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Argentina is a large, geographically diverse land, as these two photos suggest. Opposite: A river cuts through the rain forest in the Paraná Plateau region of northeastern Argentina. Right: The massive Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, on the southwestern edge of Patagonia. 1

Land of Contrasts

ARGENTINA, THE WORLD’S eighth-largest country in terms of area, makes up almost the entire southern half of South America—a region known as the Southern Cone. It is a land of great natural beauty and great contrasts. Some of the world’s tallest mountains can be found in Argentina. So, too, can enor- mous grassland plains and a windswept plateau that seems to stretch on for- ever. Along with mighty waterfalls and numerous alpine lakes, Argentina is home to wide deserts and steamy swamps. Six Distinct Regions The second-largest South American country after Brazil, Argentina bor- ders Chile to the west (separated by the Andes Mountains), Bolivia and Paraguay to the north (separated by rivers), and Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast (also separated by rivers). Its long coastline, about 3,100 miles (4,989

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