Argentina -
Geography
Main features:
The total surface area of Argentina (not including the Antarctic claim), is
as follows:
Total: 2,766,890 km²
Land: 2,736,691 km²
Water: 30,200 km²
Argentina is nearly 3,700 km long from north to south, and 1,400 km from
east to west (maximum values). It can roughly be divided into four parts:
the fertile plains of the Pampas in the center of the country, the source of
Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling, oil-rich plateau of
Patagonia in the southern half down to Tierra del Fuego; the subtropical
flats of the Gran Chaco in the north, and the rugged Andes mountain range
along the western border with Chile.
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The highest point above sea level in Argentina is located in Mendoza. Cerro
Aconcagua, at 6,962 meters (22,834 feet), is the highest mountain in the
Americas, the Southern, and Western Hemisphere. The lowest point is
Laguna del Carbón in Santa Cruz, −105 meters (−344 ft) below sea level. This is also the lowest point on the South American continent. Due to the
higher gravity force in Laguna del Carbón, a pendulum clock, if not
corrected, will advance 24 seconds a day. The geographic center of the
country is located in south-central La Pampa province. |
The country has a territorial claim over a portion of Antarctica (unrecognized
by any other country), where, from 1904, it has maintained a constant
presence.
Geographic regions:
Source: CIA Political map of Argentina showing the area it controls. The
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are controlled by the United Kingdom but
are claimed by Argentina.The country is traditionally divided into several
major geographically distinct regions:
Pampas:
The plains west and south from Buenos Aires. Called the Humid Pampa, they
cover most of the provinces of Buenos Aires and Córdoba, and big portions of
the provinces of Santa Fe and La Pampa. The western part of La Pampa and the
province San Luis also have plains (the Dry Pampa), but they are drier and
used mainly for grazing. The Sierra de Córdoba in the homonymous province (extending
into San Luis), is the most important geographical feature of the pampas.
Gran Chaco:
The Gran Chaco region in the north of the country is seasonal dry/wet,
mainly cotton growing and livestock raising. It covers the provinces of
Chaco and Formosa. It is dotted with subtropical forests, scrubland, and
some wetlands, home to a large number of plant and animal species. The
province of Santiago del Estero lies in the drier region of the Gran Chaco.
Mesopotamia:
The land between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers is called Mesopotamia and it
is shared by the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos. It features
flatland apt for grazing and plant growing, and the Iberá Wetlands in
central Corrientes. Misiones province is more tropical and belongs within
the Brazilian Highlands geographic feature. It features subtropical
rainforests and the Iguazú Falls.
Patagonia:
The steppes of Patagonia, in the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and
Santa Cruz, are of Tertiary origin. Most of the region is semiarid in the
north to cold and arid in the far south, but forests grow in its western
fringes which are dotted with several large lakes. Tierra del Fuego is cool
and wet, moderated by oceanic influences. Northern Patagonia (roughly Río
Negro south of the homonymous river, and Neuquén) can also be referred as
the Comahue region.
Cuyo:
West-central Argentina is dominated by the imposing Andes Mountains. To
their east is the arid region known as Cuyo. Melting waters from high in the
mountains form the backbone of irrigated lowland oasis, at the center of a
rich fruit and wine growing region in Mendoza and San Juan provinces.
Further north the region gets hotter and drier with more geographical
accidents in La Rioja province.
NOA or Northwest:
This region is the highest in average elevation. Several parallel mountain
ranges, several of which have peaks higher than 20,000 feet, dominate the
area. These ranges grow wider in geographic extent towards the north. They
are cut by fertile river valleys, the most important being the Calchaquí
Valleys in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán, and Salta. Farther north the
province of Jujuy near Bolivia lies mainly within the Altiplano plateau of
the Central Andes. The Tropic of Capricorn goes through the far north of the
region.
Rivers and lakes:
Major rivers in Argentina include the Pilcomayo, Paraguay, Bermejo,
Colorado, Río Negro, Salado, Uruguay and the largest river, the Paraná. The
latter two flow together before meeting the Atlantic Ocean, forming the
estuary of the Río de la Plata. Regionally important rivers are the Atuel
and Mendoza in the homonymous province, the Chubut in Patagonia, the Río
Grande in Jujuy, and the San Francisco River in Salta.
There are several large lakes in Argentina, many of them in Patagonia. Among
these are lakes Argentino and Viedma in Santa Cruz, Nahuel Huapi in Río
Negro and Fagnano in Tierra del Fuego, and Colhué Huapi and Musters in
Chubut. Lake Buenos Aires and O'Higgins/San Martín Lake are shared with
Chile. Mar Chiquita, Córdoba, is the largest salt water lake in the country.
There are numerous reservoirs created by dams. Argentina features various
hot springs, such as those at Termas de Río Hondo with temperatures between
30 °C and 65 °C.
Coastal areas and seas:
Argentina has 4,665 kilometers (2,899 mi) of coastline. The continental
platform is unusually wide; in Argentina this shallow area of the Atlantic
Ocean is called Mar Argentino. The waters are rich in fisheries and
suspected of holding important hydrocarbon energy resources. Argentina's
coastline varies between areas of sand dunes and cliffs. The two major ocean
currents affecting the coast are the warm Brazil Current and the cold
Falkland Current (Spanish: corriente antártica o corriente de las Malvinas).
Because of the uneveness of the coastal landmass, the two currents alternate
in their influence on climate and do not allow temperatures to fall evenly
with higher latitude. The southern coast of Tierra del Fuego forms the north
shore of the Drake Passage.
Climate:
Calchaquí Valleys in the province of Salta.Because of longitudinal and
elevation amplitudes, Argentina is subject to a variety of climates. As a
rule, the climate is predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from
subtropical in the north to subpolar in the far south. The north of the
country is characterized by very hot, humid summers with mild drier winters,
and is subject to periodic droughts. Central Argentina has hot summers with
thunderstorms (in western Argentina producing some of the world's largest
hail), and cool winters. The southern regions have warm summers and cold
winters with heavy snowfall, especially in mountainous zones. Higher
elevations at all latitudes experience cooler conditions.
The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have
occurred in Argentina. A record high temperature of 49.1°C (120.4 °F), was
recorded at Villa de María, Córdoba on January 2, 1920. The lowest
temperature recorded was −39.0 °C (−38.2 °F) at Valle de los Patos Superior,
San Juan, July 17, 1972.
Major winds in Argentina include the cool Pampero blowing on the flat plains
of Patagonia and the Pampas after a cold front; the Viento Norte, a warm
wind that can blow from the north in mid and late winter creating mild
conditions; and the Zonda, a hot and dry wind (see also Föhn wind),
affecting west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during the 6,000
meter descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up
to 120 km/h, fueling wildfires and causing damage. When the Zonda blows (June-November),
snowstorms and blizzard (viento blanco) conditions usually affect the higher
elevations.
The Sudestada (literally "southeaster") could be considered similar to the
Noreaster, though snowfall is rarely involved (but is not unprecedented).
Both are associated with a deep winter low pressure system. The sudestada
usually moderates cold temperatures but brings very heavy rains, rough seas,
and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumn and winter along the
coasts of central Argentina and in the Río de la Plata estuary.
The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of
daylight from November to February (up to nineteen hours), and extended
nights from May to August. All of Argentina uses UTC-3 time zone. The
country does not observe daylight savings.
Extremities:
Argentina's eastermost continental point is northeast of the town of
Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones ( 26°15′S, 53°38′W), the westernmost in the
Mariano Moreno Range in Santa Cruz ( 49°33′S, 73°35′W). The northernmost
point is located at the confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete
rivers, Jujuy ( 21°46′S, 66°13′W), and the southernmost is Cape
San Pío in Tierra del Fuego ( 55°03′S, 66°31′W).
Enclaves and exclaves:
There is one Argentine exclave, the Martín García Island (co-ordinates
34°11′S, 58°15′W). It is near the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay
rivers, a kilometer (0.62 mi) inside Uruguayan waters, and 3.5 kilometres
(2.1 mi) from the Uruguayan coastline near the small town of Martín Chico (itself
halfway between Nueva Palmira and Colonia del Sacramento).
An agreement reached by Argentina and Uruguay in 1973 reaffirmed Argentine
jurisdiction over the island, ending a century-old dispute. Under the terms
of the agreement, Martín García is to be devoted exclusively as a natural
preserve. Its area is about 2 square kilometres (500 acres), and its
population is about 200 people.
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