The Southern Grassland

Paraguay and Uruguay are similar in many ways except in their __________.

Export of cash crops.

What are the physical characteristics of the regions of southern South America?

The Andean region is mountainous. The Grand Chaco is a tropical lowland region. The pampas are temperate grasslands. Patagonia is a cold and dry plain.

How have political conditions in Paraguay changed in recent decades?

A democratically elected government replaces a military dictatorship.

Paraguay

About half the people live in urban areas, especially the capital city of Asunción, on the Paraguay River. Most Paraguayans are mestizos, who speak Guarani, the local Indian language, as well as Spanish. The Paraguayan economy is based on agriculture, mostly cotton, grains, and livestock. Paraguay and Brazil have cooperated in building the huge Itaipu Dam on the Paraná River, one of the world's largest hydroelectric projects. It began generating electricity in 1984. Paraguayans hope that inexpensive hydroelectric power will make up for the country's lack of minerals and other resources. For 35 years, Paraguay was ruled by a military dictator, General Alfredo Stroessner. In 1989, however, discontented military officers replaced him. The new leader, General Andres Rodriguez, made the government more responsive to people's needs. Since 1993, Paraguay has held free democratic elections.

After Argentina lost some national territory to Great Britain in 1983, the military __________.

Allowed open elections.

Argentina

Argentina's people have European ancestors: Spanish and Italian. Some 13 million people live in Buenos Aires. Argentina is Latin America's wealthiest nation in terms of per capita GNP, although the nation's wealth is unevenly distributed. The city (Buenos Aires) is vibrant and sophisticated and attracts people seeking jobs and better lives. However it suffers from heavy air pollution. From the mid-1940s until 1983, Argentina was ruled by a series of military dictators. They tried to give the appearance of progress by borrowing money from foreign banks to build dams, roads, and factories. After Argentina lost control of the Falkland Islands off the country's southern Atlantic Coast to Great Britain, the military allowed open elections.

Uruaguay

Because much of Uruguay is rolling grasslands, the country's primary economic activities are raising livestock, processing meat, and making products such as wool and leather. Uruguay produces no fuel and few consumer goods, so it must import these expensive products. Most Uruguayans are of European descent:Italian and Spanish. The country has a large middle class. In 1973, the military took power, ruling for 12 years. Since 1985, Uruguay has held free elections. Today, it is one of the few countries in which people are required to vote and are fined if they do not.

What is most of the land in Uruguay used for?

Grazing livestock.

Compared with the other countries in South America, Argentina __________.

Has the highest per capita GNP.

Which statement about the Gran Chaco region in NOT true?

It has violent winter thunderstorms called pamperos.

Patagonia

South of the pampas lies the windswept plateau of Patagonia. This desolate, dry, cold, and sometimes foggy plain is well suited for raising sheep. Its natural resources also include rich deposits of oil and bauxite.

Tropical Lowlands

The Gran Chaco, or "hunting land," is an interior lowland region of savanna and dense shrub in parts of Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. Temperatures in the Gran Chaco are mild and change little. Rainfall, however, is seasonal. Summer rains turn the area into mud. In winter the soil is dry and windblown.

What geographic feature provides an effective shipping route for Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina?

The Rio de la Plata.

What part of Argentina draws people seeking jobs and an improved standard of living?

The capital city.

Andean Region

The highest peaks of the Andes are in western Argentina. From this great height, the Andes gradually give way to a gently rolling piedmont, or foothills, region.

Grasslands

The pampas of Argentina and Uruguay are temperate grasslands and were formerly home to hundreds of gauchos, the cowboys who herded cattle there. Today the pampas are Argentina's breadbasket, producing about 80 percent of the nation's grain and about 70 percent of its meat. The pampas have warm summers and cold winters. Moderate rainfall creates large areas of grassland. In Argentina, the temperate grasslands are called pampas. Estancias, or cattle ranches, like the one shown here, and farms of the vast, fertile pampas make Argentina a leading exporter of food.

What region of Argentina produces most of the country's food?

The pampas.

The three nations that make up southern South America

Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina Ethnically, they have a large percentage of people of European heritage as well as a mestizo population. Río de la Plata is an estuary, a broad river mouth formed where a flooded river valley meets the sea. Four rivers in the Plata estuary system form national boundaries: the Uruguay, the Pilcomayo, the Paraguay, and the Paraná. The capitals of Argentina and Uruguay—Buenos Aires and Montevideo—are both located on the Río de la Plata. This vast river system provides an inexpensive and efficient way for people in this functional region to ship goods.