The Southern Cone (, ) is a geographical and cultural subregion composed of the southernmost areas of South America, mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Traditionally, it covers Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. In terms of geography, the Southern Cone comprises Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, and sometimes includes Brazil's four southernmost states (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo).
The Southern Cone is the second subregion with the highest Human Development Index and standard of living in the Americas, after Northern America.
Argentina | 45,195,774 | 16.26 (12.02) | 0,845 (very high) | Buenos Aires | |
Chile | 756,102 ( 2,006,360) | 19,116,201 | 25.28 (9.53) | 0.851 (very high) | Santiago |
Uruguay | 3,473,730 | 19.71 | 0.817 (very high) | Montevideo | |
When the definition is not limited to entire countries, the states of the South Region and the state of São Paulo are generally included.
Paraná | 11.434.000 | 59.80 | 0.796 (high) | Curitiba | |
Rio Grande do Sul | 39.10 | 0.792 (high) | Porto Alegre | ||
Santa Catarina | 71.18 | 0.808 (very high) | Florianópolis | ||
São Paulo | 95.83 | 0.826 (very high) | São Paulo | ||
One of the most peculiar plants of the region is the Araucaria tree, which can be found in Chile, Argentina and parts of Brazil. The only native group of Pinophyta found in the southern hemisphere had its origin in the Southern Cone. Araucaria angustifolia, once widespread in Southern Brazil, is now a critically endangered species, protected by law. The prairies region of central Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil is known as the Pampas.
Central Chile has Mediterranean vegetation and a Mediterranean climate, grading southward into an oceanic climate. The Atacama, Patagonian and Monte Desert deserts form a Arid Diagonal separating the woodlands, croplands and pastures of La Plata basin from Central and Southern Chile. Apart from the desert diagonal, the north–south running Andes form a major divide in the Southern Cone and constitute, for most of its part in the southern cone, the Argentina–Chile border. In the east the river systems of the La Plata basin form natural barriers and sea lanes between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth, with some regions having no recorded rainfall in history.
+Average temperatures for some urban areas of the Southern Cone | ||||
Buenos Aires | ||||
Santiago de Chile | ||||
Montevideo | ||||
Córdoba | ||||
Valparaiso | ||||
Concepción | ||||
Mar del Plata | ||||
Neuquén | ||||
Iquique | ||||
Bariloche | ||||
Ushuaia | ||||
Porto Alegre |
The residents of the states of the Southern Cone are avid players and fans of soccer, with top-notch teams competing in the sport. Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup three times, while Uruguay has won the cup twice; they are the only national teams along with Brazil outside UEFA to have won the cup. Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil have all hosted the World Cup. Additionally, national teams from the region have won several Olympic medals in football. Also, football clubs from the Southern Cone countries have won large numbers of club competitions in South-American competitions, Pan-American competitions, and world-FIFA Club World Cup-level competitions.
(Argentina and Uruguay) and (Chile) are horsemen that are considered icons of national identity (like cowboys); they are featured in the epic poem Martín Fierro.
Mate is a popular infusion throughout the Southern Cone.
While the Southern Cone has been conservative in some aspects of religion, it has had a tradition of social reform and liberation theology has been followed by many in the Catholic Church. Uruguay, where agnosticism and atheism is common, has a policy of strong separation of church and state; it is one of the most secular countries in the Americas. Latin American Area Studies: Uruguay , University of Minnesota Uruguay, Chile and Argentina, in that order, have the least religious residents in South America, according to their responses about the significance of religion in their lives. According to the Pew Research Center, 28% of Uruguayans, 43% of Argentines, and 41% of Chileans think of religion 'very important in their lives,' contrasting with the higher values given by the residents of countries such as Peru (72%), Colombia (77%) and Ecuador (76%).
The Southern Cone produced the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, Pope Francis, elected in 2013, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
These dialects share common traits, such as a number of Lunfardo and Quechua language words.
Minor languages and dialects include Cordobés, Cuyo, and Portuñol, a hybrid between Rioplatense and Brazilian Portuguese that is spoken in Uruguay on the border with Brazil.
German language, in various dialects, is mostly spoken in Southern Chile and Southern Brazil. As well as in the Chaco (Paraguay) by Mennonites. It is the second most spoken mother tongue in Brazil.
The Southern Cone is also known to have high English language proficiency compared to other South American countries. This language is spoken in the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory (disputed by Argentina).
Polish language, Dutch language and Ukrainian are also spoken in Southern Brazil. Dutch is spoken in Chile as well, and Ukrainian is used in Argentina as well. Croatian and other Slavic languages are also spoken in the southernmost areas of Chilean Patagonia, reflecting patterns of immigration and settlement. Yiddish can be heard mainly in Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo, Brazil. In Brazil, Japanese is spoken by immigrant communities in the states of São Paulo and Paraná. By descendants in Argentina and Chile, Welsh language is spoken by descendants of in the Patagonia region.
Comparison of selected words
Below there are selected words to show vocabulary in the dialects of the countries of the Southern Cone and other Spanish-speaking countries in South America and the dialect of Portuguese spoken in Brazil.
+ |
apartamento |
alcachofa |
aguacate |
cambur |
caraota |
pimientón |
mantequilla |
carro |
jojoto |
pitillo |
zarcillo |
toronja |
vainita |
chaqueta |
estufa |
lechosa |
guisante |
maní |
cotufas |
gomas |
medias |
batata |
piscina |
franela |
lavadora |
By contrast, the Patagonia region of southern Chile and Argentina is very sparsely populated, with a population density of less than two people per square kilometer.
Italians started to emigrate to the Southern Cone as early as the second half of the 17th century, and it became a mass phenomenon between 1880 and 1920 when Italy was facing social and economic disturbances. O.N.I.-Department of Education of Argentina As a consequence of mass Italian immigration, the Southern Cone has the largest Italian diaspora in the world, with people of Italian descent being the majority in many places, with the highest percentage being in Argentina (62.5% Italian), and in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina (60% Italian). Among all Italians who immigrated to Brazil, 70% went to the State of São Paulo. In consequence, the State of São Paulo has more people with Italian ancestry than any region of Italy itself, with São Paulo city being the most populous city with Italian ancestry in the world, of the 10 million inhabitants of São Paulo city, 60% (6 million people) have full or partial Italian ancestry (the largest city of Italy is Rome, with 2.5 million inhabitants). Small towns, such as Nova Veneza, have as much as 95% of their population of Italian descent.
The region also has a large German diaspora (second largest after the German Americans), with People of German descent being 25% of the population of Rio Grande do Sul and 35% of the population of Santa Catarina. Residents of German descent even predominate in South Chile due to German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue.
make up 15.8% of the population and are a majority in Paraguay. Native Americans make up 3% of the population, living in communities in Araucanía region in Chile. (people of European and African ancestry) mostly in Uruguay (0.2%), and Asians (1.0%), mostly in Argentina, the remaining 1.2%. Historia de las repúblicas de la Plata, Manuel González Llana
There is also a strong Arab diaspora presence in the Southern Cone, with people of full or at least partial Arab ancestry being 5% of the population of Arab Uruguayans and Arab Chileans, 9.8% of the population of Arab Brazilians, and 11% of the population of Arab Argentines. Brazil has the largest number of Arabs outside the Middle East, with 20 million Brazilians being descendants of Arabs, while the Palestinian community in Chile is considered the largest outside the Arab world.
A study conducted on 218 individuals in 2010 by the Argentine geneticist Daniel Corach, has established that the genetic map of Argentina is composed of 79% different European ethnicities (mainly Spanish and Italian ethnicities), 18% of different indigenous ethnicities, and 4.3% of African ethnic groups, in which 63.6% of the tested group had at least one ancestor who was Indigenous.
An autosomal DNA study from 2009 found the composition of the Argentine population to be 78.5% European, 17.3% Amerindian, and 4.2% Sub-Saharan African (SSA). Blacks made up 25% of the population of Buenos Aires in 1810, 1822 and 1838. In 1887, the government decided to cease asking Argentine citizens about their race. According to Laura López, it was a way to "hide" the Black population, not only from the Census, but also from public opinion.
Multiple studies concluded that Whites make 50-65% of the Chilean population and the CIA concluded that 89% are Whites, Castizos and Mestizos. ( Main page ) The use of mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome test results show the following: The European component is predominant (91.0%, versus 9.0% of the aboriginal one) in the Chilean upper class, the middle classes, 66.8%-62.3% European component and 37.7%-33.2 of mixed aboriginal and lower classes at 55–52.9% European component and 47.1%-45% mix of Aboriginal.
A DNA study from 2009, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, showed the genetical composition of Uruguay to be mainly European, but with Native American (which varies from 1% to 20% in different parts of the country) and also SSA (7% to 15% in different parts of the country).
Similar to the rest of Latin America, the genetic ancestry of the population of the Southern Cone reflects the history of the continent: the Iberian colonizers were mostly men who arrived without women. European immigration to this part of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Juan Bialet Massé en su informe sobre "El estado de las clases obreras en el interior del país" brought more European and Middle Eastern components to the local population.
The region has a high life expectancy, and access to health care and education. In Uruguay, illiteracy technically does not exist.
From an economic point of view, the Southern Cone countries has been praised for being the most Libertarianism and pro Free market in Latin America that gave them the profile of "emerging economies".
Crime rate is significantly lower in this region compared other countries in Latin America.
Since the Augusto Pinochet, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay have experienced significant democratic stability. After enduring military dictatorships during the 1970s and 1980s, each country transitioned to democratic governance, leading to a more open and participatory political environment.
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Genetic and historical roots
Education and standards of living
capita
(PPP)
(2015 estimates)
USD
! Income
equality
(2015)
Gini index
! Human
Develop. page 25–26
(2014 estimates)
HDI
! Environmental
Perform.
(2014)
EPI !! Failed States Index
2014 !! Lack of Corruption
2014 !! Economic Freedom
2015 !! Peace
2014 !! Democracy Index
20107.12 6.45 6.91 6.01 7.84
Politics
Governments
id:peronist value:pink legend:Peronist
id:colo value:orange legend:Colorado
id:frenteamplio value:green legend:Frente_Amplio
id:blanco value:yellow legend:Blanco
id:radical value:teal legend:Radical
id:dictatorship value:black legend:Dictator
id:socialist value:red legend:Socialist
id:PDC value:purple legend:Christian_Democrat
id:PRN value:blue legend:Chilean_right_and_center-right
bar:arg text:"Argentina"
bar:chi text:"Chile"
bar:uru text:"Uruguay"
width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:arg from:01/01/1950 till:16/09/1955 color:peronist
bar:arg from:16/09/1955 till:01/05/1958 color:dictatorship
bar:arg from:01/05/1958 till:28/06/1966 color:radical
bar:arg from:28/06/1966 till:25/05/1973 color:dictatorship
bar:arg from:25/05/1973 till:24/03/1976 color:peronist
bar:arg from:24/03/1976 till:10/12/1983 color:dictatorship
bar:arg from:10/12/1983 till:08/07/1989 color:radical
bar:arg from:08/07/1989 till:10/12/1999 color:peronist
bar:arg from:10/12/1999 till:23/12/2001 color:radical
bar:arg from:23/12/2001 till:10/12/2015 color:peronist
bar:arg from:10/12/2015 till:10/12/2019 color:radical
bar:arg from:10/12/2019 till:20/04/2020 color:peronist
bar:chi from:03/11/1958 till:03/11/1964 color:PRN
bar:chi from:03/11/1964 till:03/11/1970 color:PDC
bar:chi from:03/11/1970 till:11/09/1973 color:socialist
bar:chi from:11/09/1973 till:11/03/1990 color:dictatorship
bar:chi from:11/03/1990 till:11/03/2000 color:PDC
bar:chi from:11/03/2000 till:11/03/2010 color:socialist
bar:chi from:11/03/2010 till:11/03/2014 color:PRN
bar:chi from:11/03/2014 till:11/03/2018 color:socialist
bar:chi from:11/03/2018 till:20/04/2020 color:PRN
bar:uru from:01/01/1950 till:01/03/1951 color:colo
bar:uru from:01/03/1967 till:27/06/1973 color:colo
bar:uru from:27/06/1973 till:01/03/1985 color:dictatorship
bar:uru from:01/03/1985 till:01/03/1990 color:colo
bar:uru from:01/03/1990 till:01/03/1995 color:blanco
bar:uru from:01/03/1995 till:01/03/2005 color:colo
bar:uru from:01/03/2005 till:01/03/2020 color:frenteamplio
bar:uru from:01/03/2020 till:20/04/2020 color:blanco
id:centerright value:skyblue legend:Centre-right
id:right value:blue legend:Right
id:centerleft value:pink legend:Centre-left
id:left value:red legend:Left
bar:arg text:"Argentina"
bar:chi text:"Chile"
bar:uru text:"Uruguay"
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width:16 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:arg from:01/01/1990 till:10/12/1999 color:right text:"Menem" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:10/12/1999 till:21/12/2001 color:centerright text:"Rua" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:02/01/2002 till:25/05/2003 color:centerleft text:"D." textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:25/05/2003 till:10/12/2007 color:left text:"Kirchner" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:10/12/2007 till:10/12/2015 color:left text:"C. Fernández de Kirchner" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:10/12/2019 till:31/12/2020 color:centerleft text:"A. Fernández" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:arg from:10/12/2015 till:10/12/2019 color:centerright text:"Macri" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:01/01/1990 till:11/03/1990 color:right
bar:chi from:11/03/1990 till:11/03/1994 color:centerleft text:"Aylwin" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:11/03/1994 till:11/03/2000 color:centerleft text:"Frei" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:11/03/2000 till:11/03/2006 color:centerleft text:"Lagos" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:11/03/2006 till:11/03/2010 color:centerleft text:"Bachelet" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:11/03/2014 till:11/03/2018 color:centerleft text:"Bachelet" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:11/03/2010 till:11/03/2014 color:centerright text:"Piñera" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:chi from:22/03/2018 till:20/01/2021 color:centerright text:"Piñera" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/1990 till:01/03/1995 color:centerright text:"A. Lacalle" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/1995 till:01/03/2000 color:centerright text:"Sanguinetti" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/2000 till:01/03/2005 color:centerright text:"Batlle" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/2005 till:01/03/2010 color:centerleft text:"Vázquez" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/2010 till:01/03/2015 color:centerleft text:"Mujica" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/2015 till:01/03/2020 color:centerleft text:"Vázquez" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
bar:uru from:01/03/2020 till:20/01/2021 color:centerright text:"L. Lacalle" textcolor:white mark:(line,white)
See also
Explanatory notes
External links
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