Wichíis a Mataco-Mataguayan language. In Argentina, Wichí is spoken in the provinces of Chaco, Salta and Formosa. In Bolivia, Wichí speakers are located in the department of Tarija, on the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The exact number of speakers is still unknown. Barabás and Bartolomé (1979) pointed out that there might be 12,000 Wichí people in Salta and Formosa altogether, and about 3,200 more in Chaco. García (2002) reports that there are approximately 40,000 Wichí living in Argentina and Bolivia.