Argentina

I

Introduction

Argentina or Argentine Republic, country in South America, occupying most of the southern half of the continent east of the Andes Mountains. It is the second largest country in area in South America, after Brazil, and the eighth largest country in the world. Argentina’s capital and largest city is Buenos Aires.

Argentina consists of diverse landscapes, stretching from the tropics in the north to the subpolar region in the south. Within it are the rugged Andes and the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua. But most of the people live in cities on the Pampas, the vast fertile prairies that cover the middle of the country. The Pampas traditionally produced much of the country’s agricultural wealth and became famous as the home of the gaucho, the South American cowboy.

From the late 19th century on, Argentina exported large amounts of agricultural goods, including meat, wool, and wheat. It also became the first South American country to industrialize and was long the wealthiest country on the continent, enjoying a living standard equivalent to that of European countries. From the 1940s on, however, Argentina has experienced recurring economic difficulties, including severe inflation, high unemployment, and a large national debt.

Argentina has had a volatile political history. Its most famous president, Juan D. Perón, was very popular with working-class and poor Argentineans. However, he ruled as a dictator and suppressed all opposition. The country’s economic decline eventually led to Peron’s ouster in 1955. An infamous military dictatorship that ruled from 1976 to 1983 tortured and executed many Argentineans without trial. After the military stepped down in 1983, Argentina recommitted itself to democratic government but struggled with economic problems. In the early 2000s Argentina was still trying to revitalize its economy.

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II

Land and Resources

Argentina covers an area of 2,780,400 sq km (1,073,518 sq mi). It is bounded on the north by Bolivia and Paraguay; on the northeast by Brazil and Uruguay; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and Chile; and on the west by Chile. The length of Argentina from north to south is about 3,330 km (about 2,070 mi); its greatest width is about 1,384 km (about 860 mi). The country includes the province of Tierra del Fuego, which comprises the eastern half of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and a number of adjacent islands to the east, including Isla de los Estados. The Argentine coastline measures about 4,989 km (about 3,100 mi) long.

Argentina also claims a total of 2,808,602 sq km (1,084,407 sq mi) of disputed territory. Since the 1950s, Argentina has claimed a pie-shaped section of Antarctica between longitude 25° west and longitude 74° west. Argentina also claims several sparsely settled southern Atlantic islands, including the Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas, currently controlled by Britain. The two nations fought a brief war in 1982 over control of the islands, and sporadic discussions about the political fate of the islands continue. A number of nations, including the United States, do not recognize Argentine claims to Antarctica and these South Atlantic islands.

A

Natural Regions

Argentina is divided into four major natural regions: the Andes, the northern plains and Andes foothills, the Pampas, and Patagonia.

A

1

The Andes

The Andes, the great mountain system of South America, rise in crumpled blocks along Argentina’s western border. In Patagonia, they form a natural boundary between Argentina and Chile. The mountains are highest and widest in the north, where a number of peaks rise above 6,400 m (21,000 ft). Aconcagua (6,960 m/22,834 ft), the highest of these peaks, is the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.

Other noteworthy peaks are Ojos del Salado (6,880 m/22,572 ft) and Tupungato (6,635 m/21,768 ft), on the border between Argentina and Chile, and Mercedario (6,770 m/22,211 ft). Argentina’s lake district is in the southern Andes. The resort town of Bariloche, along Lake Nahuel Huapi, is the tourist center of the lake district. Despite their lower elevations, the southern Andes are extremely rugged.

Several parallel ranges and spurs of the Andes project deeply into northwestern Argentina. Here, rivers with sources in the snowfields atop the peaks have cut through the eastern face of the mountains and carved deep valleys. Salt lakes occupy many of the basins between mountains. The country’s only other highland of consequence is the Sierra de Córdoba, in central Argentina. Its highest peak is Cerro Champaquí (2,880 m/9,449 ft).

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