Location: | Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil |
| Geographic coordinates: | 33 00 S, 56 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than the state of Washington |
| Land boundaries: | total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km |
| Coastline: | 660 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown |
| Terrain: | mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m |
| Natural resources: | arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries |
| Land use: | arable land: 7.43%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 92.34% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,800 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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 from weather fronts |
| Environment - current issues: | water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal |
| 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note: | second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising
Source: CIA World Factbook
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