295. Argentina and Kansas. — The rain fall map shows that the rainfall of western Argentina is light. This country is like Kansas, good for corn in the east, good for wheat to the west of that, and, still farther west, so dry as to be good only for ranch ing. This dry Argentine ranch country reaches from the hot plains of Bolivia southward to the Straits of Magellan in the land of snow.
Argentina has about as many people as has Pennsylvania. Its capital is a rich and prosperous city with many fine buildings, and with nearly as many people as Chicago.
It is the chief trade center for all 'Argen tina, and for Para guay as well. It is by far the greatest rail road center in South America,. and the largest city south of the equator.
Uruguay is a coun try not quite so large as Kansas. It is very much like the best part of Argen tina and has the same industries. Sheep and cattle are the chief wealth. Mon tevideo, its capital, is a well built city hav ing as many people as Washington, the ------- capital of the United States.
296. The Gran Chaco and Paraguay.— Northeastern Argentina is in the land of heat, heavy rains, and forest. This region is called the Gran Chaco (Great Forest).
Most of the few peo ple who live in the western Chaco are Indians, who have but little to do with the white men.
The eastern part of the Gran Chaco is in Paraguay, a country larger than Uruguay. As it is a hot and humid country, white people have not gone there as they have to Argentina and to Uruguay. Most of the people of Para guay are Indians; some are negroes; and a few are white. For many years, all the trade of Paraguay has gone up and down the Paraguay River on steamers. It is warm in Paraguay when it is frosty at Montevideo and Buenos Aires. These places are to each other as Florida is to Philadelphia and New York.
Early in the season steamboats come down froth Paraguay loaded with vegetables and fruit to be eaten by the people of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, when it is too cold to grow such things near these cities. Oranges are so plentiful in Paraguay that they are sometimes used for pig feed. There are many cattle ranches in Paraguay, and Americans from Chicago have recently built meat packing plants there, and are sending the meat to Europe by way of Buenos Aires.