Tarija Department

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Tarija is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south eastern Bolivia bordering Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km². The city of Tarija is the capital of the department.

The department is divided into six provinces:

Notable places in Tarija include:

Villamontes a Jungle town
Bermejo a border town adjoining Aguas Blancas, Argentina
Yacuiba a border town with Argentina.

The Department of 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 legitimizing Tarija as the next Bolivian industrial hub. The development of Tarija's gas reserves have been hindered by political instability at the national level.

Tarija is also the home of over 20 different Indian tribes (the Guarani tribe being the largest) ranging from 20 persons up to 1500.