Pampas, the

Pampas, the

Vast grassy plains in South America, primarily in Argentina. They extend west from the Atlantic coast to the Andean foothills. The Argentine Pampas covers 295,000 sq mi (764,000 sq km) and slopes gradually downward from northwest to southeast. The western portion is dry and largely barren; the humid eastern portion is the nation's economic heart. Herds of wild cattle and horses, introduced by the Spaniards and rounded up by Argentina's famed gauchos, roamed the Pampas until the later 19th century, when the land was fenced into huge estancias (ranches). The region is prominent in Argentina's gaucho literature and musical folklore. Since the late 20th century, parts of the Pampas have become noted grape-growing regions, particularly the region around Mendoza, which produces more than half the wines of South America.