Argentina

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Argentina is a federal republic in southern South America on the border of

Bolivia and Paraguay; on the east by Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean,

on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and Chile, and on the west by Chile. The

country is the biggest country on the south side and is triangular in shape, with

the base in the north and the corner at Punta Dungeness, the southeastern tip of

the continent. The length of Argentina in a northern to southern direction is

about 2,070 mi.. Its biggest width is about 860 mi.. The area of Argentina is

1,073,518 sq mi.. It is the second largest South American country, Brazil ranking

first. The capital and largest city is Buenos Aires.

Argentina has a lot of mountains, upland areas, and plains. The western

boundaries of the country fall entirely within the Andes. The only other highlands

of consequence in Argentina is the Sierra de Córdoba, in the central portion of

the country. In the north, the Argentine plains consist of the southern portion of

the South American region known as the Gran Chaco. The Pampas plains that

include the most productive agricultural sections of the country, extend about

1,000 mi. south from the Gran Chaco. In Patagonia, south of the Pampas, the

terrain consists largely of arid, desolate steppes. A famed scenic attraction, the

Iguaçu Falls, is on the CIguau River a tributary of the Paraná. The chief rivers of

Argentina are the `Aparan, which splits the north part of the country. In the area

between the Río Salado and the Río Colorado and in the Chaco region, some

large rivers empty into swamps and marshes or disappear into sinks.

Temperate climatic conditions prevail throughout most of Argentina, except for a

small tropical area in the northeast and the subtropical Chaco in the north. The

climate is generally cold in the Andes, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. In the

western section of Patagonia winter temperatures average about 0° C (32° F). In

most coastal areas, however, the ocean exerts a moderating influence on

temperatures.

The traditional wealth of Argentina is in the vast Pampas, which are used

for extensive grazing and grain production. However, Argentine mineral

resources, esp...

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...ay. Colonization of the region was begun in 1535 by the Spanish soldier Pedro de

Mendoza. In June 1806, Buenos Aires was attacked by a British fleet under the

command of Admiral Home Riggs Popham. The viceroy offered no defense

against the attack, which was made without permission by the British

government. The British invaders occupied the city but were kicked out by a

citizen army the next August.

Revolutionary sentiment in La Plata reached its peak in the period

following the deposing of King Ferdinand VII in 1808. The people of Buenos

Aires refused to recognize Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, who was then

installed on the Spanish throne. On May 25, 1810, they overthrew the viceregal

government and installed a provisional governing council in the name of

Ferdinand VII. Representatives of the various provinces convened at Tucumán

in March 1816. On the following July 9 the delegates proclaimed independence

from Spanish rule and declared the formation of the United Provinces of South

America. In March 1949, Perón promulgated a new constitution permitting the

president of the republic to succeed himself in office.

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