Editing Geography of Argentina (section)

==General characteristics==
[[File:Argentina Blue Marble.png|thumb|left|Satellite map of Argentina taken by [[NASA World Wind]].]]

Argentina is located in the Southern part of [[South America]], being the biggest country in the [[Southern Cone]]. It limits with [[Chile]] to the west and south, with the [[Argentina–Chile border]] being its largest one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indec.gob.ar/indec/web/Nivel4-Tema-1-15-25|title=INDEC: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos de la República Argentina|website=www.indec.gob.ar}}</ref><ref name="Limites">{{Cite web|url=https://www.argentina.gob.ar/pais/territorio/limites|title = Límites|date = September 2020}}</ref> [[Bolivia]] and [[Paraguay]] limit Argentina in the north, the [[Argentina–Paraguay border]] is the second largest one.<ref name="Limites"/> The northern half of Argentina limits with [[Brazil]] and [[Uruguay]] to the east, and the southern half with the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The [[Falkland Islands]], a [[British Overseas Territories|British Overseas Territory]], are located to the east of southern Argentina, across the ocean.<ref name="nations online">{{cite web |url= https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/argentina-administrative-map.htm|title= Administrative Map of Argentina, South America|author= |date= |publisher= Nations Online|accessdate=August 5, 2024}}</ref> Argentina is located at a strategic point over the [[Strait of Magellan]], the link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.<ref name="cia" /> 

Argentina has a land area of 2,780,400 km². It is the 8th [[List of countries and dependencies by area|largest country in the world]], between [[India]] and [[Kazakhstan]]. It is the second largest country in South America, after Brazil, and the fourth largest in the Americas after Brazil, Canada, and the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.argentina.gob.ar/pais/territorio/extension|title= Extensión|trans-title= Extension|language= Spanish|author= |date= |publisher= Argentina.gob.ar|accessdate=August 9, 2024}}</ref> The surface is almost eight times that of [[Germany]], and four times that of [[Texas]],<ref name="nations online"/> and three-tenths the size of the United States.<ref name="cia" /> The [[Argentine Sea]], the maritime claims of Argentina, include an [[exclusive economic zone]] of 200 nm.<ref name="cia" />

The terrain is composed of plains to the East, with the [[Andes]] mountain range at the western border. Climate is mostly temperate, with an arid area at southeast Patagonia and subantartic climate at the southwest. The [[Iguazu Falls]], one of the [[New 7 Wonders of Nature]], is the largest waterfall system in the world. It is located at the frontier with Brazil, with both countries having part of it.<ref name="cia" /> 

As for the national [[List of extreme points of Argentina|extreme points]], the northernmost point is the confluence of the [[Río Grande de San Juan|Grande de San Juan river]] and the [[Mojinete river]], at the [[Jujuy Province]].<ref name="Limites"/> The southernmost point is the [[Cape San Pío]] at the [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego Province]], at the entry point of the [[Beagle Channel]].<ref name="Limites"/> The westernmost point is located at the [[Los Glaciares National Park]], at the [[Santa Cruz Province, Argentina|Santa Cruz Province]].<ref name="Limites"/> The easternmost point is the "Hito V" (CONALI), located at [[Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones]].<ref name="Limites"/> The highest point of Argentina is the [[Aconcagua]] mountain at the [[Mendoza Province]], with 6962 m., which is also the highest point of South America.<ref name="cia" /> The lowest point is [[Laguna del Carbón]], at the Santa Cruz Province.<ref name="cia" />

In Argentina [[forest cover]] is around 10% of the total land area, equivalent to 28,573,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 35,204,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 27,137,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 1,436,000 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 7% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 0% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]], 4% [[Private property|private ownership]] and 96% with ownership listed as other or unknown.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Argentina |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/ARG/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>