Territorialization processes in Formosa. Nationalism vs provincialism. Debates about citizen agency

Abstract

Studies in regional and local history are on the rise, with productions multiplying each year. However, the case of Formosa is exceptional, with not many published works to date. In this context, we propose to address the process of territorialization in Formosa since 1884, when Formosa was established as a National Territory, separated from the larger Chaco region, until the 1950s, when its transition to a province was officially recognized. Considering this, we suggest the absence of nationalism in stages prior to provincialization, but rather a sense of territorialism transitioning to provincialism, with the inherent mixtures of a multicultural region. Regarding citizen agency, we distance ourselves from positions that claim that the decision to become a province was mainly made by the president, revaluing the joint action of Formosa residents, who were procedurally endowed with localist consciousness.