Geography of Argentina. Geography of Argentina Location of Argentina in relation to major landforms

), northeastern plains (Argentine Mesopotamia), Pampas, Patagonia and the Andean highlands (Central Andean Highlands, Pampinian Sierras, Precordillera). Since Argentina has a large extent from north to south, it crosses several climatic zones at once - from the tropics to Antarctica itself (Argentine Antarctica).

Border and coastline

The total length of the borders of Argentina is 9861 km. In the south and west, Argentina borders on Chile (5308 km), in the north - on Bolivia (832 km) and Paraguay (1880 km), in the northeast and east - on Brazil (1261 km) and Uruguay (580 km). The southeastern border of Argentina is delineated by the Atlantic Ocean, and its border with Chile in the west and southwest is defined by the Andes.

The length of the coastline of Argentina is 4989 km. The shores are slightly indented - to the south of La Plata Bay, the bays of San Matias, San Jose and Golfo Nuevo formed by the Valdes Peninsula protrude, to the south are the bays of San Jorge and Bahia Grande.

Relief

The east of Argentina is vast, mostly flat, the west is mountainous. The entire northeast of the country is the Laplat lowland, consisting of the Gran Chaco plains in the northwest, Mesopotamia (the area between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers) in the northeast, and the flat eastern part of the Pampas in the south. The dissected edge of the Brazilian Plateau (heights 300-400 m) enters the north of Mesopotamia, and from the south of the Pampa the Sierra del Tandil and Sierra de la Ventana heights adjoin (the peak of Tres Picos, 1243 m)

The western part of the Pampas is an elevated plain with a height of 500-1000 m. Between the lowlands and the Andes lies the mountainous region of the Pampina Sierras and Precordillera with heights of 2-6 thousand m, which are separated by deep basins. In the south-west of the country stretches the Patagonian plateau, indented by river valleys. In the west, the height of the plateau reaches 2000 m, when moving to the east it descends in steps to the coast.

The extreme northwest of Argentina is occupied by part of the Central Andean Highlands, on which the Puna desert plateau (about 4000 m high), a number of salt marshes, ridges of ridges and volcanoes (for example, the Ojos del Salado volcano 6880 m high) are located. Further to the south (from 28 ° S. latitude) stretches the Forward Cordillera of the Andes, from which from 31 ° S. sh. connects the Main Cordillera (watershed range). Up to 35°S sh. some mountain peaks and volcanoes exceed 6000 m (the highest point in South America is located here - Mount Aconcagua, 6960 m), and the height of the passes reaches 3500 m. Only the Main Cordillera remains to the south, which, from 39 ° S. sh. called Patagonian - its height decreases to 3-4 thousand meters, and active volcanoes disappear. Here the mountain ranges are deeply dissected by ancient glacial and river valleys. The very south of the country - the island of Tierra del Fuego - has a low relief in the north and mountainous in the south.

Pampas

Rivers

The largest river system in Argentina is the La Plata river system, which is formed from the confluence of the Uruguay and Parana rivers and from the confluence of the Rio Grande de Curitiba on the left side, and Paraguay on the right side (with tributaries of Pilcomayo and Vermeio), Juramento ( former Salado) and r. Tercero (with tributaries of the Cuarto and Saladillo rivers); the rest of the water system consists of steppe rivers and lagoons. Parallel to the river Juramento in the Tucuman region flows from the Cordillera to the south. Dulce (Saladillo); during high water, they merge and end in the Porongos lagoon, which also feeds the river. Primero and Segundo. In general, the rivers flowing in the south, starting from the region of Catamarca, disappear into the steppes. A whole system of such rivers is formed from the river. de Guanacol (Vermejo), r. Travesia, San Juan, Mendoza and makes up the Guanacache lagoon, from which the river flows. Desaguadero and, flowing through a series of swamps, flows into the Amarga lagoon; from here, intensifying by the mountain streams of the Andes, the river. Tunuyan, r. Diamante, r. Atuel during the flood merge with the river. Colorado. Many small streams also flow from the southeastern mountain branches, flowing partly into the sea, partly into the lagoons; only two flow into the Rio Salado, which flows into the Ensenado de Borombon and belongs to the river system. La Plata. The largest southern rivers are the Colorado, or Kobu-Leibu, that is, a large river, and the river. Negro or Limay-Leibu.

The river region is a slightly undulating, grass-rich plain, the heights of which do not exceed 250 m, with the exception of the northeastern Sierra Missiona, which is higher. In very low places, lagoons are formed, partly such as the Ibera and Lamaloya, surrounded by swamps and swamps, partly real lakes with solid shores, such as the Brava lagoon. River flows are numerous. The steep banks of the Parana (150 km) and the banks of the inland rivers are covered with forest; on the Mission, where the soil consists of hard, marginal clay, there are impenetrable forests.

lakes

In the depressions of the Pampina Sierras and in Pune, there are vast salt marshes (Fagnano burdock, Abrojos, and thistle, reaching 3 m in height near Buenos Aires; both plants are of great benefit, shielding the grass from the scorching rays of the sun with a wide shade, and in such places the grass lasts longer ; by the end of summer, the plants dry up and break out in autumn storms. On a monotonous plain, they are rarely found, and then near dwellings, individual trees - ombu ( Phytolacca dioica) or groups of crooked and thorny chanyars ( Geoffroea decorticans), or small palms tririnax plains ( Trithrinax campestris). In places, grass, clover and oats reach 1 and 1 ½ m.

Mirage phenomena are very frequent here.

Animal world of pampas

Of the animals in these plains are found: huge herds of cattle, horses, deer, ostriches (Avestruz), jaguars, iguanas and viscacha (Callomys Viscacha). There are very few streams, but there are a lot of small pools with fresh and salt water, some of them quickly drying out, some of them permanent. Along the Paraná are the best settlements and livestock. The pampas near the central mountain ranges are of a completely different character; there small shrubs cover the plain and form thicker thickets near the rivers. The northern part of the plain, the Gran Chaco, extends far into the possessions of Bolivia and Paraguay, and only part of it belongs to the Argentine Confederation of the Republic; in it, as in a subtropical strip, there is a lack of irrigation, but the floods of such rivers as the Pilcomayo and Rio Bermejo, fed by tropical rains, contribute to the development of rich tropical flora. Of the trees here are remarkable: karandai-palm, which gives a magnificent timber, algarrobo and chanyar (Prosopis dulcis) - alcoholic beverages are made from their fruits. The dense thickets consist mainly of laurel trees, especially near the Andes; on the left bank of the river Juramento thorny thickets of mimosas in legumes form an almost impenetrable rampart, through which there are gaps in places, which are used by the Chaco Indians in trade and robbery. But in the inner part, where the floods of the above-named rivers do not reach, there are large waterless spaces, passing in places, between Rio Bermejo and Salado, into dry sandy steppes with poor vegetation of cacti and saline grasses.

Pleasant as the meeting was, but after the first outpourings of Paganel, Austin, Wilson, Mulready, everyone who remained behind, with the possible exception of one Major McNabbs, felt that they were dying of thirst. Fortunately, the Guamini flowed nearby, and the travelers immediately moved on. At seven o'clock in the morning a small detachment reached the paddock. The corpses of wolves piled up at the entrance eloquently spoke of how fiercely the enemy attacked and with what energy the besieged defended themselves.

Travelers more than quenched their thirst, and then they were offered a sumptuous breakfast in the fence of the paddock. Nandu fillet was considered excellent, and the armadillo, fried in its own shell, was considered a delicious dish.

“To eat such tasty things in moderation would be ingratitude towards Providence,” said Paganel. - Down with moderation!

And the geographer really overate, discarding all moderation, but his health did not suffer any damage from this thanks to the water of Guamini: according to the scientist, it promoted digestion.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Glenarvan, not wanting to repeat the mistake of Hannibal, who had been excessively delayed in Capua, gave the signal to depart. The waterskins were filled with water, and the detachment set off. Refreshed and well-fed, the horses eagerly galloped forward. The earth became wetter, and therefore more fertile, but remained just as deserted.

November 2 and 3 passed without incident, and on the evening of the second day the travelers, already accustomed to long marches, made a halt on the border between the Pampas and the province of Buenos Aires. The detachment left Talcahuano Bay on 14 October. This means that in twenty-two days he made a journey of four hundred and fifty miles; in other words, he has already covered two-thirds of the way.

The next morning, travelers crossed the conditional border that separated the Argentine plains from the pampas. Here Talcave hoped to meet those katsiks in whose hands, as he thought, were Harry Grant and his two fellow captives.

Of the fourteen provinces that make up the Argentine Republic, Buenos Aires is the largest and most populated. In the south, between 64° and 65°, it borders on Indian territory. The soil of this province is surprisingly fertile, and the climate is unusually healthy. It is an almost perfectly smooth plain that stretches to the foot of the Sierra del Tandil and Sierra Tapalque, covered with cereals and legumes.

Leaving the shores of Guamini, travelers, to their considerable pleasure, noticed that the temperature was becoming more moderate: on average, it was no more than seventeen degrees Celsius. The reason for this drop in temperature was the constant cold winds from Patagonia. Both animals and people, who had suffered so much from drought and heat, now had not the slightest reason to complain. Travelers rode cheerfully and confidently. But, contrary to the expectations of Thalcave, the region seemed completely uninhabited, or rather, depopulated.

The route east along the thirty-seventh parallel along which the party moved often passed small lakes, sometimes with fresh, sometimes with brackish water, or crossed these lakes. Nimble beetles fluttered by the water under the canopy of the bushes and merry larks sang; immediately flashed tanagers - rivals of hummingbirds in multi-colored brilliant plumage. All these beautiful birds flapped their wings merrily, ignoring the starlings with their red epaulettes and red breasts, pacing along the edge of the shore like soldiers on a military parade. On the thorny bushes, like a Creole hammock, the mobile nests of birds called "annubis" swayed; magnificent flamingos roamed in flocks along the shores of the lakes, spreading their fire-colored wings in the wind. Here, too, their nests were seen, close together by the thousands, shaped like a truncated cone about a foot high, and forming whole colonies.

The approach of the riders did not greatly disturb the flamingos, and this did not please the learned Paganel.

“I have long wanted to see how flamingos fly,” he said to the major.

- That's fine! the major replied.

“Of course, if the opportunity presents itself, I will take advantage of it.

“Of course, Paganel!

“Then you are with me, Major, and you, Robert, too. I need witnesses.

And Paganel, letting the others pass, went, accompanied by the major and Robert, to the flock of flamingos. Approaching them at a distance of a shot, the geographer fired a blank charge from his gun - he was not able to shed even bird blood in vain - and now the flamingos, as if on a signal, rose at once and flew away. Paganel watched them attentively through his spectacles.

- Well, have you seen how they fly? he asked the major when the pack was out of sight.

“Of course I did,” said McNabbs. Only a blind man wouldn't see it.

- Tell me, does a flying flamingo look like a feathered arrow?

- Nothing like it.

“Not the slightest resemblance,” added Robert.

“I was sure of it,” the scientist said with a pleased air. - But imagine that my famous compatriot Chateaubriand allowed this inaccurate comparison of a flamingo with an arrow. Remember, Robert: comparison is the most risky rhetorical figure I know. Beware of comparisons and resort to them only in the most extreme cases.

“So, are you satisfied with your experiment?” the major asked.

- Extremely.

- And me too. But now let's hurry the horses: by the grace of your famous Chateaubriand, we are a full mile behind.

Approaching his companions, Paganel saw that Glenarvan was having some kind of lively conversation with the Indian, apparently not understanding him well. Talcave now and then stopped, peered attentively at the horizon, and each time strong surprise was reflected on his face.

Glenarvan, not seeing his usual interpreter beside him, tried to question the Indian himself, but this attempt was unsuccessful. Noticing the approaching scientist, Glenarvan shouted to him from a distance:

“Hurry up here, friend Paganel, otherwise Talcave and I can’t understand each other in any way!”

After talking for a few minutes with the Patagonian, Paganel turned to Glenarvan.

“Talcava,” he said, “one fact is surprising, and indeed very strange.

- The fact is that nowhere around you can see any Indians, or even traces of them, and yet their detachments usually cross these plains in all directions: either they drive cattle, or they make their way to the Andes - there to sell their home-made carpets and whips, woven leather.

- And how does Thalcave explain the disappearance of the Indians?

- He himself does not find an explanation, but is only surprised.

What kind of Indians did he expect to meet in this part of the pampas?

- Precisely those in whose hands the foreign captives were: subjects of the katsiks of Kalfukur, Katriel or Yanchetruz.

– Who are they?

These are tribal leaders. They were omnipotent before they were pushed over the mountains thirty years ago. Now they have resigned themselves - as far as an Indian can reconcile, however - and now they roam the pampas and the province of Buenos Aires. And to confess, I am surprised no less than Talcava that we do not meet traces of Indians in these places.

“But what, then, are we to do?” asked Glenarvan.

"I'll find out now," replied Paganel.

After talking again for a few minutes with Thalcave, he said:

“The advice of the Patagonian seems to me very reasonable. In his opinion, we should continue east to Fort Independent, and even if we do not get word of Captain Grant there, then, in any case, we will find out where the Indians of the Argentine plain have gone.

How far is this fort? asked Glenarvan.

“No, it's in the Sierra del Tandil, about sixty miles away.

- When will we be there?

- The day after tomorrow evening.

Glenarvan was rather puzzled. It seemed the last thing to be expected was that there would be no Indians on the pampas. Usually there are too many of them. Something extraordinary had to happen for them to leave. But if Harry Grant was really a prisoner of one of these tribes, it was important to find out where the Indians had taken him: to the north or to the south? These doubts did not cease to trouble Glenarvan. It was necessary at all costs not to lose the traces of the captain, and therefore it seemed most reasonable to follow Thalcave's advice - to get to the village of Tandil. There, at least, you can talk to someone.

About four o'clock in the afternoon a hill appeared on the horizon, which in such a flat area could be called a mountain. It was the Sierra Tapalque. Having reached its foot, the travelers camped for the night.

The next day they easily crossed this mountain along the gentle sandy slopes. Such a transition to people who crossed the Cordillera seemed easy. The horses hardly had to slow down. At noon, the riders passed the abandoned Tapalke fort. But, to the growing astonishment of Talcava, there were no Indians here either. Soon, however, three riders appeared in the distance, well-armed, on fine horses. They watched the small detachment for some time, and then, without giving them an opportunity to approach them, briskly rushed off. Glenarvan was annoyed.

"Gaucho," said the Patagonian, giving these natives the name which at one time had provoked such a heated dispute between the major and Paganel.

- BUT! Gaucho! exclaimed McNabbs. Today, it seems, there is no north wind. What do you think of them now, Paganel?

“I think they have the most bandit look,” Paganel replied.

- And from the form to the essence, my dear scientist? ..

“Just one step, dear Major.

Paganel's confession made everyone laugh, but he was not offended.

Meanwhile, travelers, on the advice of Thalcave, rode, keeping close to each other: no matter how deserted this region, it was still necessary to beware of an unexpected attack. However, these precautions turned out to be superfluous, and that same evening the detachment settled down for the night in an empty, vast toldery, where Katzik Katriel used to collect detachments of natives led by him. The Patagonian surveyed the ground all around, and as there were no fresh tracks to be seen anywhere, he came to the conclusion that this toldery had long been empty.

The next day Glenarvan and his companions found themselves again on the plain. The first of the farms near the Sierra del Tandil appeared. But Thalcave decided not to make a halt here, but to move straight to Fort Independent, where he expected to receive the necessary information, first of all, about the reasons for this strange depopulation of the region.

Trees appeared again, so rarely seen beyond the Cordillera. Most of them were planted after the settlement of American territory by Europeans. Peach trees, poplars, willows, acacias grew here; they grew without care, quickly and well. Most of these trees were around corrals - vast pens for cattle, surrounded by a palisade. Bulls, rams, cows and horses grazed there in their thousands, on which the brand of their master was burned with red-hot iron. Many large, alert dogs guarded them. The brackish soil at the foot of the mountains provides excellent fodder for the herds.

Therefore, such soil is usually chosen FOR the construction of farms. These pastoral farms are headed by a manager and his assistant, who have peons at their disposal, four people for every thousand heads of cattle. These people lead the life of biblical shepherds. Their herds are as numerous, if not more, than the herds that filled the Mesopotamian plains, but they lack peaceful families, and the pastoralists of the Pampas look more like butchers than Biblical patriarchs.

Paganel drew the attention of his companions to a curious phenomenon peculiar to these flat plains: mirages. Thus, the farms from a distance resembled large islands, and the poplars and willows growing around them seemed to be reflected in the transparent waters, which receded as travelers approached. The illusion was so complete that the travelers again and again succumbed to deception.

On November 6, the detachment drove past several farms, as well as one or two saladero slaughterhouses. Cattle fattened on lush pastures are slaughtered here. Saladero is also a brine, as the name suggests: a place where not only cattle are killed, but their meat is also salted.

This unpleasant work begins in late spring. "Saladeros", fighters, come for the animals in the corral; they catch them with a lasso, which they wield with great dexterity, and lead them into a saladero. Here all these bulls, oxen, cows, sheep are slaughtered by the hundreds; they are skinned and their carcasses are butchered. But often the bulls are not given without resistance. Then the saladeros turn into bullfighters. And they do this dangerous work with rare dexterity and equally rare cruelty. In general, this massacre is a terrible sight. Nothing can be more disgusting than saladero. From these terrible, fetid pens one can hear the ferocious cries of soldiers, the ominous barking of dogs, the drawn-out howl of dying animals. Large Argentine vultures flock here in thousands.

But now the saladeros were quiet and peaceful—they were empty. The hour of the great massacre had not yet arrived.

Talcave hurried the detachment. He wanted to get to Fort Independent that same evening. The horses, urged on by riders and carried away by the example of Tauka, raced among the tall grasses. To meet the horsemen came across farms surrounded by battlements and protected by deep ditches. On the roof of the main house there was a terrace from which the inhabitants, always ready for battle, could shoot back from attacks from the plain.

Glenarvan might have been able to get the information he wanted on these farms, but it would have been better to get to the village of Tandil. Therefore, the riders did not stop anywhere. Through two rivers - Wesos and a few miles further Napaleofu - they forded. Soon the horses were galloping along the green slopes of the first ledges of the Sierra del Tandil, and an hour later, in the depths of a narrow gorge, a village appeared, above which towered the battlements of Fort Independant.

Chapter XXI

FORT INDEPENDENT

The Sierra del Tandil rises a thousand feet above sea level. It arose in antiquity, even before the appearance of any organic life on Earth, and gradually changed under the influence of volcanic forces. This mountain range is a semicircular range of grassy gneiss hills. The district of Tandil, bearing the name of the mountain range, occupies the entire southern part of the province of Buenos Aires. In the north, the border of the district is the slopes of the mountains, on which the rivers flowing to the north originate.

There are about four thousand inhabitants in Tandil district. Its administrative center - the village of Tandil - is located at the foot of the northern slopes of the mountains, under the protection of Fort Nezavisimy. The Napaleofu river flowing here gives the village a rather picturesque look. This village has one feature that Paganel could not have been unaware of: it was inhabited by French Basques and Italians. Indeed, the French were the first to establish their colonies along the lower reaches of La Plata. In 1828, Fort Nezavisimy was built by the Frenchman Parchapp to defend the new colony from frequent attacks by the Indians who defended their possessions. In this matter, he was assisted by the French scientist Alcide d "Orbigny, who excellently studied and described this part of South America.

The village of Tandil is a rather large settlement. From here "galeras" - large carts pulled by oxen, very convenient for moving along the roads of the plain - reach Buenos Aires in twelve days, so the population maintains a rather lively trade with this city. The inhabitants of Tandil bring there cattle from their farms, salted meat from their slaughterhouses, and very curious products of the Indians: paper and woolen fabrics, objects of woven leather of very fine workmanship, and the like. In Tandil there are not only comfortable houses, but even several schools and churches where the basics of secular and spiritual knowledge are taught.

Having told about all this, Paganel added that in Tandil, undoubtedly, it would be possible to find out something from the locals; besides, there is always a detachment of national troops in the fort. Glenarvan ordered the horses to be stabled in a fairly respectable-looking inn, and then he himself, Paganel, the major and Robert, accompanied by Talcave, went to Fort Independant.

Having climbed a little uphill, they found themselves at the entrance to the fortress. She was not too vigilantly guarded by an Argentine sentry. He let the travelers through unimpeded, which indicated either extreme carelessness or complete security.

Soldiers were teaching on the square of the fortress. The oldest of them was no more than twenty years old, and the youngest was not even seven. In truth, it was just a dozen children and teenagers diligently doing martial exercises. Their uniform consisted of a striped shirt tied with a leather belt. There were no trousers, long or short. However, in such warm weather it was possible to dress lightly. Paganel immediately formed a good opinion of the government, which does not waste public money on galloons and other tinsel. Each of these boys had a gun and a saber, but for the younger ones the gun was too heavy and the saber was too long. All of them, as well as the corporal who taught them, were swarthy and looked alike. Apparently, as it later turned out, these were twelve brothers, who were trained in military affairs by the thirteenth.

Paganel was not surprised. He knew that, according to statistics, the average number of children in a family here was more than nine, but he was extremely surprised by the fact that young soldiers were trained in rifle techniques adopted in the French army, and that the corporal sometimes gave orders in the native language of the geographer.

- That's interesting! he said.

But Glenarvan did not come to Fort Independent to watch some little boys practice the art of war; he was even less interested in their nationality and origin. Therefore, he did not allow Paganel to be surprised for long, but asked him to call the commandant. Paganel conveyed this request to the corporal, and one of the Argentine soldiers went to the house that served as a barracks.

A few minutes later, the commandant himself appeared. He was a man of about fifty, strong, with a military bearing. He had a stiff mustache, prominent cheekbones, gray hair, and an imperious look. Such was the commandant, as far as one could judge of him through the thick clouds of smoke escaping from his short pipe. His gait and peculiar demeanor reminded Paganel of the old non-commissioned officers of his homeland.

Thalcave went up to the commandant and introduced him to Glenarvan and his companions. While Thalcave spoke, the commandant regarded Paganel with an insistence that would embarrass anyone. The scientist, not understanding what was the matter, was about to ask him for an explanation, but he, unceremoniously taking the geographer by the hand, joyfully asked him in his native language:

- Are you French?

"Frenchman," Paganel answered.

- Oh, how good! Welcome! Welcome! I'm French myself! the commandant blurted out, shaking the scientist's hand with frightening energy.

- It is your friend? the major asked the geographer.

– Of course! He answered not without pride. “I have friends in all five parts of the world.

Not without difficulty, freeing his hand from the living vice that almost crushed it, he entered into a conversation with the hero-commandant. Glenarvan would have gladly put in a word about a matter of interest to him, but the warrior began to tell his story and was by no means inclined to stop halfway. It was evident that this brave fellow had left France so long ago that he had already begun to forget his native language - if not the words themselves, then the construction of phrases. He spoke about the way Negroes speak in the French colonies.

The commandant of Fort Nezavisimy turned out to be a sergeant in the French army, a former comrade of Parschapp. From the very foundation of the fort, since 1828, he did not leave it, and at present he was the commandant of the fort, and he held this post with the consent of the Argentine government. It was a Basque of fifty years old, by the name of Manuel Ifaraguer - as you can see from the name, almost a Spaniard. A year after arriving in Tandil, Sergeant Manuel naturalized, joined the Argentine army and married an Indian woman. Soon his wife gave him two twins - of course, boys, for a worthy life partner of a sergeant would never allow herself to give him daughters. For Manuel, there was no other activity in the world than military, and he hoped in time to present to the republic a whole company of young soldiers.

- Have you seen? he exclaimed. - Well done! Good soldiers! Jose! Juan! Mikel! Pepe!.. Pepe is seven years old, and he already knows how to shoot!

Pepe, hearing that he was being praised, moved his tiny legs and very deftly saluted with his gun.

“It will go far,” added the commandant. “Someday he will be a colonel or a brigadier!”

Commandant Manuel spoke with such enthusiasm that it was impossible to argue with him about the benefits of military service or the future he was preparing for his warlike child. He was happy. “And what gives happiness is real,” said Goethe.

Manuel Ifaraguer's story, to Thalcave's great surprise, lasted a good quarter of an hour. The Indian did not understand how so many words could come out of one throat. Nobody interrupted the commandant. But since even a French sergeant must someday be silent, Manuel finally fell silent, forcing the guests to go into his house first. They resignedly submitted to the need to be introduced to Mrs. Ifarager, and having met her, they found her a "nice person", if this expression is applicable to an Indian woman.

When all the desires of the sergeant were fulfilled, he asked the guests why he owed the honor of seeing them at home.

The most opportune moment for inquiries has come. This task was taken over by Paganel. He began by telling the commandant in French about their entire journey through the pampas, and ended by asking why the Indians left this region.

- Eh, no one! exclaimed the sergeant, shrugging his shoulders. - That's right! .. No one ... We are all folded hands ... there is nothing to do ...

- But why?

Yes, civil war...

- Civil War? asked Paganel.

“Yes, the war between Paraguay and Buenos Aires,” the sergeant replied.

- So what?

- Well, the Indians are all in the north ... behind General Flores ...

- Where are the katsiki?

- Katsiki with them.

- How, and Katriel?

No Katriel.

What about Kalfucourt?

- No, and it is not.

“And Yanchetruz?”

- Also no.

This conversation was passed on to Thalcave, who nodded his head in the affirmative. The Patagonian apparently did not know or forgot about the civil war, which at that time was destroying the population of the Argentine provinces of Paraguay and Buenos Aires and was supposed to entail the intervention of Brazil in the future. This was to the advantage of the Indians, who did not want to miss such an opportunity to profit. Thus, the sergeant was not mistaken in explaining the depopulation of the pampas as an internecine war that raged in the northern provinces of Argentina.

But this event upset all the plans of Glenarvan. Indeed, if only Harry Grant is a prisoner of the Katsiks, then they have taken him to the northern borders of the Republic. And if so, where and how to look for it? Should new dangerous and almost useless searches have been started in the north of the pampas? Before making such a serious decision, it was necessary to carefully discuss it.

There was, however, one more important question that could be asked to the sergeant, and it occurred to the major to do so. While his friends looked at each other in silence, McNabbs asked the sergeant if he had heard of Europeans being held captive by the pampas.

Manuel thought for a few minutes, as if remembering something, and then said:

- Yes, I heard.

- BUT! burst out from Glenarvan; he had a new hope.

Glenarvan, Paganel, McNabbs and Robert surrounded the sergeant.

- Speak, speak! – glaring at him with their eyes, they repeated.

“A few years ago…” began the sergeant, “yes, that’s right… European captives… but I never saw…”

- Some years! interrupted Glenarvan. - You are wrong. Britannia sank in June 1862. So it was less than two years ago.

- O! More than that, my lord!

- Can not be! shouted Paganel.

- No, yes. That was when Pepe was born… There were two.

“No, three,” intervened Glenarvan.

“Two,” the sergeant insisted.

- Two? asked Glenarvan, very surprised. - Two Englishmen?

“Not at all,” the sergeant replied. - What are the English! No… one is French, the other is Italian.

“The Italian who was killed by the Puelche Indians?” exclaimed Paganel.

- Yes ... then I found out ... the Frenchman escaped.

- Be saved! exclaimed Robert, whose life seemed to depend on what the sergeant had to say.

- Yes, he escaped - he escaped from captivity, - the sergeant confirmed. Everyone looked back at Paganel: in despair he hit his forehead.

“Now I understand,” he said at last. Everything is explained, everything is clear!

"But what's the matter?" asked the alarmed Glenarvan impatiently.

“My friends,” said Paganel, taking Robert by the hand, “we will have to come to terms with a major setback: we were on the wrong path! Here we are not talking about Captain Grant at all, but about one of my compatriots, whose comrade, Marco Vasello, was really killed by the Puelche Indians. The Indians took the Frenchman several times with them to the shores of the Rio Colorado. Then he managed to escape, and he saw France again. Thinking we were following in the footsteps of Harry Grant, we followed in the footsteps of young Guinard.

Paganel's words were met with profound silence. The mistake was obvious. The details reported by the sergeant, the nationality of the captive, the murder of his comrade, his escape from captivity - all confirmed it.

Glenarvan looked at Thalcave with a dejected air.

“Have you ever heard of the three British prisoners?” Talcave asked the sergeant.

“Never,” Manuel replied. - In Tandil it would be known ... I would know ... No, it was not.

Glenarvan was in despair, seeing that all his hopes were dashed. Robert walked silently beside him, his eyes moist with tears. Glenarvan could not find a single word of comfort for the boy. Paganel, gesticulating, was talking to himself. The Major did not open his mouth. As for Talcava, it seems that his Indian vanity was hurt by the fact that he led foreigners on the wrong track.

However, it never occurred to any of them to blame him for such an excusable mistake.

Dinner was sad. Of course, not one of these courageous and selfless people regretted that they had spent so much effort in vain and exposed themselves to so many dangers in vain, but each of them was oppressed by the thought that in an instant all hope of success collapsed. Indeed, was it possible to hope to catch the trail of Captain Grant between the Sierra del Tandil and the ocean? Of course no. If any European fell into the hands of the Indians off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, then, of course, this would be known to Sergeant Manuel. Such an incident could not escape the attention of the natives, who were constantly trading with both Tandil and Carmen de Patagones, located at the mouth of the Rio Negro. And the merchants of the Argentine plains know everything and tell each other about everything. So, the travelers had only one thing left: to get to the Duncan without delay, which was waiting for them, as agreed, at Cape Medanos.

Nevertheless, Paganel asked Glenarvan for a document on the basis of which their unsuccessful search was undertaken. The geographer reread it with undisguised irritation. He seemed to be trying to wrest a new interpretation from him.

But the document is so clear! repeated Glenarvan. “It speaks in the most definite way both of the wreck of the Britannia and of where Captain Grant is being held captive.

- I say no! answered, slamming his fist on the table,

Paganel. - No and no! Since Harry Grant is not in the pampas, it means that he is not in America at all. And where he is, this document should tell us about it. And he will say it, my friends, or I am not Jacques Paganel!

Chapter XXII

FLOOD

Fort Independent is one hundred and fifty miles from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Glenarvan believed that if there were no unexpected delays along the way - and this could hardly be expected - then they should be on the Duncan in four days. But to return to the ship without Captain Grant, having suffered a complete failure in his search, he could not reconcile himself in any way. So the next day he hesitated to prepare for his departure. The major himself ordered to stock up provisions, saddle the horses and ask where it would be possible to stop on the way. Thanks to his energy, a small detachment was already descending the grassy slopes of the Sierra del Tandil at eight o'clock in the morning. Glenarvan galloped silently beside Robert. His bold, resolute nature did not allow him to take calmly the failure that befell him. His heart was beating wildly, his head was on fire. Annoyed, Paganel went over the words of the document in his head, trying to find some new meaning in them. Talcave rode in silence, lowering his reins. The major, who did not lose hope, behaved cheerfully, like a man who never falls into despair. Tom Austin and the two sailors shared their superior's chagrin. Suddenly a shy rabbit ran across the road. The superstitious Scots looked at each other.

“A bad omen,” Wilson said.

“Yes, in Scotland,” said Mulready.

“What is bad in Scotland is not better here,” Wilson remarked instructively.

Around noon, the travelers crossed the Tandil mountain range and found themselves on vast plains, smoothly descending to the ocean. There were rivers at every step. Irrigating this fertile region with their clear water, they were lost among the fat pastures. The earth, like the ocean after a storm, became more and more smooth. The last spurs of the mountains were left behind, and now the horses were walking on a flat, monotonous prairie, as if on a great green carpet.

So far the weather has been fine, but on this day the sky darkened. Abundant evaporation, caused by the high temperature of the last days, accumulated in the form of thick clouds, threatening torrential rain. In addition, the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean and the constant westerly wind made the climate of this area especially humid. This could be judged by its fertility, by the obesity of the pastures, by the dark green color of the grasses. That day, however, the heavy clouds did not break into a downpour, and by evening the horses, having made a march of forty miles, reached the banks of deep natural ditches filled with water. Here they made a halt. There was nowhere to hide. The ponchos served as both tents and blankets for travelers. Everyone fell asleep under the open sky, which threatened to rain. Fortunately, the threat was all but limited. The next day, as the plain descended towards the ocean, the presence of underground waters became even more noticeable - moisture seeped through all the pores of the earth, as it were. Soon large ponds began to cross the road to the east: some of them were already full, others were just beginning to fill up. As long as these clearly defined ponds, free from aquatic plants, came across along the way, the horses easily bypassed them, but when the so-called “pantanos” appeared - bogs overgrown with tall grasses, it became much more difficult to move. It was impossible to notice them and avoid the danger in time.

These bogs, obviously, were fatal for many living beings. Indeed, Robert, who had overtaken the detachment by almost half a mile, galloped back, shouting:

- Mister Paganel! Mister Paganel! There is a whole forest of horns!

- What? Paganel was surprised. Did you find the forest of horns?

- Yes Yes! If not a forest, then at least a grove!

- Grove? You're delirious, boy! said Paganel, shrugging his shoulders.

“No, this is not nonsense,” Robert assured, “you will see for yourself. This is such an outlandish land! Horns are sown here, and they grow like bread. I wish I had these seeds!

“Why, he speaks seriously,” said the major.

- Yes, sir, you will see it now.

Robert was not mistaken: soon the detachment drove up to a huge field studded with horns. These horns stuck out in regular rows, and there was no end in sight. Indeed, this place gave the impression of some kind of undersized, dense, but strange forest growth.

- Well? Robert asked.

- It's incredible! said Paganel, and immediately turned to Talcave for clarification.

“Horns stick out of the ground, but there are bulls under it,” said Thalcave.

“How,” exclaimed Paganel, “here, in this quagmire, did a whole herd get bogged down?”

“Yes,” the Patagonian confirmed.

And in fact: a huge herd found its death here - the earth could not withstand its weight. Hundreds of bulls have recently died here, suffocating in a huge bog. Such catastrophes sometimes happen in the Argentine plains, and Thalcave could not help but know this. Of course, such a warning should have been taken into account.

The party circled the site of this colossal hecatomb, capable of satisfying the most demanding gods of the ancient world, and an hour later the field of horns was two miles behind.

Talcava, apparently, began to be disturbed by something unusual. He often stopped the horse and rose in the stirrups. His great stature allowed him to look over a vast area, but, apparently not noticing anything that could explain what was happening to him, he again let his horse go forward. Having traveled a mile, he stopped, and then, separated from his companions, drove off a few miles now to the north, then to the south, then again became at the head of the detachment, without a single word betraying either his hopes or his fears. This behavior of Talcave interested Paganel and worried Glenarvan. He asked the scientist to ask the Indian what was the matter.

Paganel immediately referred the question to Talcave. The Indian replied that he could not understand why the soil was so saturated with moisture. Never, since he was a guide, had he seen the ground so wet. Even during the period of heavy rains, it was always possible to get through the Argentine plain.

“But where does this ever-increasing humidity come from?” asked Paganel.

“I don’t know,” answered the Indian, “but if I knew ...

- But don't mountain rivers overflow their banks during heavy rains?

- It happens.

So maybe this is happening now?

- May be.

Paganel was forced to be content with this half-answer. He relayed his conversation to Glenarvan.

- And what does Thalcave advise? asked Glenarvan.

- What to do? Paganel asked the Patagonian.

“Drive faster,” the Indian replied.

This advice was easier given than carried out. The horses quickly tired, stepping on the ground, which collapsed under their feet. The terrain was lowering all the time, and this part of the plain was a huge hollow, into which waters from neighboring places could quickly rush. Therefore, it was necessary to get out of this lowland as soon as possible, which, in case of a flood, would not be slow to turn into a lake.

Let's go faster. But it was as if the water on which the horses splashed was not enough: about two o'clock in the afternoon the abyss of heaven opened up, and a tropical downpour poured in torrents. There was no way to hide from him. There was only one thing left: to become philosophers and to endure it stoically. The horsemen's ponchos dripped water from their hats, as if from overflowing roof gutters. Streams flowed from the fringe of the saddles. The horsemen, showered with spray flying from under the hooves of the horses, rode as if under a double downpour - from heaven and from earth.

The nature of Argentina has a great diversity from the high Andes to the vast plains, from subtropical forests to glaciers. The diversity that the nature of this state possesses, due to the large territory and diverse topography. The local landscapes, flora and fauna attract tourists from all over the world. The Argentine Republic is located in the southwest of Latin America. In the east, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south is the island of Tierra del Fuego. Argentina owns the eastern part of the island. The island is also washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean (the Chilean part of the island is washed by the Pacific Ocean), as well as the Drake Passage in the south and the Multiplan Strait in the north. The largest river flowing in the country is the Parana River. It ranks second in length after the Amazon in all of South America. The river flows into the Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean La Plata. Among other large rivers: Uruguay, Rio Negro, Rio Colorado. In Argentina, there are natural areas such as savanna, steppe, desert, subtropical forests. In the north there is a natural area of ​​shrouds called Gran Chaco, in the central part there is a natural area of ​​the steppe called Pampa, in the south is Patagonia, a vast region of steppe and desert lands. The most famous natural wonder of the state of Iguazu Falls is a natural wonder located on the border with Brazil.

Relief of Argentina

To the west, the Andes Mountains stretch along the border between Argentina and Chile. The Andes are the highest here. In Argentina, there is the highest mountain not only in South America, but also in the entire Western Hemisphere of the earth. This is Mount Aconcagua, its height reaches six thousand nine hundred and sixty-two meters. In the eastern part of the country are the lowlands of the Pampas and the Gran Chaco and the lowlands of the southern part of the Argentine coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Climate of Argentina

The climate differs considerably depending on the region, as the country stretches for many kilometers from north to south. The climate is tropical in the northernmost part, subtropical in the central part and temperate in the south. The warm period lasts from December to February, and the cold period from June to August. In the north, during the warm period, the temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius, in the central part within 25 °C, and in the south about 15 °C above zero. During the cold season in the north, the temperature is kept within 20 ° C, in the central part it is about 12 ° C, and in the south it is about zero degrees or below zero.

Flora and fauna of Argentina

The nature of Argentina has a wide variety of flora and fauna. The flora and fauna of Argentina varies greatly depending on the region of the country. There are subtropical forests in the northern and northeastern parts. There are few trees in the south and in the center, steppe vegetation prevails. Of the animals there are: armadillos, pampas cats, llamas, anteaters, cougars, turtles, chinchillas. Of the birds there are: flamingos, parrots, hummingbirds, ostriches.

The relief of Argentina clearly stands out: plains and lowlands in the Northeast, the Patagonian Plateau in the south, the Andes mountain ranges in the west. and the hollowed-out massifs of the Pampina Sierras and Precordillera in the center, east of the Andes. The extreme northeast of Argentina is occupied by the Gran Chaco plains - low-lying (height 25-60 meters) and swampy in the East and gently rising to 400-500 meters to the foothills of the Andes in the west. To the southeast of the Chaco lies Mesopotamia (the Paraná River - Uruguay). In the Northeast, the edge of the Brazilian Plateau (height up to 468 m) penetrates into it, deeply dissected by valleys of small streams. Further to the south-west there is a flat lowland with an abundance of permanent or temporary swamps and lakes, the southern part is occupied by a hilly loess plain.

On the right bank of the Parana lies the Pampas. In the East, it is low-lying (Low Pampa, height from 16-20 to 250m); only in the South are the sierras of Buenos Aires - the Sierra del Tandil (height up to 500m) and the Sierra de la Ventana (up to 1243m) - sharply distinguished. The western, High Pampas (height 250-600 m) are covered in places with dunes and dunes, and in the South-West - with ancient water-glacial deposits. The plains of the Pampa are wedged in the North between the elongated, mostly meridional, flat-topped ridges of the Pampina Sierras and Precordillera, from 2 to 6 thousand meters high (Belgrano in the Sierra de Famatina, 6250m). They are separated by deep, extensive basins (bolsons) or longitudinal depressions (valles).

The entire south is occupied by the Patagonian plateau, represented by flat table surfaces - mesets, the height in the west is up to 2000 m, descending in ledges in the East, to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In the south, near the Strait of Magellan, and in the East of Tierra del Fuego, the plateau passes into a low accumulative plain. In the west of the country rise the Andes. In the extreme North-West, it includes the southeastern part of the Central Andean Highlands, which consists of the high (about 4000 m) Puna plateau with extensive saline depressions and ridges of ridges up to 5-6 thousand meters high. From the west, Pune is framed by cones of active (Lyulyay-lyaco, 6723 m, Antofalya, 6100 m, etc.) and extinct volcanoes of the Western Cordillera and its spurs, from the East - by the Forward Cordillera of the Andes up to 6720 m high (El Libertador). From the east, the highlands are adjoined by medium-altitude (up to 2500 m), Subandian chains deeply dissected by river valleys. South of 27--28°S sh. the highlands wedge out, and the Andes continue with the Frontal Cordillera, to which from 31 ° S. sh. from the west, the Main (watershed) Cordillera joins. Up to 35°S sh. it is on this segment of the Andes that they reach their greatest height, many peaks exceed 6 thousand meters (the highest point of the Western Hemisphere is the city of Aconcagua, 6960m), and the passes are 3500m (La Cumbre, 3832m). South of 35°S sh. only the Main Cordillera and separate massifs in the east remain. Again, low (up to 1000m) chains of the Andes appear only in the South of about. Fire Earth.

Argentina occupies virtually the entire southeastern part of South America. The length of Argentina from north to south is about 3800 km. and about 1400 km. from west to east. In the south and west, Argentina borders on Chile, in the north - on Bolivia and Paraguay, in the northeast and east - on Brazil and Uruguay. The southeastern border of Argentina is delineated by the Atlantic Ocean, and its border with Chile in the west and southwest is defined by the Andes. The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires. Area - about 2,780,400 sq. km. The population (as of 1993) was 33,507,000.

Geographically, Argentina can be divided into four main regions: the Northeast Plains, the Pampa, Patagonia, and the Andes (mountainous region). Since Argentina has a large extent from North to South, it crosses several climatic zones at once - from the tropics to Antarctica itself.

Rivers, mountains and plains of Argentina

The whole country is rich in vast plains, large rivers, high mountains, and is divided into the following natural regions:

• the strip of land between Parana and Uruguay occupies 296,000 sq. km, between 27 and 34°S latitude, alluvial and fertile soil;
• pampas or steppes, covered with uniform vegetation, go among huge rivers and mountains in the west; excellent pastures for countless flocks;
• the inner plane between the mountains and the Andes, between 22 ° and 42 ° south. latitude, hugs a mountain hill rising to 2,300 m;
• Andes - between 22 ° and 42 ° south. lat. embrace 800,000 sq. km.

The river area is a slightly undulating plain rich in grass, the heights of which do not exceed 250 m, with the exception of the northeast. Sierra Missions, higher. In very low places, lagoons are formed, partly such as Ibera and Lamaloya, surrounded by swamps and swamps, partly real lakes with solid shores, for example. lagoon Brava. River flows are numerous. The steep banks of the Parana (150 km) and the banks of the inland rivers are covered with forest; on the Mission, where the soil consists of hard, marginal clay, there are impenetrable forests.

The Pampas stretch from Pilcomayo to the Rio Negro for 2200 kilometers, 370 kilometers wide, and in this vast expanse there is neither hill nor stone. They fall into two characteristic parts, separated by the Río Salado or Juramento and the lagoon de los Porongos. In the southern pampas, the soil is alluvial, covered with fine sand, under which marl and calcareous soil with significant remnants of megateria occur in large areas. In the northern part, the mountain streams of the Sierra Cordoba form a significant number of rivers, of which only one, the Rio Tercero, flows through the Pampas to Parana, others disappear in easily absorbent soil or in swampy lagoons.

Significant water masses formed on the snowy peaks of the Andes fall into a deep basin at the eastern foot and form a series of lagoons connected by river branches. This series of lakes begins at 30 gr. Yu. sh. from the Guanacache lagoon and goes south to Bebedero and to the Amarga lagoon. Due to the lack of constant irrigation of the plains, their vegetation is highly dependent on the seasons and the atmosphere. There are no forests here at all, even individual trees are found only planted. The main wealth of the pampas is grass; thus, in the state of Buenos Aires, vast plains are covered with clover and other nutritious herbs favorable to cattle breeding. Among them there are plants brought from Europe; this is a special kind of burdock, Abrojos, and thistle, reaching 3 m in height near Buenos Aires; both plants are of great benefit, covering the grass with a wide shade from the scorching rays of the sun, and in such places the grass lasts longer; by the end of summer, the plants dry up and are pulled out by autumn storms. On the monotonous plain, one rarely finds, and then near the dwellings, individual trees - ombu (Phytolacca dioica) or groups of crooked and prickly chanyars (Goneliea decorticans), or small palm trees, which Burmeister calls Copernicia campestris. In some places grass, clover and oats reach 1 and 1.5 m. Mirage phenomena are very frequent here.

Statistical indicators of Argentina
(as of 2012)

Of the animals in these plains are found: huge herds of cattle, horses, deer, ostriches (Avestruz), jaguars, iguanas and viscacha (Callomys Viscacha). There are very few streams, but there are a lot of small pools with fresh and salt water, some of them quickly drying out, some of them permanent. Along the Paraná are the best settlements and livestock. The pampas near the central mountain ranges are of a completely different character; there small shrubs cover the plain and form thicker thickets near the rivers. The northern part of the plain, the Gran Chaco, extends far into the possessions of Bolivia and Paraguay, and only part of it belongs to the Argentine Confederation of the Republic; in it, as in a subtropical strip, there is a lack of irrigation, but the floods of such rivers as Pilcomayo and Rio Vermeio, fed by tropical rains, contribute to the development of rich tropical flora. Of the trees here are remarkable: karandai-palm, which gives a magnificent timber, algarrobo and chanyar (Prosopis dulcis) - alcoholic beverages are made from their fruits.

The dense thickets consist mainly of laurel trees, especially near the Andes; on the left bank of the river Juramento thorny thickets of mimosas in legumes form an almost impenetrable rampart, through which there are gaps in places, which are used by the Chaco Indians in trade and robbery. But in the inner part, where the floods of the above-named rivers do not reach, there are large waterless spaces, passing in places, between Rio Vermeio and Salado, into dry sandy steppes with poor vegetation of cacti and saline grasses.

The inner upland between the Andes and the Sierra Cordoba reaches an average height of 600 m and merges in the north and south with the main plain. Its center is the Cuyo Basin, with two saline steppes, Salina de Córdoba and Salina de Rioya, separated by the slightly prominent Sierra de los Llanos. The soil here, due to the dryness of the climate, is clay-salty and completely barren; it is remarkable, too, that up to the very mountains there is no stone at all. In addition to these two solonchak steppes, there are still other, smaller, in some places sandy steppes (travesia); the soil becomes more fertile only where there is greater dampness.

To the south, alluvial sandy mounds are remarkable, from 2 to 10 m in height, known as "medanos". The south wind blows them, and they lie on the north side; their outlines are constantly changing; sometimes they are ring-shaped and surround a small lagoon where vegetation appears. In fact, they are rare in the pampas, and they are completely absent in the forest belts. In the region of Mendoza, on the southern border, loose sands are found, where people and animals die. In the south, the central plain passes through a series of swampy lakes, reaching to the east. the foot of the Andes; in the north, passing through the regions of Tucuman and Sant'Iago, it disappears into the wooded and richly irrigated area of ​​the Gran Chaco.

The western part of the country is bordered in its entire width by the mighty Andes, expanding from south to north. From the main mountain range, which forms the border with Chile and separates the river basins, to the South at the Rio Negro and Rio Colorado and north at the Rio Mendoza, there are lateral mountain branches almost perpendicular to the main ridge, namely the Sierra Neiken and Sierra Pilma Maguida. The latest research, when examining the path through the Planchon Pass (35 ° S, 2230 m a.s.), proved that these branches are longer than expected and that the pampas begin 250 km east of the main ridge. The mountain range here is very narrow, only in places wider mountainous areas are formed; to the north it rises and in Tupungato reaches 6810 m above sea level. From here, the main ridge widens and forms several parallel chains. To the North-East of Aconcagua (6839 m), between the river. Mendoza and R. San Juan, the snowy mountainous area is expanding, crossed by the parallel ridges of the Sierra Paramillo and Sonda (3500 m). North of San Juan, these chains join and turn to the main ridge in the CVD, which then again expands into mountainous areas of 4000 m of average height. The valleys lying among the mountains are in places well irrigated and fertile, in places covered with saline and sandy steppes. To the north of the plains of Rioya and Catamarca rises a significant mountainous area, connecting at 27 ° S. sh. with the snowy peaks of the Sierra Aconchia, with a high point, south of Tucuman, over 4800 m. This mountain branch in the north goes like a fan up to the river. Yuramento, and in the west through the Sierra Atajo converges with the main branches of the Andes, consisting of large mountainous areas with deeply incised valleys. Existing mountain passes through the Andes, above 33 ° S. wide, very dangerous, although the ascent and descent are rather gentle. Here one sometimes has to wander for days on end through a waterless and barren country, or to be subjected to terrible storms (temporales); only on some passages are shelter huts (casuchas) built. The snow line runs along the southern strip of the Andes at an altitude of approximately 3000 m, while in the Cumbro Gorge it rises to 4000 m and on the border of Bolivia to 5000 m. the wind loses some of its moisture along the way; therefore, in summer, for example, Nevada is only lightly covered with snow, and there are no significant rivers on this side of the mountains. Almost all the water, due to the extraordinary dryness at the heights, is absorbed by evaporation. The large tributaries of the La Plata are falling all the way from the north. parts of the Andes where heavy tropical rains occur.

Sierra Aconquiya sharply separates the west. Andean valleys with a dry climate from the humid Gran Chaco. At the heights there is only one plant with a thick, resinous root suitable for burning - this is lareta. More than 20 passages are known through the Argentine Andes; at almost all heights there is shortness of breath, here called puna. Mules are used to cross the Andes, they feed on alfalfa and alfalfa; at the very heights, the mules are often replaced by the llama, as it is even more enduring.

In the East of the Cordillera between 29 gr. and 34 gr. southern lat. the central mountain system rises, surrounded by the pampas and divided into two branches: the Sierra Cordoba and the Sierra San Lui; the area is fairly wooded and well irrigated. The Sierra Cordoba stretches in three spurs from north to south, with the middle one being Cumbre de las Ajalas; it widens greatly towards the north and gradually passes into lowland; in the south it reaches 2500 m a.s.l. Here are excellent pastures and many sources that give rise to rivers: Rio Primero, Segundo, etc., of which only Tercero reaches Parana. The eastern spur begins at Cordoba and reaches 2570 m in Cumbre de la Cal, while the western spur does not stand out in height, but is remarkable for its geognostic properties; here there are significant ore beds and cone-shaped peaks, of which the westernmost, Verba Buena (1645 m), descends steeply into the Rioya plain. The Sierra S. Louis has almost such a stretch. To the south there are already some hills rich in metals. - The most southern. the mountain system consists of two low branches, between 37 ° and 38 ? ° south. lat. and 49° and 45° west. longitudes, on one side surrounded by the sea, on the other descending into the pampas and going from west to east. There is no vegetation on the peaks. Severn. the branch, Sierra Vuulcan, starts at Cape Corrientes, goes inland for 300 km and rises to 450 m above sea level; the southern one - from Bahia Blanco, extends for 50 km, reaching more than 1000 m in height. The entire mountain system, like the central one, consists of granite, quartz, gneiss, etc.

The largest water system in the republic is the system of the La Plata River, formed from the confluence of the Uruguay and Parana and from the confluence of the Rio Grande de Curitiba on the left side, and Paraguay on the right side (with tributaries of the Pilcomayo and Vermeio), Yuramento (the former Salado ) and r. Tercero (with tributaries of the Quarto and Saladillo rivers); the rest of the water system consists of steppe rivers and lagoons. Parallel to the river Yuramento in the Tucuman region flows from the Cordillera to the south. Ducel (Saladillo); during high water, they merge and end in the Porongos lagoon, which also feeds the river. Primero and Segundo. In general, the rivers flowing in the south, starting from the region of Catamarca, disappear into the steppes. A whole system of such rivers is formed from the river.

de Guanacol (Vermeio), r. Travesia, San Juan, Mendoza and makes up the Guanacache lagoon, from which the river flows. Desaguadero and, flowing through a series of swamps, flows into the Amarga lagoon; from here, intensifying by the mountain streams of the Andes, the river. Tunuyan, r. Diamante, r. Atuel during the flood merge with the river. Colorado. Many small streams also flow from the southeastern mountain branches, flowing partly into the sea, partly into the lagoons; only two flow into the Rio Salado, which flows into the Ensenado de Borombon and belongs to the river system. La Plata. The largest southern rivers are the Colorado, or Kobu-Leibu, that is, a large river, and the river. Negro or Limay-Leibu.

Lakes of Argentina

List of lakes in Argentina:

• Argentino (Argentino)
• Buenos Aires (another name is General Carrera)
• Viedma
• Mar Chiquita
• Nahuel Huapi
• puerredon
• San Martin
• Fagnano (another name is Cami).