1) The Southern Grasslands region of South America includes Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. 2) This region contrasts with the rest of South America in that the countries have more prosperous economies and larger European-heritage populations. 3) The geography includes grasslands, the Andes Mountains, and major rivers like the Rio de la Plata that form borders between countries.

1. Regions:
SOUTH
Brazil
Northern Tropics
Andean Countries
Southern Grasslands
AMERICA

2. Southern Grasslands
Uruguay, Paraguay & Argentina
These countries offer a
sharp contrast to the rest of
South America for 2 reasons:
1) all are among the most prosperous countries
nations in South America;
2) they have large populations of people
with European heritage.

3. Physical Characteristics
of the Southern Grasslands
are significant...
Great Rivers
Rio de la Plata - a large estuary
4 rivers in the Plata river system form national boundaries:
the Uruguay, the Paraguay, the Pirana, and the Pilcomayo
Andes
the highest mountains in the Andes are found in this region; they give
way to the piedmont in the east
Tropical Lowlands
the Gran Chaco (“hunting land”) is a lowland region of
savanna and dense shrub; wet/dry seasons
Grasslands
The Pampas (perhaps
the best-known feature of
South America; home to
Gauchos; known as a
“bread basket” Patagonia
producing grains and high, windswept plateau; desolate, dry and cold;
cattle suitable for raising sheep; oil and bauxite deposits

4. Argentina
The peaks of the Patagonia region
straddle Argentina and Chile

5. Population - 37 million
Argentina mostly Spanish and Italian descent, many
migrated to Argentina after European wars
in the 1900s
Argentina is the wealthiest
nation in Latin America
based on per capita GNP
Buenos Aires
Vibrant city but has heavy air pollution
because of factories and freighters in the
harbor
Capital - Buenos Aires
(population 13 million)

6. Argentina - Politics
Argentina was ruled by a
series of military dictators
from the 1940s to the
1980s.
Juan Perón was the most
famous as he sought to
build Argentina’s economy
and distribute its wealth
more evenly, championing
the poor.
His wife Eva became a
heroin to Argentina’s poor.
Madonna portrayed Eva
Perón in the film Evita.

7. Paraguay
Most of the population lives in the Highlands in the east. The Chaco in the west is
swampy and sparsely populated.
Even though the country is land locked, the Plata river system provides a direct outlet to
the sea for imports and exports.

8. Paraguay
Paraguayan economy is
based on Agriculture -
livestock, grains and cotton
Itaipu Dam
a joint engineering
project between
Paraguay and Brazil on
the Parana River,
Paraguayans hope that
Capital - Ascunción inexpensive electricity
will make up for the
country’s basic lack of
mineral resources.

9. Uruguay
“river of the painted bird”
Most of Uruguay is rolling grasslands so the
economy is based on raising livestock,
growing feed grains, and wool and leather
goods.

10. Uruguay
“river of the painted bird”
Population
mostly Spanish and Italian
Uruguay has a very large Middle
Class, and few slums in larger
cities.
Uruguay currently holds free
elections and is one of the only
Capital - Montevideo countries in which citizens are
located on the Rio de la Plata “required” to vote and are fined if
they don’t.