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Argentine Regions
Argentina is made up of 23 provinces, which can be classified into five groups:
The Pampas or Central Provinces
Córdoba, La Pampa, and San Luis.
The River Provinces
Buenos Aires, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones, and Santa Fe.
The Northern Plains
Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán.
The Patagonian Provinces
Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.
The Andean Provinces
Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, and San Juan.
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From the Argentine Tourism Secretary
(Secretaría de Turismo) |
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Hidrology
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Among the largest rivers in the country are the Río de la Plata, the wide estuary formed by the convergence of the Paraná and the Uruguay rivers measuring 5,180,000 sq km or 2,000,000 sq m and its two large tributaries: the Río Uruguay (part of the boundary between Argentina and Uruguay) and the Río Paraná (which crosses the north central area of the country). The Iguazú River, a tributary of the Paraná, is well known all over the world because of its Iguazú Falls On the border between Argentina and Brazil, one of the world's great natural wonders. The falls range between 60 and 80 m (about 197 to 262 ft) high. Other important rivers include the Río Colorado, the Río Salado and the Río Negro,a southern river largely used for irrigation. There are many lakes in the south of the country such as the Nahuel Huapi lake, the site of famed winter holiday resort Bariloche.
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Flora
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The vegetation of Argentina varies greatly due to the diversity of weather conditions and topographical regions. Cacti and other thorny plants are typical of the northern arid provinces, such as Jujuy and Salta. In the northern rainforests, there are subtropical plants (usually high trees that may reach 40m in height) such as palms, rosewoods, jacarandas, and red quebrachos. Central Argentina is characterized by its extensive grasslands. The main vegetation in Patagonia are herbs, shrubs, grasses, and brambles. In the Andes and in Tierra del Fuego, there is also a wide variety of conifers including cypresses, pines, and cedars.
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Fauna
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There is a wide variety of animals both in the north and the south of the country. To the north, there are several species of jaguars, monkeys, pumas, ocelots, anteaters, racoons, peccaries, and tapirs. Different kinds of hummingbirds and parrots as well as flamingos are common place. In the Pampas, there are deer, armadillos, foxes, hare, martens, wildcats, ostriches, hawks, falcons, partridges, plovers, and herons. Llamas, guanacos, vicuñas, alpacas, and condors are typical of the Andes. Fish stocks are abound throughout the country in its coastal waters, lakes, and streams.
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