Pampas

The Pampas, also called the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American lowlands. It is from a Quechua word meaning "plain." It covers more than 750,000 km² (289,577 sq mi). That includes parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The climate is generally subtropical and semiarid. There is around 31,962,920 people in this area, mainly because of the inclusion of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.35°S 62°W

Map of South America, with the pampas encompassing a south-eastern area bordering the Atlantic ocean.

Rhea bird

Topography

This area is very low, because the highest points normally don't go above 600 metres (2000 feet) in height. The areas near the ocean and most of the Buenos Aires Province are mostly plains (with some wetlands) and the areas away from the ocean have a few low hills. The highest part of the Pampas is in the Sierra de la Ventana Mountains in the southern part of the Buenos Aires Province, where it is 1239 meters (4065 feet) at the top of Cerro Tres Picos.

Climate

The climate in the Pampas is usually moderate, and in the north there is a wetter and warmer climate.

Wildlife

Humans have caused many big changes to the animals and plants living in the Pampas. Most big or medium-sized animals have lost their homes, mostly because of the spread of agriculture and ranching. These animals include the puma, Rhea, Capybara, plains viscacha, maned wolf, marsh deer, and Pampas deer. Other animals, like the Jaguar and the guanaco, are completely gone.