“A demographic transition in the end of the world”. The population of the province of Neuquén (Patagonia, Argentina) on the late 20th century

Abstract

The late part of the 20th century presented decisive changes in the province of Neuquén (Patagonia-Argentina). In the course of this period, we find the slow extinction of the dominant demographic tendencies during the phase of the National Territory (1885-1955), and the origin of the lines which distinguish the modern Neuquén. Even though some characteristics that define its actual aspect have appeared in the first decades of the last century (the importance of the migrants in the demographic structure and concentration in its capital), the period between 1960 and 1991 was original in many senses. In these decades, some processes changed the social and demographic structure of the province. This article analyses the sudden growth of the population, the massive arrival of migrants, the beginning of the demographic transition, the accelerated urbanization, the strengthening of important spatial asymmetries and a greater complexity of the society.