Argentina

Abstract

Argentina covers an area of 2.8 million km² at the southern end of the South American continent, and supports a population of about 41 million. The impressive Andes Mountains form the western boundary with Chile, while to the east lie extensive plains, known as the Pampas. The Straits of Magellan separate the mainland from Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south. The climate is mainly temperate, which made it an attractive destination for European immigrants. The country is flanked to the east by a very large continental shelf bordering the Malvinas (Falkland Islands), which it endeavoured to repossess in 1982 by military means, although its oil prospects appear limited, despite some recent discoveries. Argentina also lays claim to various other islands and sections of Antarctica.