Previous Year Question

The Pampas are the famous temperate grasslands of South America, and their largest and best-known extent occurs in Argentina. According to the Government of Argentina, the Pampa ecoregion covers about 39.7 million hectares and forms one of the most fertile plains in the world.

The Pampas consist mainly of extensive, nearly level plains. Their climate is generally temperate, with comparatively greater rainfall in the eastern areas and decreasing moisture towards the west. Grasses traditionally dominated the natural vegetation, although large areas are now used for agriculture and livestock farming.

The fertile soils and favourable climate have supported extensive cultivation of wheat, maize and soybean, along with large-scale livestock rearing. Consequently, the Pampas form one of Argentina's most important agricultural and pastoral regions.

Geographically, the broader Pampas grassland system also extends into parts of Uruguay and southern Brazil, but its principal and most famous extent lies in Argentina.