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| Location: |
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
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| Geographic coordinates: |
33 00 S, 56 00 W
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| Map references: |
South America
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| Area: |
total:
176,220 sq km
land:
173,620 sq km
water:
2,600 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than the state of Washington
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
1,564 km
border countries:
Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
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| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
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| Terrain: |
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Cerro Catedral 514 m
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| Natural resources: |
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
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| Land use: |
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
77%
forests and woodland:
6%
other:
10% (1997 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
7,700 sq km (1997 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in weather fronts
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| Environment - current issues: |
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
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