Argentina » Maps and Geography

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 three parts: the fertile plains of the Pampas in the central part of the country, the centre of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in the southern half down to Tierra del Fuego; and the rugged Andes mountain range along the western border with Chile, with the highest point located in the province of Mendoza. Cerro Aconcagua, at 6,960 metres (22,834 ft), is the Americas' highest mountain.

The plains west and south from Buenos Aires are among the most fertile in the world. The western part of La Pampa province and the province San Luis have also plains, but they are drier. The Gran Chaco region in the north of the country is semi-arid.

Major rivers include the Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado, Uruguay and the largest river, the Parana. The latter two flow together before meeting the Atlantic Ocean, forming the estuary of the Rai­o de la Plata. The land between these both is called Mesopotamia and that land is shared by the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes and Entre Rios.

The country has a Claim over Antarctica, where it has maintaned a constant occupied presence for more than a century.