Argentine Geography
A look at the population, major cities, climates, landscapes, and ecosystems of Argentina.
Geographical Statistics of Argentina
Argentina is a nation of Southern and Central South America along the Atlantic Ocean. Its western border with Chile is defined by the Andes mountain range. To the north, the country borders Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. Its total land area is about 1,700,500 square miles or 2,736,690 square kilometers. In addition to its mainland holdings, Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands, which are currently administered by the United Kingdom.
Argentina’s population consists of an estimated 44,293,293 people, the vast majority of whom live in urban areas. Buenos Aires, its largest city and capital, sits along the Rio de La Plata and is home to around 15.18 million people. Other major cities include Cordoba (approx. population 1.511 million), Rosario (1.381 million), Mendoza (1.009 million), and San Miguel de Tucuman (910,000).
Landscapes and Climates of Argentina
The landscape of Argentina can be divided into three broad regions. The Andes running down the nation’s length cast a rain shadow over the southwest. This has impacted the climate of the cold Patagonian desert and glacial islands of Tierra del Fuego. Along the northern edge of Patagonia are the Pampas, a fertile grassland supporting much of the country’s farms and pastures. Farther north, the Pampas give way to the lush Amazon rainforest.
These landscapes of desert, prairie, temperate forest, and tropical rainforest are incredibly biodiverse. Argentina’s forests are home to trees like the algarrobos, Brazilian rosewood, imported Eucalyptus, ombú evergreens, and conifers to the south. Its wildlife include llamas, pumas, flamingos, jaguars, caiman, tapirs, howler monkeys, capybaras, maned wolves, giant anteaters, and Andean condors.
References
Benson, Andrew, Rosalba O'Brien, and Shafik Meghji. The Rough Guide to Argentina. Penguin. 2013.
Foster, David William, Melissa Fitch Lockhart, and Darrel B. Lockhart, eds. Culture and Customs of Argentina. Greenwood Press. 1998.
Lewis, Daniel. The History of Argentina. 2nd ed. Greenwood. 2015.
Nordon, Deborah Lee. Military Rebellion in Argentina: Between Coups and Consolidation. University of Nebraska Press. 1996.
“The World Factbook: Argentina.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 4 June 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html.
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