Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Land and Conservation
The absence of human settlement in
many areas and the abundance of green
spaces makes Argentina in many ways a
natural paradise. The Pampas
grasslands spill endlessly
around the capital city, while
subtropical forests charac-
terize Argentinian Litoral.
The Andean Northwest
offers deep ravines
weathered by wind and rain,
and Patagonia thrills visitors
with its magnificent glaciers. The
country's 27 national parks and
municipal preserves protect a
wide range of environments, including
ice-fields, deserts, and wetlands.
The government has now begun to
realize that the booming tourist industry
will depend on sustaining this wilder-
ness. For over a century, the country's
economy has focused on agriculture,
cattle-raising, and sheep-farming, and
land in many areas has been damaged
by the impact. For example, the plains
of Patagonia have been desertified by
intensive sheep-farming. The growing
of wheat and other grains has replaced
the original grasslands of central
Argentina, and cash crops such as
genetically modified soya and tobacco
have replaced the quinoa and amaranth
that pre-Columbian farmers planted.
Argentina's growing industrial
sector has also had a devas-
tating impact on nature.
Native flora and fauna are
under threat due to the
hydroelectric projects on
the Uruguay and Paraná
Rivers, and the forestry
projects in Misiones and
Tierra del Fuego. The World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
estimates that more than
61,775 sq miles (160,000 sq km) of forest
cover were lost between 1980 and 2000.
Illegal hunting is a problem in all provinces.
The country's main environmental non-
governmental organization, Vida Silvestre,
works with private organizations and
philanthropists to create new protected
areas and establish sustainable tourism
projects. Recent successes have included
the temporary shutdown of a Shell refinery
in Buenos Aires for inadequate waste-
handling procedures, and the creation of
Parque Nacional Monte León through the
nonprofit Patagonia Land Trust.
Visitor center logo, Parque
Nacional Chaco
The stunning red rocks of Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
