Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca.

Before the Spanish conquest, numerous native peoples (now called Diaguitas and Calchaquíes) lived in the valleys of what is now Salta Province; they formed many different tribes, the Quilmes and Humahuacas among them, which all shared the Cacán language.

An intendency of "Salta del Tucumán" was created within the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.

The battle of Salta in 1813 freed the territory from Spain, but occasional attacks were mounted from the Viceroyalty of Peru as late as 1826.

Antonio Alice's painting, La muerte de Güemes, which received a gold medal at the Centenary Exposition, is on display at the offices of the Salta Provincial Government.

[5]: 15  Salta Province is located at a geologically active region, and suffers from occasional earthquakes.

[6] Although Salta Province is located near the Tropic of Capricorn, it has a wide range of climates due to variation in altitude and the influence of orography.

[7] The easternmost parts of the province have a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with a rainy season in the summer.

[7][8] The first slopes of the Andes force the moist, easterly winds to rise, provoking very high condensation leading to the formation of clouds that generate copious amounts of rain.

[7][11] At higher altitudes on these slopes, the climate is cooler and more humid, with the vegetation consisting of deciduous and pine trees.

Gas and petroleum from the Tartagal, Aguas Blancas, Madrejones and Campo Durán centres is transported to Buenos Aires and Rosario by pipes.

The famous wines of the Valles Calchaquíes region (mainly Torrontés, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon) near Cafayate are produced in numerous vineyards of diverse sizes.

The provincial capital city, also named Salta and nicknamed "La Linda" ("The beautiful") is both an important tourist destination, and the centre point for visiting the rest of the province.

The Tren a las Nubes ("Train to the Clouds") crosses canyons and cliffs before arriving at the 3,775 metres altitude (12,500 feet) of San Antonio de los Cobres.

[21] The province hosts a diverse foreign community: Christian Levantines of Syrian-Lebanese origin, Spaniards and Italians make up the largest groups.

Other foreign people settled in the province are the Greek Cypriots, the Chinese, the Germans, the Francs, the Chileans, the Bolivians, the Paraguayans and the Slavs from the Adriatic (mainly Serbs and Croats).