▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁difficult ▁numer acy ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Argentina ▁over to ok ▁Peru , ▁which ▁enjoyed ▁an ▁early ▁rapid ▁development ▁in ▁numer acy ▁through ▁the ▁contact ▁with ▁Ind ios , ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁This ▁numer acy ▁development ▁as ▁a ▁measure ▁of ▁early ▁modern ▁development ▁demonstr ates ▁the ▁rapid ▁and ▁remarkable ▁development ▁of ▁Argentina ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁colonial ▁time . ▁ ▁Only ▁two - third s ▁of ▁its ▁present ▁territory ▁were ▁occupied ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period , ▁as ▁the ▁remaining ▁third ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁Pat agon ian ▁Pl ate au , ▁which ▁remains ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁The ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁liv est ock ▁sector ' s ▁output ▁was ▁princip ally ▁consum ed ▁by ▁the ▁produ cers ▁themselves ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁small ▁local ▁market , ▁and ▁only ▁became ▁associated ▁with ▁foreign ▁trade ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁The ▁period ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁self - su fficient ▁regional ▁econom ies ▁separated ▁by ▁considerable ▁distances , ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁road , ▁mar itime ▁or ▁river ▁communic ations , ▁and ▁the ▁ha z ards ▁and ▁hard ship ▁of ▁land ▁transport . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁a ▁significant ▁national ▁economy ▁came ▁into ▁being , ▁as ▁Argentina ▁developed ▁a ▁market ▁in ▁which ▁reci