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Argentina
- Facts
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National name: Republica Argentina. From Latin Argentum,
meaning "silver."
Form of Government. Federal
republic.
Chief of State and Head of Government.
President. ( Dr.Fernando de la Rua).
Monetary unit: Peso
Area: 1,072,067 sq mi. (2,766,890 sq km)
Political Divisions. Twenty two Provinces:
Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios,
Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro,
Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero,
Tucuman. 1 National Territory: Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic and the
South Atlantic Islands. One Federal District: Buenos Aires.
Capital and largest city: Buenos Aires (city, 2,960,976;
metropolitan area, 9,967,826). Capital of Argentina; chief port;
industrial, commercial, railroad, and cultural center.
Other large cities: Cordoba (1,179,067). Processing and
commercial center; auto manufacturing; resort; railway and highway hub. Rosario (1,078,374). Modern river port;
railroad hub; industrial city. La Plata (542,567). Deepwater port; heavy
industry.
Population (1999 est.): 36,737,664 (average annual rate of
natural increase: 1.23%);
Ethnicity/Race: white 85%, mestizo, Indian, or other nonwhite
groups 15% There are large groups of immigrants from other European
countries: Spanish, Italian, British, German, French, etc.
Birth rate: 19.9/1000; Infant mortality rate: 18.4/1000; Density per sq mi.: 34
Language: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Religion: Predominantly Roman
Catholic (official)
Literacy rate: 96% (1990)
Chief Agricultural Products. Crops
sugarcane, wheat, soybeans, corn (maize), sunflower seeds, grapes,
potatoes, sorghum, tomatoes. Livestock cattle, goats, horses, pigs,
poultry, sheep.
Chief Mined Products. Barites,
beryllium, coal, copper, crude petroleum, gold, iron ore, lead, limestone,
manganese, mica, natural gas, silver, tin, tungsten, uranium, zinc.
Chief Manufactured Products.
Automobiles, beer, cattle and buffalo hides, cement, commercial vehicles,
cotton yarn, crude steel, lumber, man-made fibers, merchant vessels,
paper, petroleum products, plastics and resins, refined sugar, steel
tubes, sulfuric acid, synthetic rubber, textiles, wine, wheat flour, wood
pulp. |
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| Iguazu
Falls |
Bariloche |
Puerto
Madryn |
Mar
del Plata |
Perito
Moreno |
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History
Discovered in 1516 by Juan Diaz de Solis, Argentina developed slowly
under Spanish colonial rule. Buenos Aires was settled in 1580; the
cattle industry was thriving as early as 1600. Invading British
forces were expelled in 1806 and 1807. After Napoleon conquered
Spain (1808), the Argentinians set up their own government in 1810.
On July 9, 1816, independence was formally declared.
Country grouth was highly influenced by immigration during the late
XIX th. and early XX th. centuries.
As from 1930, Argentina entered a long period of military
dictatorships with brief intervals of constitutional government.
Democracy was restored in 1983. |
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Coat
of Arms:
Adopted 1813. Cap is symbol of
liberty; hands clasping each other symbolize brotherhood and unity.
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Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light
blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a
human face known as the Sun of May. |
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Culture
European influences
permeate Argentina's art, architecture, literature and lifestyle. However,
in the field of literature in particular, this has been a cross-cultural
transaction, with Argentina producing writers of international stature
such as Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Ernesto Sábasto, Manuel Puig
and Osvaldo Soriano. With the education of many Argentines taking place in
Europe, Buenos Aires in particular has self-consciously emulated European
cultural trends in art, music and architecture. As a result, there are
many important art museums and galleries in the city, and it has a
vigorous theater community. Argentine cinema has also achieved
international stature, and has been used as a vehicle to exorcise the
horrors of the Dirty War.
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Probably the best known
manifestation of Argentine popular culture is the tango - a dance and
music which has captured the imagination of romantics worldwide. Folk
music is also thriving. Sport is extremely important to the Argentines and
soccer is more of a national obsession than a game. Argentina won the
World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and the exploits of Diego Maradona (the most
famous Argentine since Che Guevara), have kept soccer fans, paparazzi and
columnists busy for the past 10 years. |
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Argentine Roman
Catholicism, the official state religion, is riddled with popular beliefs
which diverge from official doctrine.
Spanish is the official language,
but some immigrant communities retain their language as a badge of
identity. Italian is widely understood, reflecting the influence of the
country's single largest immigrant group, and BBC English is the preserve
of the Anglo community. |
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Meat dominates Argentina's
menus, and 'meat' means beef. Mixed grills (parrillada) are
apparently the way to go, serving up a cut of just about every part of the
animal: tripe, intestines, udders - the lot. In this vegetarian's
nightmare, Italian favorites, such as gnocchi (ñoquis), are a
welcome alternative. Exquisite Argentine ice cream (helado)
deserves a special mention - again reflecting Italian influences. The
sharing of mate, Paraguayan tea, is a ritual more than a beverage,
and if offered is a special expression of acceptance. The leaves, a
relation to holly, are elaborately prepared and the mixture is drunk from
a shared gourd. |
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