Battle of Salta Battle of Salta The Battle of Salta took place on February 20, 1813 on the plains of Castañares, north of the present-day Argentina city of Salta, during the Argentine War of Independence. The Army of the North, under the command of general Manuel Belgrano, defeated for the second time the royalist troops of general Pío de Tristán, after their victory in the previous September at the Battle of Tucumán. The unconditional surrender of the royalist troops ensured Argentine control over most of the northern territories of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Belgrano had taken advantage of
Salta Province high percentage of indigenous people, being ranked 5th behind Chubut, Neuquén, Jujuy and Río Negro. The most populous indigenous groups in the province are the Wichí, which make up 24.9% of the total indigenous population followed by the Kolla (21.6%), and the Guaraní (13.7%). As well, 4,189 persons declared themselves to be Afro-Argentine. The province is governed as representative and republican form of government. The province is divided in 23 departments (), containing 59 municipalities (). The capital of the province is the city of Salta, which is where the provincial government is located at. Salta Province Salta () is