Southern South America
In contrast to the huge west to east extent of the northern part of the South American continent, this region tapers down through Argentina to Cape Horn. The narrow southern section of the Andes extends down the western coast separating the long narrow country of Chile from Argentina on the east coast. Aconcagua, at 6,962 metres, located in the high Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile, is the highest mountain in the region and in the western hemisphere.
The region is home to the driest place in the world, the Atacama Desert, where some weather stations have never recorded any rainfall. In contrast to this, the Pampas, to the east is a vast area of fertile plains where crops are extensively grown, and cattle-ranching is a popular activity. In the southernmost portion of South America is a geographic region known as Patagonia where the largest icefields and glaciers (outside of Antarctica) are located.