chapter - Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

4.1. Location of the La Plata basin
La Plata basin is located in South America, between latitudes 16º and 34ºS, i.e.,
between the subtropic and mid-latitudes (Fig. 4.1). It is bounded to the West by the
Pampean ridges and the pre-mountain range of the Andes and to the Northeast and
the East by the Brazilian Plateaus and the Serra do Mar respectively.
Fig. 4.1. La Plata Basin.
Physiography and Hydrology
With an extension of around 3.1 million km 2 , the basin is second in drainage
area in South America and fifth in the world. Notice that its area is approximately
a third of the total surface of the U.S.A. and almost similar to that of all the countries
that integrate the European Union.
It stretches over five countries and includes 50% of their population. The distribution
of the surface of the basin is approximately the following: 46% is in
Brazil, 30% in Argentina, 13% in Paraguay, 7% in Bolivia and 5% in the Uruguay
(Table 4.1).
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