Patagonian Desert Patagonian Desert The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert, Patagonian Steppe, or Magellanic Steppe, is the largest desert in Argentina and is the 8th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 673,000 square kilometers (260,000 mi). It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina. To the north the desert grades into the Cuyo Region and the Pampas. The central parts of the steppe are dominated by shrubby and herbaceous plant species
Monte Desert other two nearby deserts. The geography of the land is very similar to that of the interior Patagonian Desert, with volcanic sediments, piedmont plains, large mountain blocks and many usually dry salt lakes. The major river is the Río Colorado and its tributary the Río Desaguadero, which meet in the south of the region and provide its principal source of irrigation water for wine crops. Due to the region lying on the eastern, or leeward, side of the Andes and west of the Sierra de Córdoba, it experiences very little rain. These rain shadow effects are the primary reason for