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 also have plains, but they are drier. The Gran Chaco region in the north of the country is semi-arid.

The steppes of Patagonia, in the provinces of Neuquen, Rio Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, are of Tertiary origin. The first human settlement in this area dates back to the 10th century. The first European to reach this zone was Ferdinand Magellan and the first to traverse the Patagonian plain was Rodrigo de la Isla.

Major rivers include the Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado, Uruguay and the largest river, the Paraná. The latter two flow together before meeting the Atlantic Ocean, forming the estuary of the Río 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 Argentine climate is predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from subtropical in the north to arid and sub-Antarctic in the far south.

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

Enclaves and Exclaves
There is one Argentine exclave: the island of Martín García (co-ordinates 34°11′S 58°15′W). It is near the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, a mere kilometre (0.62 mi) inside Uruguayan waters, about 3.5 kilometres (2.1 mi) from the Uruguayan coastline, near the small city of Martín Chico (itself about halfway between Nueva Palmira and Colonia del Sacramento).

An agreement reached by Argentina and Uruguay in 1973 reaffirmed Argentine jurisdiction over the island, ending a century-old dispute between the two countries. According to the terms of the agreement, Martín García is to be devoted exclusively to a natural preserve. Its area is about 2 square kilometres (500 acres), and the population about 200 people.

Argentina Information:
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(Map of Argentina)