1. PHYSIOGRAPHY. 1. A notable char acteristic is found in the Pampas which cover more than three-fourths of the country. The plains, however, can be further divided into four great sections: (1) The Chaco plains, between the rivers Pilcomayo, Parana, and Salado del Norte, comprising the eastern por tion of Jujuy, Salta, and Tucuman, the territory of the Chaco, part of the province of Santiago del Estero and the north of Santa Fe; all of it being warm, thickly wooded and rich in excel lent timber. Here preference is given to the cultivation of sugar-cane, cotton-growing and quebracho-cutting. (2) The pampas properly so called, most notable on account of the um formity of level and the almost total absence of trees, but covered by excellent pastures in which gramineous grasses preponderate. This region is gradually being devoted to agricul tural purposes such as the cultivation of wheat, linseed and corn, after having first served for cattle-feeding. (3) Between the last two re gions the saline plains extend from the range of Aconquija to that of C6rdoba and reach to the Salado River. This region derives its name from the great amount of salt covering the soil. (4) The southern plains, south of the 38th parallel, and popularly known as Pata gonia, comprise the territories of Rio Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, sloping down from the Andes in three suc cessive inclines. °Stock farming, especially sheep farming, dominates in this field, yielding large profits, says Mr. Marrion Wilcox, an American expert on Latin-American countries, adding: °New port works, extension of the sheep industry, plans for rendering navigable the Patagonian rivers, the production of min erals in the Cordillera and the Far South — all these forms of activity show that in a com mercial sense Patagonia is to be regarded as a land of the future. ° (In Bulletin of the Amer ican Geographical Society, Vol. XLII, No. 12, pp. 903, seq.).
II. The Argentine Mesopotamia lies between the rivers Parana and Uruguay and comprises the provinces of Entre Rios and Corrientes and the national territory of Misiones. At its south ern extremity the rich alluvial soil covering the numberless islands forming the delta of the Parana River has helped the development of a luxuriant vegetation. Toward the north a network of streams intersect an undulating land where tree-clad hill slopes alternate with rich meadows. At Corrientes the soil is damp and marshy but rises again in Misiones, where it becomes hilly.
III. The mountains belong to four separate systems, of which the most important is the Andean system. The coasts are 1,500 miles in
length and are generally low and sandy from Buenos Aires to Rio Negro. South of this point they are higher, often rising in bluffs and cliffs forming innumerable gulfs and bays. In the Plata estuary the most interesting island is Martin Garcia, which commands the mouth of the rivers Parana and Uruguay. About 400 miles off the shores of Santa Cruz are the Malvinas Islands, which the Argentine govern ment claims as part of its territory although England has occupied them since 1833, having named them Falkland Islands.
Tierra del Fuego is also isn island, belong ing half to Argentina and half to Chile. Staten Island, separated from Tierra del Fuego by the Lemair Strait, is used as a place of deporta tion for criminals. There are several other islands of lesser importance.
Omitting all minor differences, the Argen tine Republic may be divided into three great sections: the central plains, the river region on the eastern side, and the mountain systems.
The Cordillera of the Andes which runs throughout the whole extent of the Argentine Republic and forms its western limit is the most important mountain system of the coun try. Commencing at the extreme south of the republic in the shape of low ranges of hills, isolated by the waters of the Pacific which, in addition, have invaded its valleys, forming an immense number of picturesque channels, it little by little became of greater height and breadth until it forms in the north the elevated tablelands of Atacama and Jujuy, with a mean height of 13,000 feet above sea-level. The abundant vegetation which covers its lower slopes in the south disappears on passing be yond the 37° of latitude, and in the same man ner the snow, in the north, has only a per manent character on the summits of the most elevated peaks, such as the Aconcagua, Mer cedario, Tupungato, and Juenal. Another inter esting feature of the southern part of the Cor dillera is the existence of deep gullies which run through it and allow the passage of im portant rivers formed by the waters of the eastern slopes, which otherwise would have found an outlet toward the Atlantic Ocean. Besides the Andean system there is a central system formed by three parallel ranges known by the general name of C6rdoba and San Luis ranges; the Buenos Aires system formed by two isolated ranges and the Misiones system formed by the western extremity of two moun tain ranges entering the Argentine territory from Brazil and forming a letter Y by their joining together.