| Tarija | |
| Native Name: | Departamento de Tarija (Spanish) |
| Settlement Type: | Department |
| Flag Size: | 100px |
| Motto: | ¡La Muy Leal y Muy Fiel! (The very loyal and very faithful!) |
| Anthem: | Lyrics: Tomás O’Connor D'Arlach Music: Juan Fiori - starts with "Tarijeños la fama pregona...." |
| Coordinates: | -21.5833°N -113°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Bolivia |
| Established Date: | 4 July 1576 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Tarija |
| Leader Party: | UNIR [1] |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Óscar Gerardo Montes Barzón |
| Leader Title1: | Lieutenant governor |
| Leader Name1: | Maya Soruco Urzagaste (UNIR) |
| Leader Title2: | Senators |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Blank1 Title: | % of Bolivia |
| Area Total Km2: | 37623 |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 3.42 |
| Population Total: | 583300 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages (speakers) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Spanish |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Quechua (migrants) |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Aymara (migrants) |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Guaraní |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 365,710 |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 37,337 |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 7,219 |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 4,578 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Provinces |
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 6 |
| Timezone1: | BOT |
| Utc Offset1: | -4 |
| Iso Code: | BO-T |
| Blank Name Sec2: | HDI (2019) |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0.741[2] · 3rd of 9 |
| Blank3 Name: | GDP (2023) |
| Blank3 Info: | in constant currency of 2015[3] |
| Blank4 Name: | - Total |
| Blank4 Info: | US$ 2.2 billion Int$ 5.2 billion (PPP) |
| Blank5 Name: | - Per capita |
| Blank5 Info: | US$ 3,600 Int$ 8,300 (PPP) |
Tarija (pronounced as /es/) is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south-eastern Bolivia bordering with Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2012 census, it has a population of 482,196 inhabitants. It has an area of . The city of Tarija is the capital of the department.
The department is divided into five provinces and one autonomous region:
Notable places in Tarija include:
The Department of Tarija is renowned for its mild, pleasant climate, and comprises one of the country's foremost agricultural regions. Its citizens have traditionally felt close to, and conducted a lively international trade with, neighboring towns of northern Argentina. Between 1816 and 1898, the region was part of Argentina, and was ceded to Bolivia in exchange for Puna de Atacama.
Tarija boasts South America's second-largest natural gas reserves. Increased gas revenues and foreign direct investment in gas exploration and distribution are fueling growth and turning Tarija into Bolivia's next industrial hub. Political instability at the national level has hindered development of the reserves, as the region has chosen to align with pro-autonomy forces which aim at the devolution of considerable powers away from the central government in favor of the departments.
More than 20 different indigenous tribes, ranging in population from 20 persons up to 1500, live in the region. The Guaraní is the largest tribe.
Important battles and events related to the 1932-35 Chaco War with Paraguay took place in the department's eastern dry lands. Tarija was the home of Víctor Paz Estenssoro, leader of the 1952 Bolivian Revolution and four-time Constitutional President.
The main economic activity is the wine industry. The land and climate are ideal for grape and wine production. The city of Tarija holds an annual Festival of Wine and Cheese.
The petroleum industry is important not only for the region but also for the country as a whole, especially the gas industry which is exported to Argentina and Brazil. The autonomous region of Gran Chaco is from where most of the gas is exploited.
The languages spoken in the department are mainly Spanish and Guaraní, And spoken by the migrants Quechua and Aymara. The following table shows the numbers belonging to the recognized groups of speakers. [5]
| Language | Department | Bolivia |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 365,710 | 6,821,626 |
| Quechua | 37,337 | 2,281,198 |
| Aymara | 7,219 | 1,525,321 |
| Guaraní | 4,578 | 62,575 |
| Another native | 2,468 | 49,432 |
| Foreign | 5,662 | 250,754 |
| Only native | 4,562 | 960,491 |
| Native and Spanish | 44,461 | 2,739,407 |
| Spanish and foreign | 322,098 | 4,115,751 |