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:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
176,215 sq km
country comparison to the world: 91
land:
175,015 sq km
water:
1,200 sq km
slightly smaller than the state of Washington
total:
1,648 km
border countries:
Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
660 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or edge of continental margin
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
More Climate Details
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Cerro Catedral 514 m
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish
arable land:
10.25%
permanent crops:
0.22%
other:
89.52% (2011)
1,810 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
139 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
3.66 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%)
per capita:
1,101 cu m/yr (2000)
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that 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
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
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