link=David Rock (historian) |title=Argentina, 1516-1987: From Spanish Colonization to the Falklands War |publisher=University of California Press |year=1987 |isbn=978-0520061781}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Provinces of Argentina}}
* [http://www.statoids.com/uar.html Provinces of Argentina at statoids.com]
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Argentinaprov.html Argentine Provinces since 1973] at World Statesmen

{{ArgentinaGovernors}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of South American countries}}
{{Provinces of Argentina}}
{{Lists of Argentine provinces}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Provinces of Argentina| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Argentina]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of Argentina|Provinces]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, Argentina]]
[[Category:Federalism in Argentina]]