Argentina

Situation, Extention And Boundaries

Argentina is located in South America, in the Southern Hemisphere. It covers almost 3.8 million km2. 2.8 km2 belong to the continent, with approximately 54 % of plains (prairies and savannas), 23 % of plateaus and 23% of hills and mountains; the rest is part of the Antartic section.

Argentina borders on Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile, with a boundary perimeter of 9.376 km. The coast line on the Atlantic Ocean stretches 4.725 km.

Geography

The main characteristic of Argentina’s relief is the huge contrast offered by the inmense oriental plains and the impressive Andes Mountain Range to the west. In the Andes, the highest South American mountain peak is located: the Aconcagua ( 6,959 metres).

While travelling from Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego, the Andes Mountains show its spectacular variety of landscapes: going from the north-eastern deserted high plains , the valleys, gorges and colorful hills to the lakes , forests and glaciers of the Patagonic region.

To the north, the province of Chaco is a forest area linked to the rivers Bermejo, Salado and Pilcomayo.

Between the rivers Parana and Uruguay, the Mesopotamia (provinces of Entre Rios, Corrientes and Misiones) is made up of hillocks, lagoons, and marshes, which still mark old traces of these rivers. In some areas, between the subtropical rainforest, gorges, that have favored formidable geographical phenomena like the Iguazu Falls, are shaped.

In the center of Argentina, the “Pampeana” region is the most famous and extensive plain. The vast agricultural and cattle raising area covers the province of Buenos Aires, the north-eastern part of La Pampa and the southern regions of Cordoba and Santa Fe. Its landscape is interrupted to the south by the hill region of Tandil and La Ventana and to the west by the hills of Cordoba.

To the south, the barren and stony Patagonic plateaus, which are often battered by strong winds, stretch from the Andes to the ocean. The coastal Atlantic region, bordered by high cliffs, draws curved shapes such as the Valdes Peninsula, with its espectacular piers of sea animals.

Weather

Argentina has a great climatic variety: temperate and humid in the plains, cold and humid in the Patagonia, subtropical in the northern region of the Mesopotamia and hot in the north-east. From November till March the average temperature is 23 C and from June to September is 12 C.

Population

The current population of Argentina is over 36 million inhabitants, of whom almost half live in the Capital city or within the province of Buenos Aires. This figure indicates a population density of 13 inhabitants per km2.