CULTURAL SCRAPBOOK-ARGENTINA

By Luciano Ramirez

Population The current population of Argentina is

40,913,584. The percentage of the population under

the age of 14 is 25.6%. The percentage of populace between 15 and 64 years of age is 63.5%. The population older than 65 is 10.8%.

The total median age is 30.3 years. The Argentine population are primarily of

European descent.

Languages Spanish is the official language of

Argentina. Italian, English, German, and French are

also spoken by their respected immigrant communities.

Religion Argentina is nominally Catholic, with 94%

of the population, although less than 20% practice it.

Protestants make up 2% of the population, as do Jews.

Others adhering to other religious, or non-religious beliefs make up 4% of the population.

Food Beef and pastas are very popular in

Argentine cuisine, which is a result of the generally beef-based economy that dominates much of Argentine land, and Italian tradition that comes from the Italian immigrants that came to Argentina in mass numbers.

It is customary to buy fresh pasta for Sunday lunch, which is a generally family event.

Breakfast is usually light and usually consists of a pastry with tea, milk, or coffee.

Food (continued) Lunch is served between 12:30 PM to

2:00. Dinner is usually served between 9 PM

and 10 PM The most popular restaurants in

Argentina are steakhouses and pizzerias. Gelatto is also very popular because of

Italian culinary influences.

Food (continued) Other popular foods in Argentina are

locro, empanadas, and paellas. Cafés are considered to be centers of

social activity, and are considered to be the heart and soul of Argentine urban culture.

Economy Argentina has been self-sufficient with

food since the 19th century. As most of the population is urban, it is

rare to find people who grow food for self-consumption.

Large agribusinesses are now chiefly in control of agricultural production.

Argentina’s GDP is $338.2 billion, and its GDP per capita is $9,520. These figures are in American dollars

Economy (continued) Major industries in Argentina are in food processing,

tobacco products, textiles and garments, leather goods, (petro)chemicals, and machinery.

Argentina’s main trading partners are Brazil, the United States, Chile, China, and European Union members.

Traditionally, certain services and businesses were identified with certain ethnic groups in Argentina: grocers and contractors were Italian, cleaners and florists were East Asian, deli owners were German, railroad workers were English, and jewelers were Jewish.

Etiquette Both men and women greet each other

by kissing on the cheek. In very formal encounters, men and women shake hands.

Social physical distance is much closer than in the US, as opposed to the North American concept of distant physical proximity and contact.

People address each other with the term vos and usted when speaking to elders or superiors.

Literature Argentina has been known internationally

for various writers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Roberto Arlt, Julio Cortazar, Victoria Ocampo, Jose Hernández, Manuel Puig, Luisa Valenzuela, and Adolfo Bioy Casares.

Argentina holds an annual international book fair, which holds an attendance rate of over one million people.

Graphic Arts Many Argentine artists have been leading

figures of artistic movements around the world.

There are many art galleries around Argentina, with over sixty in Buenos Aires alone.

Among the famous Argentine painters are Xul Solar, Raquel Forner, Carlos Alonso, Antonio Berni, Raúl Soldi, Centurión, and Raúl Russo.

Famous sculptors include Lola Mora, Fioravanti, LeParc, Cossice, and Di Stefano.

Performance Arts Argentina has the world famous Teatro

Colón, where globally acclaimed musicians and ballet companies perform. The Teatro Colón also has a classical dance school.

Argentines are very fond of theater. Actors organized theater festivals as a

way to protest the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina in the 1970’s.

Soccer Association football (soccer), is by far the most

popular sport in Argentina, and it is a major cultural symbol. It was introduced by British immigrants who came to Buenos Aires in the 1860’s. It was relatively unnoticed until politicians promoted it in the 1920’s to promote national unity, and to keep men away from bordellos and cabarets, where tango music was popular.

Argentina’s two most famous soccer teams are River Plate and Boca Juniors, both from Buenos Aires.

Diego Maradona, widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players in world history, has led Argentina to several World Cup titles.

Soccer (continued) Today, Argentines are widely fanatical for their

respected soccer teams. The rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate is

intense, and various cases of violence of extreme hooliganry have happened at matches. Other popular teams are Estudiantes De La Plata, Rosario Central, and Gimnasia De Jujuy.

A similar rivalry has existed between the Brazilian and Argentine national teams, which has existed since the first World Cup held in Uruguay in the 1930’s. Both national teams are widely considered to be two of the best in the world

Besides soccer, basketball is also very popular.

Music Tango is considered to be the most famous of

Argentine music. Its music, lyrics, and dance reflect societal change in the 20th century. Because it amalgamated many foreign techniques, Argentine nationalists refused to see it as an integral national cultural product.

It was considered to be a moral threat because it emphasized lowlife behavior and challenged the bourgeois morality and traditional female behavior. It dominated scenes at bordellos, and it was eventually discouraged by Argentine conservatives, who promoted soccer instead of tango.

Agrarianism Despite the modern urban environment,

Argentina still clings to its rural, agrarian roots as an elite cattle and grain exporter, which made it one of the wealthiest nations in the world. It is this rural heritage that Argentines present to the world. Today the gaucho, or cowboy, remains a symbol of Argentine history.

Architecture Cities founded in colonial times followed a

precise checkerboard pattern, with a plaza placed in the center, surrounded by government buildings and churches. Plaza De Mayo remains an important symbolic space in Buenos Aires. The Casa Rosada (Pink House), is the seat of the executive branch of government. )

Architecture in major cities reflect European styles, which come from influences brought by European immigrants.

Architecture (continued) Train stations and railroad neighborhoods

reflect British styles, because of British workers who constructed the railways.

Major parks and gardens reflect French methods, while many avenues, streets, and buildings have colonial Spanish designs that resemble that of the Iberian cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.

Social Classes Argentina has had a very large middle

class until recent economic troubles. Originally, the upper class was formed by large landowners. Merchants and industrialists soon joined them.

Unlike many other Latin American nations, Argentina has a fairly-distributed system of wealth, which is exemplified by the large middle class.

Marriage and Family Marriage is freely decide by men and

women. The nuclear family is the most common

family unit. Divorce is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church.

Extended families gather regularly.