Argentina - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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Argentine Republic[1]

Repb l i ca Argent in a (Spanish)

Flag Coat of arms

Motto: "En unin y libertad" (Spanish)"In Unity and Freedom"

Anthem: "Himno NacionalArgentino" (Spanish)

"Argentine National Anthem"

Capital(and largest city)

Buenos Aires3436S 5823W

Official language(s) Spanish (de facto)Recognisedregional languages

Araucano, Guaran,Quechua, Welsh[2][3]

ArgentinaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For alternative meanings, see Argentina (disambiguation) and Argentine(disambiguation).

Argentina (i

/rdntin/), officially theArgentine Republic (Spanish:Repblica Argentina, pronounced [repulikaarxentina]), is the second largest countryin South America by land area, afterBrazil. It is constituted as a federation of23 provinces and an autonomous city,Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largestcountry in the world by land area and thelargest among Spanish-speaking nations.

Argentina's continental area is betweenthe Andes mountain range in the westand the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Itborders Paraguay and Bolivia to thenorth, Brazil and Uruguay to thenortheast, and Chile to the west andsouth. Argentine claims over Antarctica,as well as overlapping claims made byChile and the United Kingdom, aresuspended by the Antarctic Treaty of1961. Argentina also claims the FalklandIslands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) andSouth Georgia and the South SandwichIslands, which are administered by theUnited Kingdom as British OverseasTerritories.

A recognised middle power,[10]

Argentina is Latin America's third-largesteconomy,[11] with a high rating on theHuman development index.[9] Within

Latin America, Argentina has the fifthhighest nominal GDP per capita and thehighest in purchasing power terms.[12]

Analysts[13] have argued that thecountry has a "foundation for futuregrowth due to its market size, levels offoreign direct investment, andpercentage of high-tech exports as shareof total manufactured goods", and it isclassed by investors as an emerging

economy. Argentina is a foundingmember of the United Nations, Mercosur,the Union of South American Nations, theOrganization of Ibero-American States,

The Argentine claims in Antarctica (overlapping the Chileanand British Antarctic claims) along with the Falkland

Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands(administered by the United Kingdom) shown in light

green.

rgentina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina

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Ethnic

groups (2005[4][5])86.4% European8.5% Mestizo3.3% Arab1.6% Amerindian0.4% Asian andothers

Demonym Argentine,Argentinian,Argentinean

Government Federalrepresentativepresidential republic

- President Cristina Fernndez deKirchner

- Vice President andPresident of theSenate

Julio Cobos

- Supreme CourtPresident Ricardo Lorenzetti

Legislature Congress

- Upper House Senate- Lower House Chamber of Deputies

Independence from Spain- May Revolution 25 May 1810- Declared 9 July 1816- Current

constitutionMay 1, 1853

Area

- Total 2,766,890 km2 (8th)1,068,302 sq mi

- Water (%) 1.1

Population

- 2010 census 40, 117,096[6] (32nd)- Density 14.49/km2 (207th)

37.53/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate- Total $642.4

billion[7] (22nd)- Per capita $15,854[7] (51st)

GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate- Total $370.3

billion[7] (27th)- Per capita $9,138[7] (62nd)

Gini (2010) 41.4[8] (high)

HDI (2010)0.775[9] (high) (46th)

the World Bank Group and the WorldTrade Organization, and is one of theG-15 and G-20 major economies.

Contents

1 Etymology2 History

2.1 Early history2.2 Colonial Period2.3 Building of anation-state2.4 Modern history2.5 Contemporaryhistory

3 Politics3.1 Foreign policy3.2 Military

4 Provinces5 Geography

5.1 Climate5.2 Biodiversity

6 Economy6.1 History6.2 Science and

technology7 Demographics

7.1 Ethnography7.2 Religion7.3 Language7.4 Urbanization7.5 Largest cities

8 Culture8.1 Literature8.2 Visual arts8.3 Film and theatre8.4 Music8.5 Media8.6 Sports8.7 Cuisine8.8 National emblems

9 Education10 Health care11 See also12 References

13 Sources14 External links


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Currency Peso ($) (ARS)

Time zone ART (UTC-3)

Date formats dd.mm.yyyy (CE)

Drives on the right (trains ride onthe left)

ISO 3166 code AR

Internet TLD .ar

Calling code +54

Cueva de las Manos, over10,000 years old, is amongthe oldest evidence ofindigenous culture in theAmericas.

Etymology

Main article: Name of Argentina

Argentina is derived from the Latinargentum ("silver"). The first use ofArgentina can be traced to the 1602poem La Argentina y conquista del Ro dela Plata (English: Argentina and theconquest of the silver river) by Martn delBarco Centenera. Although this name forthe La Plata Basin was already incommon usage by the 18th century, the area was formally called Viceroyalty of the Rode la Plata in 1776. The autonomous governments that emerged from the 1810 MayRevolution replaced "Viceroyalty" with "United Provinces".

One of the first prominent uses of the demonym "Argentine" was in the 1812 first

Argentine National Anthem, which made reference to the ongoing Argentine War ofIndependence. The first formal use of the name was in the 1826 constitution, whichused both the terms "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Nation".[14] The Constitutionwas repealed, and the territories were instead known as the "ArgentineConfederation". This name was used in the 1853 Constitution, being changed to thatof the "Argentine Nation" in 1859, and to the "Argentine Republic" per an 1860 decree,when the country achieved its current organization. Nevertheless, the names of the"United Provinces of the Ro de la Plata", "Argentine Republic" and "ArgentineConfederation" are acknowledged as legitimate names of the country.[1]

HistoryMain article: History of Argentina

Early history

The earliest evidence of humans in Argentina datesfrom 11,000 BC and was found in Patagonia (PiedraMuseo, Santa Cruz). These finds were of the Diaguitas,Huarpes, and Sanavirones indigenous peoples, among

others. The Inca Empire, under Sapa-Inca Pachacutec,invaded and conquered present-day north-westernArgentina in 1480, a feat usually attributed to TpacInca Yupanqui. The tribes of Omaguacas, Atacamas,Huarpes and Diaguitas were defeated and integratedinto a region called Collasuyu. Others, such as theSanavirones, Lule-Tonocot, and Comechingones,resisted the Incas and remained independent fromthem. The Guaran developed a culture based on yuca,sweet potato, and yerba mate. The central andsouthern areas (Pampas and Patagonia) were

dominated by nomadic cultures, the most populousamong them being the Mapuches.[15] The Atacaman settlement of Tastil in the northhad an estimated population of 2,000 people, the highest populated area in


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William Carr Beresfordsurrenders to Santiago deLiniers at the end of the firstof the British invasions of theRo de la Plata.

pre-Columbian Argentina.

The most advanced indigenous populations were the Charras and Guaranes, whodeveloped some basic agriculture and the use of pottery. Most of their population werelocated at other sites of South America however, and their presence at the territory ofmodern Argentina was scarce by comparison.[16]

Colonial Period

See also: Government of the Ro de la Plata, Viceroyalty of the Ro de laPlata, and May Revolution

European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain establishedthe Viceroyalty of Peru in 1542, encompassing all itsholdings in South America. Their first settlement inmodern Argentina was the Fort of Sancti Spirituestablished in 1527 next to the Paran River. BuenosAires, a permanent colony, was established in 1536but was destroyed by natives. The city was establishedagain in 1580 as part of the Governorate of the Ro dela Plata.

The area which encompassed much of the territorythat would later become Argentina was largely aterritory of Spanish immigrants and their descendants(known as criollos), mestizos, native cultures, and

descendants of African slaves. A third of Colonial-era settlers gathered in Buenos Airesand other cities, others lived on the pampas, as gauchos for example. Indigenous

peoples inhabited much of the remainder and most of Patagonia and Gran Chacoremained under indigenous control.

Buenos Aires became the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata in 1776,which was created over some former territories of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The Ro dela Plata area was forced to import goods overland via Lima after 1595, and a relianceon contraband emerged. After 1776, however, Buenos Aires flourished as acommercial hub. In 1806 and 1807 the city was the site of two ill-fated Britishinvasions. The resistance was headed both times by the French Santiago de Liniers,who would become viceroy through popular support. The news of the overthrow ofthe Spanish King Ferdinand VII during the Peninsular War created great concern in the

Viceroyalty. The May Revolution of 1810 took place in Buenos Aires, removing ViceroyCisneros from government and replacing him by the Primera Junta.

Building of a nation-state

See also: Argentine War of Independence and Argentine Civil Wars


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Historical statesin present-day

Argentina

before 1500

Inca Empire (1438-1533)

Indigenous peoples in A rgentina

1500-1600

Governorate of New Castile

(15281542)Viceroyalty of Peru (15421824)

1600-1700

Governorate of the Ro de la Plata

(16171782)

1700-1800

Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata

(17761811)

1800-present

United Provinces of the Ro de la Plata

(18101831)

Liga Federal (18151820)

Republic of Entre Ros (18201821)

Argentine Confederation

(18311861)

State of Buenos Aires (18521861)

Argentine Republ ic (1861-present)

more

Jos de San Martn,Liberator of Argentina,Chile and Peru

During thefollowing decade awar forindependenceensued in theformerViceroyalty, its

regions dividedbetween patriotsand royalists.While the cities ofpresent-dayArgentina wouldalign with theindependents after1811, the otherregions would

follow differing paths: Paraguay seceded,declaring its independence from Spain 1811and from Argentina in 1842. Upper Peruwas disputed with the royalists from Peruuntil it declared independence as Bolivia in1824. The eastern bank of the Uruguayriver was invaded by the Brazilian-Portuguese Empire in 1817 and declaredindependence as Uruguay in 1828 after theArgentina-Brazil War.

Internal conflicts would cause politicalinstability within the patriots. In just fouryears the Primera Junta was replaced by theJunta Grande, the first and secondtriumvirates, and the first SupremeDirector. In 1813 an Assembly convened todeclare independence but it could not do sodue to political disputes. A Civil War ensuedbetween the provinces joined into theFederal League and the SupremeDirectorship.

By 1816 the United Provinces of SouthAmerica were under severe internal andexternal threats. In July a new Congressdeclared independence and named JuanMartn de Pueyrredn as the SupremeDirector. The military campaign became theresponsibility of Jos de San Martn, wholed an army across the Andes in 1817 anddefeated the Chilean royalists. With theChilean navy at his disposal he then tookthe fight to the royalist stronghold of Lima.San Martn's military campaignscomplemented those of Simn Bolvar in


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Gran Colombia and led to the independent'svictory in the Spanish American wars ofindependence.

The 1820 Battle of Cepeda, fought between the Centralists and the Federalists,resulted in the end of the centralized national authority and created a power vacuum.A new constitution was enacted in 1826, during the War with Brazil, when Bernardino

Rivadavia was elected the first President of Argentina. This constitution was soonrejected by the provinces, due to its Centralist bias, and Rivadavia resigned shortlyafter. The provinces then reorganized themselves as the Argentine Confederation, aloose confederation of provinces that lacked a common head of state. They wouldinstead delegate some important powers to the governor of Buenos Aires Province,such as debt payment or the management of international relations.

Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas ruled from 1829 to 1832, and from 1835 to 1852.During his first term he convened the Pacto Federal and defeated the UnitarianLeague. After 1835 he was given the "Sum of public power". He faced unitarianresistance and a constant state of war, including a French blockade from 1838 to

1840, the War of the Confederation in the north, an Anglo-French blockade from 1845to 1850, and the Corrientes Province revolt. Rosas remained undefeated during thisseries of conflicts and prevented further loss of national territory. His refusal to enact anational constitution, pursuant to the Pacto Federal, led to Entre Ros ProvinceGovernor Justo Jos de Urquiza's reclaiming provincial sovereignty. He defeated Rosasat the Battle of Caseros, forcing him into exile. The San Nicols Agreement followedand in 1853 the Constitution of Argentina was promulgated. Following the secession ofthe State of Buenos Aires from the Confederation, and its later return, Bartolom Mitrewas elected the first president of the unified country in 1862. National unity wasfurther advanced by the War of the Triple Alliance,[17] which left over 300,000 dead

and devastated Paraguay.[18]

After 1875 a wave of foreign investment and immigration from Europe led to thestrengthening of a cohesive state, the development of modern agriculture and to anear-reinvention of Argentine society and economy. The rule of law was consolidated,in large measure, by Dalmacio Vlez Srsfield whose 1860 Commercial Code and 1869Civil Code laid the foundation for Argentina's statutory laws. General Julio ArgentinoRoca's military campaign in the 1870s established Argentine dominance over thesouthern Pampas and Patagonia, subdued the remaining native peoples, and left 1,300indigenous dead.[19][20] Waged to suppress Maln raids, some contemporary sourcesindicate that the "Conquest of the Desert" was a campaign of genocide by theArgentine government.[21]

Modern history

See also: Peronism, Dirty War, and Falklands War


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Juan Pern and hisinfluential wife, Eva.

Argentina increased in prosperity and prominence between1880 and 1929 and emerged as one of the ten richestcountries in the world, benefiting from an agriculturalexport-led economy as well as British and Frenchinvestment. Driven by immigration and decreasing mortalitythe Argentine population grew fivefold and the economy15-fold.[22] Conservative lites dominated Argentine politics

through nominally democratic means until 1912, whenPresident Roque Senz Pea enacted universal male suffrageand the secret ballot. This allowed their traditional rivals, thecentrist Radical Civic Union, to win the country's first freeelections in 1916. President Hiplito Yrigoyen enacted socialand economic reforms and extended assistance to familyfarmers and small business. Yrigoyen was overthrown by acoup in 1930, however, which led to another decade ofConservative rule. The Concordance regime strengthenedties with the British Empire and their electoral policy was one of "patriotic fraud". The

country was neutral during World War I and most of World War II, becoming animportant source of foodstuffs for the Allied Nations.[22]

In 1946, General Juan Pern was elected president, creating a populist movementreferred to as "Peronism". His wife Eva was popular and played a central political roleuntil her death in 1952, mostly through the Eva Pern Foundation and the FemalePeronist Party,[23] as women's suffrage was granted in 1947. During Pern's tenure,wages and working conditions improved appreciably, unionization was fostered,strategic industries and services were nationalized, as well as import substitutionindustrialization and urban development being prioritized in the agrarian sector.[24]

Formerly stable prices and exchange rates were disrupted however: the peso lostaround 70% of its value from 1948 to 1950, and inflation reached 50% in 1951.[25]

Foreign policy became more isolationist, straining US-Argentine relations. Pernintensified censorship as well as repression: 110 publications were shuttered,[26] andnumerous opposition figures were imprisoned and tortured.[27] Advancing apersonality cult, Pern rid himself of many important and capable advisers whilepromoting patronage. A bombing of Plaza de Mayo was followed some months later bya violent coup which deposed him in 1955. He fled into exile, eventually residing inSpain.


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Arturo Frondizi (right)and his chief economicadviser, RogelioFrigerio, whose policiespromoted greaterself-sufficiency inenergy and industry.

Poster from the Madres de laPlaza de Mayo NGO, with photosof the disappeared

Following an attempt to purge the Peronist influence and thebanning of Peronists from political life, elections in 1958brought Arturo Frondizi to office. Frondizi enjoyed somesupport from Pern's followers, and his policies encouragedinvestment to make the country self-sufficient in energy andindustry, helping reverse a chronic trade deficit for Argentina.The military frequently interfered on behalf of conservative,

agrarian interests however, and the results were mixed.[22]Frondizi was forced to resign in 1962. Arturo Illia was electedin 1963 and enacted expansionist policies but, despiteprosperity, his attempts to include Peronists in the politicalprocess resulted in the armed forces retaking power in aquiet 1966 coup.

Though repressive, this new regime continued to encouragedomestic development and invested record amounts intopublic works. The economy grew strongly and incomepoverty declined to 7% by 1975. Partly because of theirrepressiveness, however, political violence began to escalate

and Pern, still in exile, skilfully co-opted student and labor protests which eventuallyresulted in the military regime's call for free elections in 1973, and Pern's return fromSpain.[15]

Taking office that year, Pern died in July 1974leaving his third wife Isabel, the Vice President, tosucceed him in office. Mrs. Pern had been chosenas a compromise among feuding Peronist factionswho could agree on no other running mate; secretly

though, she was beholden to Pern's most fascistadvisers. The resulting conflict, between left andright-wing extremists, led to mayhem, financialchaos and a coup d'tat in March 1976 whichremoved her from office.

The self-styled National Reorganization Processintensified measures against armed groups on thefar left, such as People's Revolutionary Army and the Montoneros who had kidnappedand murdered people almost weekly since 1970.[28] Repression was quickly extendedto the opposition in general and, during the "Dirty War", thousands of dissidents"disappeared". These abuses were aided and abetted by the CIA in Operation Condor,with many of the military leaders that took part in abuses trained in the School of theAmericas.[29]

The new dictatorship brought some stability at first, and built numerous importantpublic works, but frequent wage freezes and deregulation of finance led to a sharp fallin living standards and record foreign debt.[22] Deindustrialization, the peso'scollapse, and crushing real interest rates, as well as unprecedented corruption, publicrevulsion over the Dirty War, and finally the 1982 defeat by the British in the FalklandsWar, discredited the military regime and led to free elections in 1983.

Contemporary history

See also: Argentine economic crisis (1999-2002) and Kirchnerism


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Carlos Menemreceives thePresidential sashfrom Ral Alfonsn in

1989. This was thefirst democratictransfer of powerbetween opposingpolitical parties inArgentina since 1916.

Nstor Kirchner with his wifeand successor, CristinaFernndez de Kirchner, uponher inaugural in 2007.

Ral Alfonsn's government took steps to account for thedisappeared, established civilian control of the armed forces,and consolidated democratic institutions. The members of thethree military juntas were prosecuted and sentenced to lifeterms. The previous regime's foreign debt, however, left theArgentine economy saddled by the conditions imposed on itby both its private creditors and the International Monetary

Fund, and priority was given to servicing the foreign debt atthe expense of public works and domestic credit. Alfonsn'sfailure to resolve worsening economic problems caused him tolose public confidence. Following a 1989 currency crisis thatresulted in a sudden and ruinous 15-fold jump in prices, heleft office five months early.[30]

Newly elected President Carlos Menem began pursuingprivatizations and, after a second bout of hyperinflation in1990, reached out to economist Domingo Cavallo, whoimposed a peso-dollar fixed exchange rate in 1991 andadopted far-reaching market-based policies, dismantlingprotectionist barriers and business regulations, whileaccelerating privatizations. These reforms contributed tosignificant increases in investment and growth with stableprices through most of the 1990s; but the peso's fixed valuecould only be maintained by flooding the market with dollars,resulting in a renewed increase in the foreign debt. Towards1998, moreover, a series of international financial crises and overvaluation of thepegged peso caused a gradual slide into economic crisis. The sense of stability andwell being which had prevailed during the 1990s eroded quickly, and by the end of his

term in 1999, these accumulating problems and reports of corruption had madeMenem unpopular.[31]

President Fernando de la Ra inherited diminishedcompetitiveness in exports, as well as chronic fiscaldeficits. The governing coalition developed rifts, andhis returning Cavallo to the Economy Ministry wasinterpreted as a crisis move by speculators. Thedecision backfired and Cavallo was eventually forced totake measures to halt a wave of capital flight and tostem the imminent debt crisis (culminating in the

freezing of bank accounts). A climate of populardiscontent ensued, and on December 20, 2001,Argentina dove into its worst institutional andeconomic crisis since the 1890 Barings financialdebacle. There were violent street protests, whichclashed with police and resulted in several fatalities.The increasingly chaotic climate, amid riotsaccompanied by cries that "they should all go", finallyresulted in the resignation of President de la Ra.[32]

Three presidents followed in quick succession over twoweeks, culminating in the appointment of interim President Eduardo Duhalde by theLegislative Assembly on January 2, 2002. Argentina defaulted on its international debt,and the peso's 11 year-old tie to the U.S. dollar was rescinded, causing a major


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depreciation of the peso and a spike in inflation. Duhalde, a Peronist with a centre-lefteconomic position, had to cope with a financial and socio-economic crisis, withunemployment as high as 25% by mid 2002, and the lowest real wages in sixty years.The crisis accentuated the people's mistrust in politicians and institutions. Following ayear racked by protest, the economy began to stabilize in late 2002, and restrictionson bank withdrawals were lifted in December.[33]

Benefiting from a devalued exchange rate the government implemented new policiesbased on re-industrialization, import substitution and increased exports and beganseeing consistent fiscal and trade surpluses. Governor Nstor Kirchner, a left-wingPeronist, was elected president in May 2003. During his administration, Argentinarestructured its defaulted debt with a steep discount (about 66%) on most bonds,paid off debts with the International Monetary Fund, renegotiated contracts withutilities and nationalized some previously privatized enterprises. Kirchner and hiseconomists, notably Roberto Lavagna, also pursued a vigorous incomes policy andpublic works investment.[34]

Argentina has since been enjoying economic growth, though with high inflation.Nstor Kirchner forfeited the 2007 campaign, in favor of his wife Senator CristinaFernndez de Kirchner, who became the first woman to be elected President ofArgentina. She saw controversial plans for higher agricultural export taxes defeated byVice President Julio Cobos' surprise tie-breaking vote against them in July 2008,following massive agrarian protests and lockouts from March to July. The globalfinancial crisis has since prompted Mrs. Kirchner to step up her husband's policy ofstate intervention in troubled sectors of the economy.[35] On July 15, 2010, Argentinabecame the first country in Latin America and the second country in the SouthernHemisphere to legalize same-sex marriage.[36] [37]

Politics

Main articles: Government of Argentina, Politics of Argentina, and Provinces ofArgentina

The Argentine Constitution of 1853 mandates a separation of powers into executive,legislative, and judicial branches at the national and provincial level. The politicalframework is a federal representative democratic republic, in which the President isboth head of state and head of government, complemented by a pluriform multi-partysystem.

Executive power resides in the President and the Cabinet. The President and VicePresident are directly elected to four-year terms and are limited to two terms. Cabinetministers are appointed by the President and are not subject to legislative ratification.The current President is Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner, with Julio Cobos as VicePresident.

Legislative power is vested in the bicameral National Congress, comprising a72-member Senate and a 257-member Chamber of Deputies. Senators serve six-yearterms, with one-third standing for re-election every two years. Members of theChamber of Deputies are elected to four-year terms by a proportional representation

system, with half of the members standing for re-election every two years. A third ofthe candidates presented by the parties must be women.

The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Supreme Court


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Casa Rosada (Executivebranch)

Argentine NationalCongress

The Supreme Court

The President of Brazil, DilmaRousseff, in a pressconference with PresidentCristina Fernndez deKirchner.

has seven members appointed by the President in consultation with the Senate. Theudges of all the other courts are appointed by the Council of Magistrates of theNation, a secretariat composed of representatives of judges, lawyers, the Congressand the executive.

Though declared the capital in 1853, Buenos Aires did not become the official Capitaluntil 1880. The 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution included a limited form

of devolution to Buenos Aires. The national government reserved control of theArgentine Federal Police (the federally administered city force), the Port of BuenosAires, and other faculties, however.[38]

Argentina is divided into twenty-three provinces (provincias; singular provincia) andone Autonomous City. Buenos Aires Province is divided into 134 partidos, while theremaining Provinces are divided into 376 departments (departamentos). Departmentsand Partidos are further subdivided into municipalities or districts. With the exceptionof Buenos Aires Province, the nation's provinces have chosen in recent years to enterinto treaties with other provinces, forming four federated regions aimed at fosteringeconomic integration and development: Center Region, Patagonic Region, New CuyoRegion, and the Argentine Greater North Region.

Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign relations of Argentina

Argentina is a full member of the Mercosur blocktogether with Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay andVenezuela; and five associate members: Bolivia, Chile,

Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. From 2003 Argentina hasemphasized Mercosur, which has some supranationallegislative functions, as its first international priority; bycontrast, during the 1990s, it relied more heavily on itsrelationship with the United States. Argentina is afounding signatory and permanent consulting memberof the Antarctic Treaty System and the Antarctic TreatySecretariat is based in Buenos Aires.[39]

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the

Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), and SouthGeorgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which areadministered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories, as well as almost1,000,000 square kilometres (390,000 sq mi) in Antarctica, between 25W and 74W


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Libertador Building (Ministryof Defense and ArmyHeadquarters) and themuseum ship ARA Sarmiento,a sail frigate.

and south of 60S. The Antarctic claim overlaps claims by Chile and the UnitedKingdom, though all claims to Antarctica fall under the provisions of the AntarcticTreaty. Since 1904, a scientific post has been maintained in Antarctica by mutualagreement. While Argentina has employed threats and force to pursue its claimsagainst Chile in the Beagle channel, against Britain in Antarctica[40] and the Falklandsand South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as against illegal trawlers,this is the exception rather than the rule in Argentine international relations.

Argentina was the only Latin American country toparticipate in the 1991 Gulf War under the UnitedNations mandate, and played an important role inOperation Uphold Democracy, in Haiti.[41] Argentinahas contributed worldwide to peacekeeping operations,including those in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,Guatemala, the Ecuador-Peru dispute, Western Sahara,Angola, Kuwait, Cyprus, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia andTimor Leste. In recognition of its contributions to

international security, U.S. President Bill Clintondesignated Argentina as a major non-NATO ally inJanuary 1998. It was last elected as a member of theUN Security Council in 2005. The United Nations WhiteHelmets, a bulwark of peacekeeping and humanitarianaid efforts, were first deployed in 1994 following anArgentine initiative.[42]

Military

Main article: Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic

The armed forces of Argentina comprise an army, navy and air force, and numberabout 70,000 active duty personnel, one third fewer than levels before the return todemocracy in 1983.[43] The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, withthe Defense Ministry exercising day-to-day control. There are also two other forces;the Naval Prefecture (which patrols Argentine territorial waters) and the NationalGendarmerie (which patrols the border regions); both arms are controlled by theInterior Ministry but maintain liaison with the Defense Ministry. The minimum age forenlistment in the armed forces is 18 years and there is no obligatory military service.

Historically, Argentina's military has been one of the best equipped in the region (forexample, developing its own jet fighters as early as the 1950s); [44] but recently it hasfaced sharper expenditure cutbacks than most other Latin American armed forces.Real military expenditures declined steadily after 1981 and though there have beenrecent increases, the defense budget is now around US$3 billion.[45] The armed forcesare currently participating in major peacekeeping operations in Haiti and Cyprus.

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Argentina

Argentina is composed of twenty-three provinces (Spanish: provincias, singularprovincia) and one autonomous city (Ciudad autnoma de Buenos Aires). The city andthe provinces have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. The


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administrative divisions of the Provinces are the departments (Spanish:departamentos, singular departamento), and the municipalities (Spanish: municipiosor intendencias), except for Buenos Aires Province, which is divided into partidos. TheCity of Buenos Aires is divided into communes.

Autonomous City of Buenos Airesa

Buenos Aires Province

CatamarcaChacoChubutCrdobaCorrientesEntre RosFormosa

JujuyLa PampaLa Rioja

MendozaMisionesNeuqunRo NegroSaltaSan JuanSan LuisSanta CruzSanta FeSantiago del Estero

Tierra del Fuego, Antrtida e Islasdel Atlntico Surb

Tucumn

a Not a Province. Autonomous City and seat of National Government.b Tierra del Fuego Province includes the Argentine claims over Antarctica, theFalkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Geography

Main article: Geography of Argentina

Buenos Aires

La RiojaSanJuan

Catamarca Chaco

Formosa

Corrientes

Misiones

CrdobaSanLuisMendoza

NeuqunRo Negro

Chubut

La Pampa

EntreRios

SantaFe

Salta

Jujuy

SantaCruz

Tierradel Fuego

Sgo delEstero

T

BA


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Topographic map of Argentina

(including some territorialclaims)

Mount Aconcagua, the highestoutside the Himalayas.

The total surface area (excluding the Antarctic claim) is2,766,891.2 km2 (1,068,302.7 sq mi), of which30,200 km2 (11,700 sq mi) (1.1%) is water. Argentinais about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) long from north tosouth, and 1,400 km (870 mi) from east to west(maximum values). There are four major regions: thefertile central plains of the Pampas, source ofArgentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling,oil-rich southern plateau of Patagonia including Tierradel Fuego; the subtropical northern flats of the GranChaco, and the rugged Andes mountain range alongthe western border with Chile.

The highest point above sea level is in Mendozaprovince at Cerro Aconcagua (6,962 m (22,841 ft)),also the highest point in the Southern[46] and WesternHemisphere.[47] The lowest point is Laguna del Carbn

in Santa Cruz province, 105 m (344 ft) below sealevel.[48] This is also the lowest point in SouthAmerica. The geographic center of the country is insouth-central La Pampa province. The easternmost continental point is northeast ofBernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones,(2615S 5338W) the westernmost in the MarianoMoreno Range in Santa Cruz province.(4933S 7335W) The northernmost point isat the confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete rivers in Jujuy province,(2146S 6613W) and the southernmost is Cape San Po in Tierra del Fuego.(5503S 6631W)[49]

The major rivers are the Paran (the largest), the Pilcomayo, Paraguay, Bermejo,Colorado, Ro Negro, Salado and the Uruguay. The Paran and the Uruguay join toform the Ro de la Plata estuary, before reaching the Atlantic. Regionally importantrivers are the Atuel and Mendoza in the homonymous province, the Chubut inPatagonia, the Ro Grande in Jujuy and the San Francisco River in Salta.

There are several large lakes including Argentino andViedma in Santa Cruz, Nahuel Huapi between RoNegro and Neuqun, Fagnano in Tierra del Fuego, andColhu Huapi and Musters in Chubut. Lake BuenosAires and O'Higgins/San Martn Lake are shared with

Chile. Mar Chiquita, Crdoba, is the largest salt waterlake in the country. There are numerous reservoirscreated by dams. Argentina features various hotsprings, such as Termas de Ro Hondo withtemperatures between 65 C (149 F) and 89 C(192 F).[50]

The largest oil spill in fresh water was caused by a Shell Petroleum tanker in the Ro dela Plata, off Magdalena, on January 15, 1999, polluting the environment, drinkingwater, and local wildlife.[51]

The 4,665 km (2,899 mi) long Atlantic coast[52] has been a popular local vacationarea for over a century, and varies between areas of sand dunes and cliffs. Thecontinental platform is unusually wide; this shallow area of the Atlantic is called the


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Snowy Cerro Catedral in Bariloche, Ro Negro(South) and desert area in Talampaya, La Rioja(Northeast).

Argentine Sea. The waters are rich in fisheries and possibly hold importanthydrocarbon energy resources. The two major ocean currents affecting the coast arethe warm Brazil Current and the cold Falkland Current. Because of the unevenness ofthe coastal landmass, the two currents alternate in their influence on climate and donot allow temperatures to fall evenly with higher latitude. The southern coast of Tierradel Fuego forms the north shore of the Drake Passage.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Argentina

The generally temperate climateranges from subtropical in the northto subpolar in the far south. Thenorth is characterized by very hot,humid summers with mild drierwinters, and is subject to periodicdroughts. Central Argentina has hotsummers with thunderstorms(western Argentina produces some ofthe world's largest hail), and coolwinters. The southern regions havewarm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall, especially in mountainouszones. Higher elevations at all latitudes experience cooler conditions.

The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America haveoccurred in Argentina. A record high temperature of 49.1 C (120.4 F), was recordedat Villa Mara, Crdoba, on 2 January 1920. The lowest temperature recorded was

39 C (38.2 F) at Valle de los Patos Superior, San Juan, on 17 July 1972.[53]

Major wind currents include the cool Pampero Winds blowing on the flat plains ofPatagonia and the Pampas; following the cold front, warm currents blow from thenorth in middle and late winter, creating mild conditions. The Zonda, a hot dry wind,affects west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during the 6,000 m(19,685 ft) descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up to120 km/h (75 mph), fueling wildfires and causing damage; when the Zonda blows(JuneNovember), snowstorms and blizzard (viento blanco) conditions usually affecthigher elevations.

The Sudestada ("southeasterlies") could be considered similar to the Nor'easter,though snowfall is rare but not unprecedented. Both are associated with a deep winterlow pressure system. The sudestada usually moderates cold temperatures but bringsvery heavy rains, rough seas and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumnand winter along the central coast and in the Ro de la Plata estuary.

The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of daylightfrom November to February (up to nineteen hours) and extended nights from May toAugust.

Biodiversity

Main article: Environment of Argentina


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Emperor Penguins (Antarctic Region) and coatis(Mesopotamic Region).

A Puma (Northwest) and a Southern right whale(Patagonia).

Subtropical plants dominate theGran Chaco in the north, with theDalbergia genus of trees wellrepresented by Brazilian Rosewoodand the quebracho tree; alsopredominant are white and blackalgarrobo trees (prosopis alba and

prosopis nigra). Savannah-like areasexist in the drier regions nearer theAndes. Aquatic plants thrive in thewetlands of Argentina. In centralArgentina the humid pampas are a true tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The originalpampa had virtually no trees; some imported species like the American sycamore oreucalyptus are present along roads or in towns and country estates (estancias). Theonly tree-like plant native to the pampa is the evergreen Omb. The surface soils ofthe pampa are a deep black color, primarily mollisols, known commonly as humus.This makes the region one of the most agriculturally productive on Earth; however,this is also responsible for decimating much of the original ecosystem, to make wayfor commercial agriculture. The western pampas receive less rainfall, this dry pampa isa plain of short grasses or steppe.[54] The national government maintains 29 nationalparks.[55]

Most of Patagonia lies within the rain shadow of the Andes, so the flora, shrubbybushes and plants, is suited to dry conditions. The soil is hard and rocky, makinglarge-scale farming impossible except along river valleys. Coniferous forests in farwestern Patagonia and on the island of Tierra del Fuego, include alerce, ciprs de lacordillera, ciprs de las guaitecas, huililahun, lleuque, mao hembra and pehun,while broadleaf trees include several species ofNothofagus such as coihue, lenga and

ire. Other introduced trees present in forestry plantations include spruce, cypressand pine. Common plants are the copihue and colihue.[56]

In Cuyo, semiarid thorny bushes and other xerophile plants abound. Along the manyrivers grasses and trees grow in significant numbers. The area presents optimalconditions for the large scale growth of grape vines. In northwest Argentina there aremany species of cactus. No vegetation grows in the highest elevations (above4,000 m (13,000 ft)) because of the extreme altitude.

Many species live in the subtropicalnorth. Prominent animals include bigcats like the jaguar, puma, andocelot; primates (howler monkey);large reptiles (crocodiles), \theArgentine Black and White Tegu anda species of caiman. Other animalsinclude the tapir, peccary, capybara,bush dog, raccoon, and variousspecies of turtle and tortoise. Thereare a wide variety of birds, notably

hummingbirds, flamingos, toucans, and swallows.

The central grasslands are populated by the giant anteater, armadillo, pampas cat,maned wolf, mara, cavias, and the rhea (and), a large flightless bird. Hawks,falcons, herons, and tinamous (perdiz, Argentine "false partridges") inhabit the region.


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There are also pampas deer and pampas foxes. Some of these species extend intoPatagonia.

The western mountains are home to different animals. These include the llama,guanaco, vicua, among the most recognizable species of South America. Also in thisregion are the fox, viscacha, Andean Mountain Cat, kodkod, and the largest flying birdin the New World, the Andean Condor.

Southern Argentina is home to the cougar, huemul, pud (the world's smallest deer),and introduced, non-native wild boar.[56] The coast of Patagonia is rich in animal life:elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and species of penguin. The far south is populatedby cormorants.

The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such asdolphins, orcas, and whales like the southern right whale, a major tourist draw fornaturalists. Sea fish include sardines, Argentine hakes, dolphinfish, salmon, andsharks; also present are squid and King crab (centolla) in Tierra del Fuego. Rivers andstreams in Argentina have many species of trout and the South American dorado fish.

Well known snake species inhabiting Argentina include boa constrictors and a veryvenomous pit viper named the yarar. The Hornero was elected the National Bird aftera survey in 1928.[57]

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Argentina, Agriculture in Argentina, Argentine foreigntrade, and Tourism in Argentina

Argentina has a market-oriented economy with abundant natural resources, a

well-educated population, an export-oriented agricultural sector and a relativelydiversified industrial base.

The nation's services sector accounts for around 59% of the economy and 72% ofemployment, manufacturing is 21% of GDP and 13% of employment, and agricultureis 9% of GDP, with 7% of employment; construction, mining, and public utilities dividethe rest.[58][59] Agriculture, including processed goods, provided 54% of exportearnings in 2010, however, while industrial manufactures accounted for 35% (energystaples and metal ores were most of the remainder).[60]

High inflation has been a weakness of the Argentine economy for decades.[61]

Officially hovering around 9% since 2006, inflation has been privately estimated atover 20%,[62] becoming a contentious issue again. The urban income poverty ratehas dropped to 18% as of mid-2008, a third of the peak level observed in 2002,though still above the level prior to 1976.[63][64] Income distribution, having improvedsince 2002, is still considerably unequal.[65][66]

Argentina ranks 105th out of 178 countries in the Transparency International'sCorruption Perceptions Index for 2010.[67] Reported problems include bothgovernment and private-sector corruption, the latter of which include money

laundering, trafficking in narcotics and contraband, and tax evasion.[68]

The Kirchneradministration responded to the Global financial crisis of 20082009 with a recordpublic-works program, new tax cuts and subsidies,[69][70] and the transfer of private


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The British-financed docksand railway system created adynamic agro-export sectorthat remains as an economicpillar.

pensions to the social security system. Private pension plans, which required growingsubsidies to cover, were nationalized to shed a budgetary drain as well as to financehigh government spending and debt obligations.[71][72]

Argentina has, after its neighbour Chile, the second-highest Human DevelopmentIndex, and the highest GDP per capita in purchasing power terms in Latin America.Argentina is one of the G-20 major economies, with the world's 27th largest nominal

GDP, and the 22nd largest by purchasing power. The country is classified as upper-middle income or a secondary emerging market by the World Bank.

History

See also: Economic history of Argentina

Argentina's economy developed from 1875 onwardswith a surge of agricultural exports, as well Europeaninvestment and immigration. This boom ended in1930, after which the economy began to slowly loseground.[73] Domestic instability and global trends,however, contributed to Argentina's decline from itsnoteworthy position as the world's 10th wealthiestnation per capita in 1913[74] to 62nd by 2010 (thoughit remains above the world average in purchasingpower parity terms).[7] Though no consensus existsexplaining this, systemic problems includeburdensome debt, monetary uncertainty, excessiveregulation, barriers to free trade, and a weak rule of

law with corruption and a large bureaucracy.

[74]

Even during the long decline from 1930 to 1980 the Argentine economy created LatinAmerica's largest middle class as a proportion of the population.[22] A crisis period oftwo decades followed Jos Alfredo Martnez de Hoz's financial liberalization policies ofthe late 1970s, leading to an increased debt burden and interrupted industrialdevelopment and upward social mobility.[75] Expansionary policies and commodityexports triggered a rebound in GDP beginning in 2003. This trend has been largelymaintained, creating millions of jobs and encouraging internal consumption. Thesocio-economic situation improved steadily, and the economy grew around 9%annually for five consecutive years until 2007, with another 7% in 2008.[58]

The global recession of 200710 hit the country hard in 2009 with GDP growth slowingto 0.8%.[76] Argentine debt restructuring offers in 2005 and 2010 resumed paymentson the majority of its almost $100 billion in defaulted bonds from 2001. The economicminister Amado Boudou said that with the offer, the Argentine government hoped "toend the shame of 2001 once and for all."[77] High GDP growth resumed in 2010, andthe economy expanded by 8.5%.[78]

Science and technology

Main article: Science and technology in Argentina


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Dr. Luis Agote (second from right) overseeing thefirst safe and effective blood transfusion (1914); andDr. Luis Federico Leloir (left) and his staff toast his1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

SAC-D satellite

Argentina has contributed manydistinguished doctors, scientistsand inventors to the world,including three Nobel Prizelaureates in sciences. Argentineshave been responsible for majorbreakthroughs in world medicine;

their research has led tosignificant advances in wound-healing therapies and in thetreatment of heart disease andseveral forms of cancer. DomingoLiotta designed and developed thefirst artificial heart successfully implanted in a human being in 1969. Ren Favalorodeveloped the techniques and performed the world's first ever coronary bypasssurgery, and Francisco de Pedro invented a more reliable artificial cardiac pacemaker.

Bernardo Houssay, the first Latin American awarded with aNobel Prize in the Sciences, discovered the role of pituitaryhormones in regulating glucose in animals; Csar Milstein didextensive research in antibodies; Luis Leloir discovered howorganisms store energy converting glucose into glycogenand the compounds which are fundamental in metabolizingcarbohydrates. A team led by Alberto Taquini and EduardoBraun-Menndez discovered angiotensin in 1939, and wasthe first to describe the enzymatic nature of the renin-angiotensin system and its role in hypertension.[79] The

Leloir Institute of biotechnology is among the most prestigious in its field in Latin

America and in the world.[80]

Dr. Luis Agote devised the first safe method of blood transfusion, Enrique Finochiettodesigned operating table tools such as the surgical scissors that bear his name("Finochietto scissors") and a surgical rib-spreader.[81] They have likewise contributedto bioscience in efforts like the Human Genome Project, where Argentine scientistshave successfully mapped the genome of a living being, a world first.[82][83]

Argentina's nuclear program is highly advanced, having resulted in a research reactorin 1957 and Latin America's first on-line commercial reactor in 1974. Argentinadeveloped its nuclear program without being overly dependent on foreign technology.Nuclear facilities with Argentine technology have been built in Peru, Algeria, Australiaand Egypt. In 1983, the country admitted having the capability of producingweapon-grade uranium, a major step needed to assemble nuclear weapons; sincethen, however, Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power only for peacefulpurposes.[84] As a member of the Board of Governors of the International AtomicEnergy Agency, Argentina has been a strong voice in support of nuclearnon-proliferation efforts[85] and is highly committed to global nuclear security.[86]

In other areas, Juan Vucetich, a Croatian immigrant, was the father of modernfingerprinting (dactiloscopy).[87] Ral Pateras Pescara demonstrated the world's first

flight of a helicopter, Hungarian-Argentine Lszl Br mass-produced the first modernball point pens and Eduardo Taurozzi developed the pendular combustion engine.[88]

Juan Maldacena, an Argentine-American scientist, is a leading figure in string theory.


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Historicalpopulations

Year Pop. %

1869 1,877,490 1895 4,044,911 115.4%1914 7,903,662 95.4%1947 15,893,811 101.1%1960 20,013,793 25.9%1970 23,364,431 16.7%1980 27,947,446 19.6%1991 32,615,528 16.7%2001 36,260,130 11.2%2010 40,091,359 10.6%

A crowd in Rosario reflects theimportance of Europeanimmigration to Argentineethnography and culture.

Argentine built satellites include LUSAT-1 (1990), Vctor-1 (1996), PEHUENSAT-1(2007),[89] and those developed by CONAE, the Argentine space agency, of the SACseries.[90] The Pierre Auger Observatory near Malarge, Mendoza, is the world'sforemost cosmic ray observatory.[91]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Argentina

See also: Argentine people

In the 2001 census[INDEC], Argentina hada population of36,260,130, andpreliminary resultsfrom the 2010 census

were of 40,091,359inhabitants.[92][93]

Argentina ranks thirdin South America intotal population and33rd globally.Population density is of15 persons per square

kilometer of land area, well below the world averageof 50 persons. The population growth rate in 2010 was an estimated 1.03% annually,with a birth rate of 17.7 live births per 1,000 inhabitants and a mortality rate of 7.4deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The net migration rate has ranged from zero to fourimmigrants per 1,000 inhabitants.[94]

The proportion of people under 15 is 25.6%, somewhat below the world average of28%, and the proportion of people 65 and older is relatively high at 10.8%. In LatinAmerica this is second only to Uruguay and well above the world average, which iscurrently 7%. Argentina has one of Latin America's lowest population growth rates,recently about 1% a year, as well as a comparatively low infant mortality rate. Its birthrate of 2.3 children per woman is still nearly twice as high as that in Spain or Italy,compared here as they have similar religious practices and proportions. [95][96] The

median age is approximately 30 years and life expectancy at birth is 76.7 years.[94]

Ethnography

Main articles: Ethnography of Argentina and Immigration to Argentina


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Built in 1906 to welcome

hundreds of newcomers daily,the Hotel de Inmigrantes isnow a national museum.

Cathedral of La Plata

As with other areas of new settlement such as Canada,Australia, and the United States, Argentina isconsidered a country of immigrants.[97] MostArgentines are descended from colonial-era settlers,and 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe.[4]

Argentina was second only to the US in the numbers ofEuropean immigrants received and, at those times, thenational population doubled every two decades. Themajority of these European immigrants came fromItaly and Spain.[98] 86.4% of Argentina's populationself-identify as being of European descent. Anestimated 8% of the population is Mestizo and 4% of Argentines are of Arab or Asianheritage.[4] In the last national census 600,000 Argentines (1.6%) self-identified asbeing Amerindians[5] (see Demographics of Argentina for genetic studies).[99]

Recent Illegal immigration has mostly been coming from Bolivia and Paraguay, withsmaller numbers from Peru, Ecuador and Romania.[100] The Argentine governmentestimates that 750,000 inhabitants lack official documents and has launched aprogram called Patria Grande ("Greater Homeland")[101] to encourage illegalimmigrants to declare their status in return for two-year residence visasso far over670,000 applications have been processed under the program.[102]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Argentina

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but also

requires the government to support Roman Catholicismeconomically.[103] Until 1994 the President and VicePresident had to be Roman Catholic, though there wereno such restrictions on other government officials;although since 1945 members of other religious groupshave held prominent posts. Catholic policy remainsinfluential in government though, and still helps shape avariety of legislation. In a study assessing world-widelevels of religious regulation and persecution, withscores ranging from 010 where 0 represented low

levels of regulation or persecution, Argentina received ascore of 1.4 on Government Regulation of Religion, 6.0on Social Regulation of Religion, 6.9 on GovernmentFavoritism of Religion and 6 on ReligiousPersecution.[104]

According to the World Christian Database Argentines are: 92.1% Christian, 3.1%agnostic, 1.9% Muslim, 1.3% Jewish, 0.9% atheist, and 0.9% Buddhist andothers.[105] Argentine Christians are mostly Roman Catholic with estimates for thenumber of Catholics varying from 70%[106] to 90% of the population[107] (though

perhaps only 20% attend services regularly).[94]

Evangelical churches have been gaining a foothold since the 1980s with approximately9% of the total population,[108] Pentecostal churches and traditional Protestant


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"Voseo" in a Buenos Airesbillboard

denominations are present in most communities and The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints claims 330,000 followers in Argentina (their seventh-largestcongregation in the world).[109]

Argentina has the largest Jewish population of any country in Latin America.[110] Arecent study found that approximately 11% of Argentines are non-religious (whichincludes those who believe in God but do not follow a religion), 4% are agnostics and5% are atheist. Overall 24% attended religious services regularly. Protestants werethe only group with a majority of followers who regularly attended services.[108]

Language

Main article: Languages of Argentina

The de facto official language of Argentina is Spanish,usually called castellano (Castilian) by Argentines.Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking society that

universally employs voseo (the use of the pronoun vosinstead oft (you), which occasions the use ofalternate verb forms as well). The most prevalentdialect is Rioplatense, whose speakers are primarilylocated in the Ro de la Plata basin. Italian and otherEuropean immigrants influenced Lunfardo, the slangspoken in the Ro de la Plata region, permeating thevernacular vocabulary of other regions as well. Aphonetic study conducted by the Laboratory forSensory Investigations of CONICET and the University of Toronto showed that theaccent of the inhabitants of Buenos Aires (known as porteos) is closer to the

Neapolitan language, spoken in Southern Italy, than any other spoken language. [111]

According to Ethnologue there are around 1.5 million Italian speakers (making it thesecond most spoken language in the country) and 1 million speakers of the NorthLevantine dialect of Arabic (spoken in Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus).[3] StandardGerman is spoken by 400,000500,000 Argentines of German ancestry,[3] making itthe fourth most spoken language.

Some indigenous communities have retained their original languages. Guaran isspoken by some in the north east, especially in Corrientes (where it enjoys official

status) and Misiones. Quechua is spoken by some in the north west and has a localvariant in Santiago del Estero. Aymara is spoken by members of the Bolivianimmigrant community. In Patagonia there are Welsh-speaking communities witharound 25,000 using it as their second-language.[3] Recent immigrants have broughtChinese and Korean (mostly to Buenos Aires). English, Brazilian Portuguese andFrench are also spoken. English is commonly taught at schools as a second languagewith Portuguese and French to a lesser extent.[citation needed]

Urbanization

See also: List of cities in Argentina by population

Argentina is highly urbanized.[112] The ten largest metropolitan areas account for halfof the population, and fewer than one in ten live in rural areas. About 3 million people


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A Tango show in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of theater.[118] The Teatro Coln is a nationallandmark for opera and classical performances; its acoustics are considered the bestin the world.[117] With its theatre scene of national and international caliber,Corrientes Avenue is synonymous with the art. It is thought of as 'the street thatnever sleeps' and sometimes referred to as the Broadway of Buenos Aires.[124] TheTeatro General San Martn is one of the most prestigious along Corrientes Avenue and

the Teatro Nacional Cervantes functions as the national stage theater of Argentina.The Teatro Argentino de La Plata, El Crculo in Rosario, Independencia in Mendoza andLibertador in Crdoba are also prominent. Griselda Gambaro, Copi, Roberto Cossa,Marco Denevi, Carlos Gorostiza, and Alberto Vaccarezza are a few of the moreprominent Argentine playwrights. Julio Bocca, Jorge Donn, Jos Neglia and NormaFontenla are some of the great ballet dancers of the modern era.

Music

Main article: Music of Argentina

Tango, the music and lyrics (often sung in a form ofslang called lunfardo), is Argentina's musical symbol.The golden age of tango (1930 to mid-1950s) mirroredthat of Jazz and Swing in the United States, featuringlarge orchestral groups too, like the bands of OsvaldoPugliese, Anibal Troilo, Francisco Canaro, Julio de Caroand Juan D'Arienzo. Incorporating acoustic music andlater, synthesizers into the genre after 1955,bandoneon virtuoso stor Piazzolla popularized "newtango" creating a more subtle, intellectual and listener-oriented trend. Today tango enjoys worldwidepopularity; ever-evolving, neo-tango is a globalphenomenon with renown groups like Tanghetto,Bajofondo and the Gotan Project.

Argentine rock developed as a distinct musical style inthe mid-1960s, when Buenos Aires and Rosariobecame cradles of several garage groups and aspiringmusicians. Today it is widely considered the most prolific and successful form of Rocken Espaol.[citation needed] Bands such as Soda Stereo or Sumo, and composers likeCharly Garca, Luis Alberto Spinetta, and Fito Pez are referents of national culture.

Seru Giran bridged the gap into the 1980s, when Argentine bands became popularacross Latin America and elsewhere. Current popular bands include: Babasonicos,Rata Blanca, Horcas, Attaque 77, Bersuit, Los Piojos, Intoxicados, Catupecu Machu,Carajo and Miranda!.

European classical music is well represented in Argentina. Buenos Aires is home to theworld-renowned Coln Theater. Classical musicians, such as Martha Argerich, EduardoAlonso-Crespo, Daniel Barenboim, Eduardo Delgado and Alberto Lysy, and classicalcomposers such as Juan Jos Castro and Alberto Ginastera are internationallyacclaimed. Some cities have annual events and important classical music festivals likeSemana Musical Llao Llao in San Carlos de Bariloche and the multitudinous Amadeus in

Buenos Aires.

Beyond dozens of regional dances, a national Argentine folk style emerged in the1930s. Pern's Argentina would give rise to Nueva Cancin, as artists began


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expressing in their music objections to political themes. The style went on to influencethe entirety of Latin American music.[125] Today, Chango Spasiuk and SoledadPastorutti have brought folk back to younger generations. Leon Gieco's folk-rockbridged the gap between Argentine folklore and Argentine rock, introducing bothstyles to millions overseas in successive tours.

Media

Main article: Communications in Argentina

The print media industry is highly developed and independent of the government, withmore than two hundred newspapers. The major national newspapers are from BuenosAires, including the centrist Clarn, the best-selling daily in Latin America and thesecond most widely circulated in the Spanish-speaking world.[126] Other nationallycirculated papers are La Nacin (center-right, published since 1870), Pgina/12 (left-wing), mbito Financiero (business conservative), Ol (sports) and Crnica (populist).The most circulated newsmagazine is Noticias.[127]

Radio broadcasting in Argentina is predated only by radio in the United States, andbegan on August 27, 1920, when Richard Wagner's Parsifal was broadcast by a teamof medical students led Enrique Susini in Buenos Aires' Teatro Coliseo.[128] There arecurrently 260 AM broadcasting and 1150 FM broadcasting radio stations inArgentina.[129]

The Argentine television industry is large and diverse, widely viewed in Latin America,and its productions seen around the world. Argentines enjoy the highest availability ofcable and satellite television in Latin America, similar to percentages in North

America.

[130]

Argentine comic artists have contributed prominently to national culture, includingAlberto Breccia, Dante Quinterno, Oski, Francisco Solano Lpez, Horacio Altuna,Guillermo Mordillo, Roberto Fontanarrosa, whose grotesque characters captured life'sabsurdities with quick-witted commentary, and Quino, known for the soup-hatingMafalda and her comic strip gang of childhood friends.

Sports

Further information: Sport in Argentina


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The Superclsicobetween Boca Juniorsand River Plate

The official national sport of Argentina is pato,[131] playedwith a six-handle ball on horseback, but the most popularsport is association football.[132] The national football teamhas won 25 major international titles[133] including two FIFAWorld Cups, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen CopaAmricas.[134] Over one thousand Argentine players play

abroad, the majority of them in European footballleagues.[135] There are 331,811 registered footballplayers,[136] with increasing numbers of girls and women,who have organized their own national championships since1991 and were South American champions in 2006.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was formed in 1893and is the eighth oldest national football association in theworld. The AFA today counts 3,377 football clubs,[136]

including 20 in the Premier Division. Since the AFA went professional in 1931, fifteen

teams have won national tournament titles, including River Plate with 33 and BocaJuniors with 24.[137] Over the last twenty years, futsal and beach soccer have becomeincreasingly popular. The Argentine beach football team was one of four competitors inthe first international championship for the sport, in Miami, in 1993.[138]

Basketball is the second most popular sport; a number of basketball players play inthe U.S. National Basketball Association and European leagues including Manu Ginbili,Andrs Nocioni, Carlos Delfino, Luis Scola and Fabricio Oberto. The men's nationalbasketball team won Olympic gold in the 2004 Olympics and the bronze medal in2008. Argentina is currently ranked first by the International Basketball Federation.Argentina has an important rugby union football team, "Los Pumas", with many of its

players playing in Europe. Argentina beat host nation France twice in the 2007 RugbyWorld Cup, placing them third in the competition. The Pumas are currently eighth inthe official world rankings.[139] Other popular sports include field hockey (particularlyamongst women), tennis, auto racing, boxing, volleyball, polo and golf.

The Vamos vamos Argentina chant is a trademark of Argentine fans during sportingevents.

Cuisine

Main article: Argentine cuisineDishes & drinks from Argentina

Mate. Asado. Milanesa. Empanadas.


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Humita. Locro. Dulce de Leche. Alfajores.

Wine.

Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continentalEurope, Argentines enjoy a wide variety of Indigenous and Criollo creations, whichinclude empanadas (a stuffed pastry), locro (a mixture of corn, beans, meat, bacon,onion, and gourd), humitas and yerba mate, all originally indigenous Amerindianstaples, the latter considered Argentina's national beverage. Other popular items

include chorizo (a spicy sausage), facturas (Viennese-style pastry) and Dulce deleche, a sort of milk caramel jam.

The Argentine barbecue, asado as well as a parrillada, includes various types ofmeats, among them chorizo, sweetbread, chitterlings, and morcilla (blood sausage).Thin sandwiches, sandwiches de miga, are also popular. Argentines have the highestconsumption of red meat in the world.[140]

The Argentine wine industry, long among the largest outside Europe, has benefitedfrom growing investment since 1992; in 2007, 60% of foreign investment worldwide inviticulture was destined to Argentina.[141] The country is the fifth most important wine

producer in the world,[142] with the annual per capita consumption of wine among thehighest. Malbec grape, a discardable varietal in France (country of origin), has foundin the Province of Mendoza an ideal environment to successfully develop and turn itselfinto the world's best Malbec.[141] Mendoza accounts for 70% of the country's totalwine production. "Wine tourism" is important in Mendoza province, with theimpressive landscape of the Cordillera de Los Andes and the highest peak in theAmericas, Mount Aconcagua, 6,952 m (22,808 ft) high, providing a very desirabledestination for international tourism.

National emblems

Argentina has a number of national symbols, some defined by law.[143] The NationalFlag consists of three proportional horizontal light blue and white stripes with the Sun


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The ubiquitous white uniformof Argentine school children isa national symbol of learning

of May in the centre, and was designed by Manuel Belgrano in 1812; it was adopted asa national symbol July 20, 1816. The Coat of Arms of Argentina which represents theunion of the provinces, came into use in 1813 as a seal for official documents.

The Argentine National Anthem was adopted in 1813, written by Vicente Lpez yPlanes with music by Blas Parera, although it was shortened to only three paragraphswithout the vivid attacks against Spain. The Cockade of Argentina was first used

during the May Revolution and was made official two years later. The Hornero, whichhabitates in almost all the national territory was made Argentina's national animalunanimously in 1927. The ceibo is its national flower and tree,[143] pato, its nationalsport,[144] asado its national dish, the Rhodochrosite its national stone, the Virgin ofLujan its patron saint and wine its national liquor.[145]

Education

Main article: Education in Argentina

After independence Argentina built a national public education system in comparisonto other nations, placing the country high in the global rankings of literacy. TodayArgentina has a literacy rate of 97%, and three in eight adults over age 20 havecompleted secondary school studies or higher.[63]

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of5 and 17. The Argentine school system consists of anelementary or lower school level lasting six or sevenyears, and a secondary or high school level lastingbetween five to six years. In the 1990s, the system

was split into different types of high school instruction,called Educacion Secundaria and the Polimodal. Someprovinces adopted the Polimodal while others did not.A project in the executive branch to repeal thismeasure and return to a more traditional secondarylevel system was approved in 2006.[146] PresidentDomingo Faustino Sarmiento is credited with pushingfor and implementing a free and modern educationsystem in Argentina. The 1918 university reform shaped the current tripartiterepresentation of most public universities.

Education is funded by tax payers at all levels except for the majority of graduatestudies. There are many private school institutions in the primary, secondary anduniversity levels. Around 11.4 million people were enrolled in formal education of somekind in 2006, including 1.5 million in the nation's 85 universities.[63]

Public education in Argentina is tuition-free from the elementary to the universitylevels. Though literacy was nearly universal as early as 1947, [63] the majority ofArgentine youth had little access to education beyond the compulsory seven years ofgrade school during the first half of the 20th century; since then, when the tuition-freesystem was extended to the secondary and university levels, demand for these

facilities has often outstripped budgets (particularly since the 1970s).[147]

Consequently, public education is now widely found wanting and in decline; this hashelped private education flourish, though it has also caused a marked inequitybetween those who can afford it (usually the middle and upper classes) and the rest of


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years to 76.[157] Though these figures compare favorably with global averages, theyfall short of levels in developed nations and in 2006, Argentina ranked fourth in LatinAmerica.[155]

See also

Additional, more specific, and related topics may be found at:

Outline of ArgentinaIndex of Argentina-related articlesList of Argentina-related topicsInternational rankings of ArgentinaList of ArgentinesSouth America Life Quality Rankings

References

^ a b Article 35 of the "Constitution" (http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/documentos/constitucion_ingles.pdf) . http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/documentos/constitucion_ingles.pdf. gives equal recognition to "United Provinces ofthe River Plate", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation" and authorizes theuse of "Argentine Nation" in the making and enactment of laws

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^ a b c d Lewis, M. Paul, ed (2009). "Languages of Argentina"(http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=AR) . Ethnologue: Languages ofthe World. Dallas: SIL International. http://www.ethnologue.com

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^ a b c Ben Cahoon. "Argentina" (http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Argentina.html) .World Statesmen.org. http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Argentina.html.

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^ a b c d e "Argentina" (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=213&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=79&pr.y=13) .International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011

/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=213&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=79&pr.y=13. Retrieved 2011-04-10.

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/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=subject&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=91&pr1.y=10&c=213%2C263%2C268%2C273%2C218%2C278%2C223%2C283%2C228%2C288%2Cs=NGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=) ) and the World Bank (World DevelopmentIndicators database (http://databank.worldbank.org/ddp/home.do?Step=12&id=4&CNO=2) )

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^ According to the Legatum Institute: Economy Ranked 42nd: Argentinas economyappears stable, but confidence in financial institutions remains low(http://www.prosperity.com/country.aspx?id=AR) The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index

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^ a b c Rock, David. Argentina, 15161982. University of California Press, 1987.15.^ Santilln, p. 1916.

^ "Country Studies: The War of the Triple Alliance" (http://countrystudies.us/paraguay/11.htm) . Countrystudies.us. http://countrystudies.us/paraguay/11.htm. Retrieved2011-06-20.

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^ Rubinstein, W. D. (2004). Genocide: a history (http://books.google.com/books?id=nMMAk4VwLLwC&pg=PA94&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false) . PearsonEducation. p. 94. ISBN 0582506018.

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^ Carlos A. Floria and Csar A. Garca Belsunce, 1971. Historia de los Argentinos I andII; ISBN 84-599-5081-6.

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^ "Argentina Desert War 18791880" (http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/alpha/argentina1879.htm) . Onwar.com. 2003-11-27. http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/alpha/argentina1879.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ Jens Andermann. "Argentine Literature and the 'Conquest of the Desert',

18721896" (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/llc/subjects/span_lat_amer/span_lat_amer_staff/ja) . Birkbeck, University of London. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/llc/subjects/span_lat_amer/span_lat_amer_staff/ja. Retrieved 2009-09-02.

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^ a b c d e Lewis, Paul. The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism. Univ. of North Carolina Press,1990.

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^ Barnes, John. Evita, First Lady: A Biography of Eva Pern. New York: Grove Press,1978.

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/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "INDEC (precios)" (http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/10/ipc-var-dde1943.xls) . http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/10/ipc-var-dde1943.xls. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ Foster et al (1998). Culture and Customs of Argentina (http://books.google.com/?id=iZ-rJyz2pSsC&pg=PA62) . Greenwood. p. 62. ISBN 9780313303197.http://books.google.com/?id=iZ-rJyz2pSsC&pg=PA62.

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^ Feitlowitz, Marguerite. A Lexicon of Terror: Argentina and the Legacies of Torture.Oxford University Press, 2002.

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^ Nancy Scheper-Hughes. Child Survival: Anthropological Perspectives on theTreatment and Maltreatment of Children. ISBN 1556080298.

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^ Andersen, Martin. Dossier Secreto. Westview Press, 1993.29.^ "Alfonsn" (http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia/alfonsin/index.html)(in Spanish). Todo Argentina. http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia

/alfonsin/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "Menem" (http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia/menem2/index.html)(in Spanish). Todo Argentina. http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia

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^ "de la Ra" (http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia/delarua/index.html)(in Spanish). Todo Argentina. http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia

/delarua/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "Duhalde" (http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia/duhalde/index.html)(in Spanish). Todo Argentina. http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia

/duhalde/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "Kirchner" (http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia/kirchner/index.html)(in Spanish). Todo Argentina. http://www.todo-argentina.net/historia/democracia

/kirchner/index.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "Crtica" (http://criticadigital.com/tapaedicion/diario279enteroweb.pdf) (in Spanish)(PDF). http://criticadigital.com/tapaedicion/diario279enteroweb.pdf. Retrieved2010-04-25.

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^ Barrionuevo, Alexei (July 15, 2010). "Argentina Approves Gay Marriage, in a First forRegion" (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/americas/16argentina.html) .New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/americas

/16argentina.html. Retrieved 2010-07-20.

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^ Levin, Dan (July 27, 2010). "Awaiting a Full Embrace of Same-Sex Weddings"(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/world/africa/28capetown.html) . New YorkTimes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/world/africa/28capetown.html. Retrieved

2010-07-28.

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^ "Qu dice la "Ley Cafiero" " (http://www.infobae.com/contenidos /324047-100799-0-Qu%C3%A9-dice-la-Ley-Cafiero) . Infobae.com. 2011-01-30.http://www.infobae.com/contenidos/324047-100799-0-Qu%C3%A9-dice-la-Ley-Cafiero. Retrieved 2011-06-20.

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^ "Antarctic Treaty Secretariat" (http://www.ats.aq/) . Ats.aq. http://www.ats.aq/.Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ Bentley, David (June 1996). "Operation Uphold Democracy. Institute for NationalStrategic Studies" (http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA394191) . http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin

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^ White Helmets Commission (http://www.cascosblancos.gov.ar/a_inicio/proposito/index.htm)

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^ "NationMaster Argentine Military statistics" (http://www.nationmaster.com/country /ar-argentina/mil-military) . Nationmaster.com. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ar-argentina/mil-military. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ "MECON: National budget" (http://www.mecon.gov.ar/peconomica/docs/gp_nac.xls). http://www.mecon.gov.ar/peconomica/docs/gp_nac.xls. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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^ Mountains of the Earth (http://home.comcast.net/~igpl/Mountains.html) The HighestMountain Peak on Each Continent

46.

^ Aconcagua, the highest in the Western Hemisphere (http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150197/aconcagua.html) s47.

^ Depressions (http://home.comcast.net/~igpl/Depressions.html) The Lowest SurfacePoint on Each Continent

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^ "WWF" (http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0806_full.html) . Worldwildlife.org. http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0806_full.html. Retrieved 2010-04-25.

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