Mesopotamia, Argentina
La Mesopotamia,
Región Mesopotámica or
Litoral ("
Littoral") is the humid and verdant area of north-east
Argentina, comprising the provinces of
Misiones,
Entre Ríos and
Corrientes. The landscape and its characteristics are dominated by two rivers, the
Paraná River and the
Uruguay River, which give the area its name (
Greek: Μεσοποταμία "land between rivers"). Parts of the neighbouring provinces of
Formosa,
Chaco and
Santa Fe share Mesopotamia's features, as do neighbouring
Brazil,
Paraguay and
Uruguay.
Mesopotamia has some of the most popular tourist attractions in Argentina, mainly the
Iguazú Falls and the
Iguazú National Park, and the
Jesuit monasteries in Misiones. The
Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes are an extensive area of flooded forest similar to Brazil's
Pantanal.
The region is part of the Brazilian central plateau. The whole region has high
rainfall, particularly in August and September, up to 2,000 mm annually. Misiones in the northern part of Mesopotamia is largely covered by
subtropical forest, with
alligators,
toucans and
monkeys. Fast decomposition of organic matter gives the area a red soil with only a thin fertile layer that can easily be washed away. Corrientes is marshy and wooded, with low hills. Entre Ríos is covered with fertile pasture land stretching into Uruguay.
The
flora of Mesopotamia includes the yatay
palm (
Syagrus yatay,
Butia yatay), which is a protected species in the
El Palmar National Park, and the
Araucaria angustifolia (Paraná pine tree).
Tree ferns,
orchids and large trees can also be found.
Yerba mate (
Ilex paraguariensis) is grown largely in Mesopotamia; 1,800 square kilometres of Misiones are devoted to its production. The region is also important for cattle and sheep, poultry,
linseed,
tobacco, citrus and rice.
Gualeguaychú in Entre Ríos is popular for its
Carnival at the beginning of
Lent. Corrientes is also known for its carnival celebrations and is a centre of music and festivals generally: the
chamamé music style has recently seen a resurgence in poularity.
