South America is perhaps the most mysterious continent on the planet. How many mysteries this continent holds, and how many places unknown to man are on it. La Plata Lowland is one of the least explored places in South America. This article is dedicated to her.
Where is the La Plata lowland located?
In the center of South America from the Andes to the Brazilian plateau from west to east, from Argentina to Brazil from south to north, La Plata is located. Its length is about 2,300 km, and its width is about 900 km. On average, the territory of La Plata lies at around 200 m above sea level.
In geography, this lowland is usually divided into three sections, depending on the topography and climate. So, Gran Chaco is the western region of the Láplatsk lowland. There are elevations closer to the Andes.
The climate is not pleasant: hot and humid, subtropical. Salt marshes and dry channels are characteristic. The eastern border of Gran Chaco runs along the Paraguay River. Part of the La Plata lowland, located near the Brazilian plateau, is called Pantanal. This is a vast wetland area (perhaps one of the largest swamps in the world) that arose due to the spill of the Paraguay River. A UNESCO protected reserve has been created here. This is due to the distribution in this territory of unique representatives of fauna and flora: armadillo, anteater, anaconda, water lilies, ferns and others.
The La Plata lowland in the southern part is called Pampa / Pampas. On the east side, Pampa is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west side it is limited by the Andes. This is a place with fertile lands, which are actively used by the countries of the Platina Lowlands (primarily Argentina) for agricultural purposes.
Which countries are located on the La Plata lowland?
Countries that are located on the La Plata lowlands are Uruguay and Paraguay. Also in this area are the south-eastern part of Bolivia, the southern territory of Brazil, the north of Argentina. All of these states actively use the natural resources that the La Plata lowland gives them.
Pampa lands belonging to Uruguay and Argentina are 90% used for agriculture: livestock export, rice, reed, corn, wheat. A small area of Pampa and a large part of the Gran Chaco is used by Paraguay for the cultivation of soy, cane, and cotton. La Plata covers the territory of Brazil - it is a large part of Pantanal - National Park. Gran Chaco concerns Bolivian land, here is a province called Gran Chaco. This is the area where oil reserves were found several years ago. In the south of the largest province in Bolivia, Santa Cruz created the Kaa Oia del Gran Chaco - National Park.
Amazon lowland
The most extensive lowland on the planet is also located in South America. It borders the La Plata lowlands in the south. If La Plata is the main territory of the Parana Basin, then the Amazonian Lowland is a vast area of the Amazon Basin - the largest river in South America, stretching from west to east from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean.
The countries of the Amazon and La Plata lowlands are Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay. At the same time, two states (Bolivia and Brazil) occupy part of the Amazon and La Plata. The countries of the Amazon and La Plata lowlands cover almost the entire continent. Only five countries do not belong to the La Plata-Amazonia region: Chile, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Guiana. Thus, the two largest lowlands on Earth spread over a large territory of South America.
The protected areas of Amazonia and La Plata
The Amazon World Basin National Park is located in Brazil. This is Jow Park. There is a great variety of flora in several tiers: palm trees, mahogany, cocoa, legumes, ferns, ficuses, creepers and many other exceptional representatives of the tropics. The fauna is very diverse: monkeys, crocodiles, river dolphins, jaguars, toucans, aru and others.
Chaco Park in Argentina is a national park to protect against felling of special trees - Quebracho. This tree does not rot and is a valuable source of tannin. The climate of the park is arid, but rich in vegetation: Quebracho, shrubs, cacti. The fauna is not very diverse, mainly rodents. There are manas, capybaras, tuco-tuco, mountain cats, caimans.