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In its passage from Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego the range presents marvellous contrasts, the plateaus of the Northwest, the lake region, the forests and the glaciers of the Patagonian Andes. To the north, Chaco is a forested area which follows the rivers Bermejo, Salado and Pilcomayo.
Between the Paraná and Uruguay, the Mesopotamia of Argentina (the provinces of Entre Ríos, Corrientes and Misiones) is formed by low hills where pools and marshlands show the ancient courses of these great rivers. Occasionally there are fissures which provide such spectacular phenomena as the Falls of Iguazú.
La Pampa, in the centre of Argentina, is the largest and best known area of plains. It has a large amount of agriculture and livestock and includes the provinces of Buenos Aires, pampean region, the south of Santa Fe and southwest of Córdoba. Its landscape is broken to the south by the small mountains of Tandil and La Ventana and to the west by the Córdoba mountain ranges.
Towards the south, from the Andes to the sea, are the sterile and stony plateaus of Patagonia, swept by the wind during most of the year. The Atlantic coast, lined with high cliffs, forms massive indentations like the Valdés Peninsula, with its spectacular colonies of marine animals.
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95% of Argentinians are white and principally descendants of Italians and Spaniards. With the massive European immigration the white and Indian half castes became slowly diluted until today these people only amount to 4.5% of the population. The pure indigenous population, the Mapuches, Collas, Tobas, Matacos and Chiriguanos, amount to 0.5% of the population.
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The current Constitution dates from 1853. Nevertheless, it has undergone changes on various occasions, the last time was in August 1994, which allowed the reelection of the President of the Nation for one more term.
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Friday, August 10, 2001