River Plate growth and Paraguayan missions decline in late colonial period: contrasting trajectories of cattle-rising economies

This paper studies economic and demographic differences among Rio de la Plata regions during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is focused on how a pastoral landscape around Jesuit Missions was built, its economic and social features, and its rise and decline. A comparison between the performance of the whole Litoral's agrarian output and of the missions' one during the 18th century is presented. Finally, some central issues on markets and institutions concerning pastoral production in the region are analyzed.