 nts|2,780,092Other regionsBrazil's four southernmost states share characteristics with Argentina, and Uruguay. Brazil's other states are more similar to the other South American countries in these issues.
When the definition is not limited to entire countries, the states of the South Region and the state of São Paulo are generally included.
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| HDI | Capital |  nts|199,314ParaguayDue to the geographical proximity, common history, geography and political cycles, Paraguay is sometimes included in what is meant by Southern Cone, geographically speaking, but excluded due to differences in climate, economy and development, and cultural identity.
While Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil are located in the southernmost part of South America, with temperate climates and a dominant European ancestry shaping their demographics and culture, Paraguay is a landlocked country further north, with a subtropical climate and a unique cultural identity rooted in its Guaraní heritage.
Economically, Paraguay has a lower Human Development Index compared to the Southern Cone countries, which rank among the highest in Latin America. Paraguay’s economy, focused on agriculture and hydroelectric power, is also less diversified and globally integrated.ClimateThe climates are mostly Mediterranean temperate, but include humid subtropical, highland tropical, maritime temperate, sub-Antarctic temperate, highland cold, desert and semi-arid temperate regions.. The region rarely suffers from heat. In addition to that, the winter presents mostly cold temperatures. Strong and constant wind and high humidity are what brings low temperatures in the winter.
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 conifers 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 deserts form a diagonal of arid lands 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.Image gallery| Location | January | April | July | October | | Buenos Aires |
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Image:Planisferio Latitud templada comparada.png|thumb|center|800px|Planisphere of moderate latitudes in which the equivalent location of most of the Southern Cone can be observed as if it was in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest latitudes of the Southern Cone overlap among others with Southeast Alaska and central region of Canada in North America, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Northern Germany, Poland and Belarus in Europe, and the Altai Mountains and Lake Baikal, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in Asia.CultureBesides sharing languages and colonial heritage, in this area there was extensive European and Middle Eastern immigration during the 19th- and 20th-centuries. Those immigrants and their descendants have strongly influenced the culture, social life, and politics of these countries. Immigration reshaped the modern-day societies of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, countries where the influx of newcomers was massive.
The residents of the states of the Southern Cone are avid players and fans of association football, 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 Europe 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.
Gauchos and Huasos are horsemen who are considered icons of national identity ; they are featured in the epic poem Martín Fierro.GastronomyThe Asado is a culinary tradition typical of the Southern Cone main countries and was developed by gauchos and huasos.
Mate is a popular infusion throughout the Southern Cone.ReligionLike the rest of Latin America, most residents of the Southern Cone are members of the Catholic Church, with a minority of Protestants, including a significant Lutheran population in South Brazil and South Chile. Other religions also present in the southern cone include Islam, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Buddhism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Daoism. Jewish communities have thrived in cities of Argentina and Uruguay.
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. 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, Colombia and Ecuador.
The Southern Cone produced the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, Pope Francis, elected in 2013, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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| Unspecified | Source | Other CulturalIn a 2014 social survey, residents rated their countries as 'good places for gay or lesbian people to live'; the following percentages said 'yes' in Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile.LanguageThe overwhelming majority, including those of recent immigrant background, speak Spanish or Portuguese in the case of Southern Brazil. The Spanish-speaking countries of the Southern Cone are divided into two main dialects:
- Castellano Rioplatense, spoken in Argentina and Uruguay, where the accent and daily language is heavily influenced by 19th-20th century Italian immigrants, has a particular intonation famously recognized by Spanish speakers from around the world. It is sometimes unofficially referred to as "Castellano Argentino/Argentine Spanish" due to the majority of the speakers being Argentines. Preliminary research has shown that Rioplatense Spanish has intonation patterns that resemble those of Italian dialects in the Naples region, differing markedly from those of other forms of Spanish. Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Montevideo had a massive influx of Italian immigrant settlers from the mid-19th until mid-20th centuries. Researchers note that the development of this dialect is a relatively recent phenomenon, developing at the beginning of the 20th century with the main wave of Italian immigration.
- Castellano Chileno, spoken in Chile, features multiple accents, but one of its most common characteristics is the omission of the letter "s" when pronouncing words. For example, "Los chilenos" is pronounced as "Lo' chileno'." Additionally, in informal and colloquial speech, the use of reverential voseo is common. This phenomenon changes phrases like "¿Dónde estás?" into "¿Dónde estáis?". However, since Chileans often omit the final "s," the resulting pronunciation is "¿Dónde estai?"
These dialects share common traits, such as a number of Lunfardo and Quechua 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.
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