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Geography of Argentina

This article describes the geography of Argentina.

; Location:

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
; Geographic coordinates:
34° 00′ S, 64° 00′ W
; Map references:
South America
; Area:
  • Total: 2,766,890 km²
Land: 2,736,690 km²
Water: 30,200 km²
; Area comparative:
Canada comparative: slightly bigger than Nunavut
United Kingdom comparative: 11 times bigger than the UK
United States comparative: slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
; Land boundaries:
  • Total: 9,665 km
Border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline: 4,989 km
; Maritime claims:
  • Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
; Climate:
Mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
; Terrain:
Rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
; Elevation extremes:
  • Lowest point: Gran Bajo de San Julián (located on Chubut Province)
Highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m
; Natural resources:
Fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
; Land use:
  • Arable land: 9%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 52%
Forests and woodland: 19%
Other: 19% (1993 est.)
; Irrigated land:
17,000 km² (1993 est.)
; Natural hazards:
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding
; Environment--current issues:
Environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution. Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets.
; Environment--international agreements:
Signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
; Geography--note:
Second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)

Reference

Much of the material in this article comes from the
CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.