A Pampean cultural landscape under construction: territorial organization of the western frontier of Santa Fe (Argentina, 1858-1908)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to address the construction of the Pampean cultural landscape in the border area of the central western part of the Province of Santa Fe (Argentina) during the second half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. The methodology used is the analysis of the his-torical cadastre in relation to the specialized bibliography which, approached in its diachronic dimension, allows the reconstruction of a cultural landscape that left a definitive mark on this geographically and socially frontier sec-tor. It is possible to observe how the geographical area in question underwent changes in its physiognomy as a result of the colonizing development encoura-ged by the different governments of the time. These changes were both productive and social. Productive, due to the division of the land into plots, and social, due to the massive introduction of immigrants, mostly European, who were conside-red apt to exploit the land and thus position Argentina in the agro-export market.