Argentina is situated in South America, east of the Andes, and is bordered by Chile to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil to the north and northeast. There are four main geographical areas: the Andes, the North and Mesopotamia, the Pampas and Patagonia. The climate and geography of Argentina vary considerably, ranging from the great heat of the Chaco (El Chaco), through the pleasant climate of the central Pampas to the sub-Antarctic cold of the Patagonian Sea. Mount Aconcagua soars almost 7000m (23,000ft) and waterfalls at Iguazú stretch around a massive semi-circle, thundering 70m (230ft) to the bed of the Paraná River. In the southwest is a small ’Switzerland’ with a string of beautiful icy lakes framed by mountains. Argentina is a land of extremes: its hectic urban centers contrast with a staggeringly remote hinterland. The country can be simultaneously hot in one region and cold in another. The one common thread is that the people possess a curiosity, passion and fervor for life - most visible when it comes to football, the national obsession. The Tango, gauchos and estancias are the country’s clichéd attractions, but what strikes visitors most is that life here is for living: the fast pace only letting up for the afternoon siesta.