In contrast to other Chaco groups, the Mataco have had more exposure to Whites and they have exhibited a remarkable adaptability to the new situations created by contact.
Dialectual differences occur among the three regional groups.
There is very little information available on Mataco demography. Current population figures are unavailable, but it is probable that a few thousand Mataco Indians survive today. Next to the Toba, they are the largest of the Argentine Chaco groups. Because of the inhospitable geographic and climatic conditions of the Gran Chaco, exploration of this area was slow and sporadic. The western Chcao in particular is noted for its aridity, soil salinity, very hot summers, and locust plagues.