What are the dimensions of Argentina? All you need to know. Here we tell you what the surface of Argentina is, its length, borders, and coasts. Everything about the extension, measurements, and size. Also neighboring countries and extreme points. Located in the southern part of South America, Argentina has a territory of surprising dimensions. Know the details!!
CONTENT
Dimensions of Argentina in Surface Area
The Argentine Republic has an area of effective sovereignty of 2,791,810 km2, which corresponds to the emerged American continental part. However, adding the surfaces of effective sovereignty, the claimed surfaces, and the submarine continental shelf, the surface rises to approximately 6,500,000 km2.
- The total area of Argentina is approximately 6,500,000 km2, including the emerged part and the continental shelf, whose expansion was recognized on March 11, 2016 by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLPC), in the Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), CONVEMAR.(Oceans and Law of the Sea United Nations)
- The total area of the emerged part of Argentina is 3,761,274 km², of which 2,791,810 km² correspond to the American Continent and 969,464 km² to the Antarctic Continent (including the South Orkney Islands) and the southern islands (Georgia del Sur and Sandwich del Sur).
- The Argentine Sea has a surface area of 940,000 km2 and covers the American continental shelf up to 200 m deep, from the Río de la Plata to the Malvinas Islands inclusive.
- The submarine continental shelf is 1,700,000 km2, we refer to the area between 200 nautical miles and the outer limit.
The continental shelf, over which Argentina exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting its natural resources, comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea and throughout the natural prolongation of its territory.
Plataforma Argentina
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Area of the Argentine Antarctic Sector
In other words, Argentina claims sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia Islands, South Sandwich Islands, South Orkney Islands and the Argentine Antarctic Sector. In fact, they make up the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry on the page corresponding to the Argentine Antarctic Sector, expresses the following:
Argentina reaffirms sovereignty over the Argentine Antarctic Sector extending between the 25th and 74th meridians of west longitude, south of the 60th parallel of south latitude.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Antarctica
Surface Area of the Continental Shelf
Argentina expanded its surface area by 35%. The new limits of the Continental Shelf of Argentina managed for 19 years in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (CONVEMAR) expand the shelf by 1,783,278 Km2 (Source: www.casarosada.gov.ar, International Law)
What Is the Continental Shelf?
The continental shelf over which Argentina exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting its natural resources, comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea and throughout the natural prolongation of its territory.
COPLA Definition
Both preceding maps show the limit of the Argentine Sea, and the outer limit of the continental shelf of Argentina, as presented by the Commission on the Outer Limit of the Continental Shelf COPLA in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (CONVEMAR) . The report before the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf of April 21, 2009, was subsequently modified, achieving an increase in surface area of 1,633 km2. Finally, on August 25, 2020, Argentina promulgated the Law 27,757 on Maritime Spaces.
Argentina’s surface comparatively in the world
- 1st in area, among Spanish-speaking countries.
- 2nd largest area -after Brazil- in South America.
- 8th in extension in the world
The area considered in this comparison is only the continental surface subject to effective sovereignty.
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Argentina Size
Still, considering only the dimensions of Argentina’s territory under effective sovereignty, its wide latitudinal development makes it one of the longest countries in the world.
N-S Length
Argentina’s length in the North-South direction is 3,694 km (2295 miles). It has a wide territorial development in the sense of its latitude, whose extreme points are in the province of Jujuy and Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego. (Source: IGN)
E-O Width
The Argentina continental maximum width is 1408 km (874 miles) in an east-west direction measured at Latitude 27º 31 ’S. (Source: IGN)
Extreme points of Argentina in Width and Length
The endpoints of the Argentine territory in the American mainland emerged:
- North:
The northernmost point is in the province of Jujuy in the confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete. - South:
To the south, the endpoint is in Cape San Pío of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego belonging to the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and the South Atlantic Islands. - East:
The endpoint of this limit is located in the town of Misiones in Bernardo de Irigoyen. - West:
While the west end is in the province of Santa Cruz, in Los Glaciares National Park
The endpoints of the Argentine territory, part of the Antarctic:
- They consist of the meridians 25º and 74º W, parallel 60º south and 90º south (South Pole). Which in turn limits set comprising the national territory in Antarctica Argentina.
The highest Peak
1st highest peak in Argentina is Aconcagua (6960.8 masl), Cordillera de los Andes, Province of Mendoza. It is the highest peak in all of America and the 2nd in the world, only surpassed by some of the Himalayan peaks. (Source: CONAE)
The biggest Depression
1st most depressed point in Argentina, is the Gran Bajo de San Julián (105 m under nm), Laguna del Carbón, Santa Cruz. It is the most depressed place in the American continent, and 5th in the world (Source: SEGEMAR Repository
Extension of the Perimeter of Argentina
Argentina has an extensive perimeter of 14,493 km, only in its emerged American continental part, made up of its 9,376 km of border and 5117 km of coastline.
Length of Borders
The length of borders with neighboring countries constitutes a total of 9376 km, corresponding in decreasing order 5,308 km to Chile, 1,699 km to Paraguay, 1,132 km to Brazil, 742 km to Bolivia, and 495 km to Uruguay
Length of Coastline
The perimeter of the mainland coast of landmass is 5,117 km and consists of fluvial coast of Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic coast with 4,725 km.
Antarctica Argentina and southern islands have a perimeter of 11,235 km
Argentina Borders
- North:
North Argentina shares borders with two countries, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Republic of Paraguay. - South:
Argentina is bordered on the south by the Republic of Chile and South Atlantic Ocean. - East:
Argentina borders with the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the natural boundary of the South Atlantic Ocean. - West:
The western boundary is formed by the long border that exists with the Republic of Chile.
Bibliography:
- National Geographic Institute: Official data of Argentina
- Foreign Ministry of Argentina
- Argentine Platform: Legislation
- The National Commission of the Outer Limit of the Continental Shelf (COPLA)
- Modification of Law 23.968 on Maritime Spaces
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