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.