Paraguay vs. Argentina
Geography
| Paraguay | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil | Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay |
| Geographic coordinates | 23 00 S, 58 00 W | 34 00 S, 64 00 W |
| Map references | South America | South America |
| Area | total: 406,752 sq km land: 397,302 sq km water: 9,450 sq km | total: 2,780,400 sq km land: 2,736,690 sq km water: 43,710 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about three times the size of New York state; slightly smaller than California | slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,655 km border countries (3): Argentina 2531 km, Bolivia 753 km, Brazil 1371 km | total: 11,968 km border countries (5): Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1263 km, Chile 6691 km, Paraguay 2531 km, Uruguay 541 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 4,989 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west | mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest |
| Terrain | grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere | rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Cerro Pero 842 m lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m mean elevation: 178 m | highest point: Cerro Aconcagua (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America) 6,962 m lowest point: Laguna del Carbon (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) -105 m mean elevation: 595 m |
| Natural resources | hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone | fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 53.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.) forest: 43.8% (2018 est.) other: 2.4% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 53.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 39.6% (2018 est.) forest: 10.7% (2018 est.) other: 35.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,362 sq km (2012) | 23,600 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) | San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding in some areas volcanism: volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchon-Peteroa, San Jose, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution; rivers suffer from toxic dumping; tanneries release mercury and chromium into rivers and streams; loss of wetlands; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents | environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation (erosion, salinization), desertification, air pollution, and water pollution |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 2006 | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note | note 1: landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in eastern and southern part of country note 2: pineapples are probably indigenous to the southern Brazil-Paraguay region | note 1: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; shares Iguazu Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Brazil note 2: southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts |
| Total renewable water resources | 387.77 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 876.24 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population | one-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated |
Source: CIA Factbook
