La Plata region tripoints: State of the matter and descriptive comparison

Abstract

Where the Paraná and Iguazú rivers meet, the most important and studied trinational region of South America is located: the Triple Frontier. However, this is only one of the 13 tripartite points that were formed in that continental region from the process of interstate delimitation which occurred, centrally, between the late 19th and early 20th century. Five out of these involve the countries of La Plata Basin, and will be called: Quareim (Argentina-Brazil-Uruguay); Iguazú (Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay); Esmeralda (Argentina-Bolivia-Paraguay); Zapaleri (Argentina-Bolivia-Chile); and Bahía Negra (ArgentinaBolivia-Brazil). This article aims to offer a description of each of the five tripoints that the countries of the del Plata area share, that is, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Besides, it seeks to establish some comparisons between its space-time dynamics. This article is part of a general investigation about South American interstate borders.