Volunteer Programs Argentina
Argentina really does have something for everyone. From the sub-tropical north to the sub Antarctic tip on the South American continent. With a long eastern Atlantic sea border to lush Pampas plains, the deserts of Patagonia and the glaciers and waterfalls of the deep south, Argentina is a stunning destination!
Argentina can roughly be divided into four main geographical areas: the spectacular Andes mountain range, the dry North along with the more verdant Mesopotamia, the lush plains of the Pampas and the windswept wastes of Patagonia. Mount Aconcagua soars almost 7,000m (23,000ft), and waterfalls at Iguazú stretch out in a massive semi-circle, thundering 70m (230ft) to the bed of the Paraná River.
Argentina’s lowest point is Laguna del Carbón in Santa Cruz Province, sitting 105m (344ft) below sea level. In the southwest is the Argentine Lake District with a string of beautiful glacial lakes framed by snow-covered mountains. At Argentina’s southernmost tip, and so the southernmost tip of the whole of South America, is Tierra del Fuego (Spanish for Land of Fire), a stunning archipelago split between Argentina and neighbouring Chile.
The city of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, lies on the southern shore of the Rio de la Plata River in east-central Argentina. This largest city in Argentina covers 203 km² (78.5 sq mi) of land area while the metropolitan of Buenos Aires is spread over 4,758 km² (1,837.1 sq mi) area. Buenos Aires is a popular tourist destination, with more than ten million visitors annually.
The capital city is divided into 48 barrios, or neighbourhoods. Most are working-class barrios, while others resemble the rich enclaves of Los Angeles and New York City. Buenos Aires developed outward from the Plaza de Mayo, the historic square that is surrounded by the presidential palace known as the Casa Rosada (pink house), the colonial Town Hall (cabildo), and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
As the city grew, it moved away from the working waterfront. The Casa Rosada looked toward the Pampas, not the Río de la Plata. By the 1990s, city officials shifted gears and developed a plan to revive the waterfront. Millions of dollars were pumped into the new water-front neighbourhood of Puerto Madero. A marina was built, and expensive restaurants and shops opened in the old brick warehouses.
Buenos Aires city experiences four seasons, but the climate of the city remains mild throughout the year. The average annual temperature of the city is 18º C (64.4º F) and that makes the city pleasant in all seasons. Temperature during the winter season (from July to September) ranges between 3ºC to 8ºC. The coldest month is July. Most of the heaviest rainfall occurs during the winter, average rainfall per year is around 1,147 mm (45 inches). Summers from December to March are hot and humid and the temperature ranges around 28ºC. Autumn (from March to June) and spring (from September to December) are the other seasons.