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GRAN CHACO

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 342 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GRAN See also:

CHACO , an extensive region in the See also:heart of See also:South See also:America belonging to the La See also:Plata See also:basin, stretching from 20° to 29° S. See also:lat., and divided between the republics of See also:Argentine, See also:Bolivia and See also:Paraguay, with a small See also:district of south-western Matto Grosso (See also:Brazil). Its See also:area is estimated at from 250,000 to 425,000 sq. m., but the true Chaco region probably does not exceed 300,000 sq. m. The greater See also:part is covered with marshes, lagoons and dense tropical See also:jungle and See also:forest, and is still unexplored. On its See also:southern and western See also:borders there are extensive tracts of open woodland, intermingled with grassy plains, while on the See also:northern See also:side in Bolivia are large areas of open See also:country subject to inundations in the See also:rainy See also:season. In See also:general terms the Gran Chaco may be described as a See also:great See also:plain sloping gently to the S.E., traversed in the same direction by two great See also:rivers, the Pilcomayo and Bermejo, whose sluggish courses are not navigable because of See also:sand-See also:banks, barriers of overturned trees and floating vegetation, and confusing channels. This excludes that part of eastern Bolivia belonging to the See also:Amazon basin, which is sometimes described as part of the Chaco. The greater part of its territory is occupied by nomadic tribes of See also:Indians, some of whom are still unsubdued, while others, like the Matacos, are sometimes to be found on neighbouring See also:sugar estates and estancias as labourers during the busy season. The forest See also:wealth of the Chaco region is incalculable and apparently inexhaustible, consisting of a great variety of palms and valuable See also:cabinet See also:woods, See also:building See also:timber, &c. Its extensive tracts of " quebracho See also:colorado " (Loxopterygium Lorentzii) are of very great value because of its use in tanning See also:leather. Both the See also:wood and its See also:extract are largely exported. See also:Civilization is slowly gaining footholds in this region along the southern and eastern borders.

End of Article: GRAN CHACO

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