PDF generated using the open source mwlib toolkit. See http://code.pediapress.com/ for more information.PDF generated at: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:51:34 UTC

ArgentinaAn overview

ContentsArticlesIntroduction 1

Argentina 1History of Argentina 34Buenos Aires 54Demographics of Argentina 84Languages of Argentina 92

Geography 96Geography of Argentina 96Climate of Argentina 101

Sports 106Sport in Argentina 106Argentina national football team 113Diego Maradona 130

Economy 148Economy of Argentina 148Agriculture in Argentina 159Communications in Argentina 164Tourism in Argentina 169Public holidays in Argentina 178

Culture 181Culture of Argentina 181Architecture of Argentina 190Argentine cuisine 193Music of Argentina 194

ReferencesArticle Sources and Contributors 202Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 207

Article Licenses

License 215

1Introduction

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

Argentine Republic[1]

Repblica Argentina (Spanish)

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

Anthem:"Himno Nacional Argentino"(Spanish)"Argentine National Anthem"

The Argentine claims in Antarctica (overlapping the Chilean and British Antarctic claims) along with the Falkland Islands, SouthGeorgia, and the South Sandwich Islands (administered by the United Kingdom) shown in light green.

Capital(and largest city)

Buenos Aires3436S 5823W

Official language(s) Spanish (de facto)

Ethnic groups(2005[2] [3] ) 86.4% European8.5% Mestizo3.3% Arab1.6% Amerindian0.4% Asian and others

Demonym Argentine, Argentinian, Argentinean

Government Federal representative presidential republic

Argentina 2

- President Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner

- Vice President and President of the Senate Julio Cobos

- Supreme Court President 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 constitution 1 May 1853

Area

- Total 2766890km2(8th)1068302sqmi

- Water(%) 1.1

Population

- 2010census 40,117,096[4] (32nd)

- Density 14.49/km2(207th)37.53/sqmi

GDP(PPP) 2011estimate

- Total $710.7billion[5] (22nd)

- Per capita $17,376[5] (51st)

GDP (nominal) 2011estimate

- Total $435.2billion[5] (27th)

- Per capita $10,639[5] (62nd)

Gini(2009) 45.8[6] (high)

HDI(2011) 0.797[7] (veryhigh)(45th)

Currency Peso ($) (ARS)

Time zone ART (UTC3)

Date formats dd.mm.yyyy (CE)

Drives on the right (trains ride on the left)

ISO3166code AR

Internet TLD .ar

Calling code +54

Argentina i/rdntin/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: Repblica Argentina,pronounced:[repulika arxentina]), is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It isconstituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country inthe world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.

Argentina 3

Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Itborders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south.Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, aresuspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) andSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British OverseasTerritories.A recognised middle power,[8] Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy,[9] with a "very high" rating onthe Human development index.[7] Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita andthe highest in purchasing power terms.[10] Analysts[11] have argued that the country has a "foundation for futuregrowth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share oftotal manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as an emerging economy. Argentina is a founding memberof the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States,the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.

EtymologyArgentina is derived from the poetic Spanish argento ("silver"). The first use of Argentina can be traced to the 1602poem La Argentina y conquista del Ro de la Plata (Argentina and the conquest of the silver river) by Martn delBarco Centenera. Although this name for the La Plata Basin was already in common usage by the 18th century, thearea was formally called Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata in 1776. The autonomous governments that emerged fromthe 1810 May Revolution 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 of Independence. The first formal use of the name was in the1826 constitution, which used both the terms "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Nation".[12] The Constitution wasrepealed, and the territories were instead known as the "Argentine Confederation". This name was used in the 1853Constitution, being changed to that of the "Argentine Nation" in 1859, and to the "Argentine Republic" per an 1860decree, when the country achieved its current organization. Nevertheless, the names of the "United Provinces of theRo de la Plata", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation" are acknowledged as legitimate names of thecountry.[1]

History

Early history

Cueva de las Manos, over 10,000 years old, isamong the oldest evidence of indigenous culture

in the Americas.

The earliest evidence of humans in Argentina dates from 11,000 BCand was found in Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz). These findswere of the Diaguitas, Huarpes, and Sanavirones indigenous peoples,among others. The Inca Empire, under Sapa-Inca Pachacutec, invadedand conquered present-day north-western Argentina in 1480, a featusually attributed to Tpac Inca Yupanqui. The tribes of Omaguacas,Atacamas, Huarpes and Diaguitas were defeated and integrated into aregion called Collasuyu. Others, such as the Sanavirones,Lule-Tonocot, and Comechingones, resisted the Incas and remainedindependent from them. The Guaran developed a culture based onyuca, sweet potato, and yerba mate. The central and southern areas(Pampas and Patagonia) were dominated by nomadic cultures, the most

Argentina 4

populous among them being the Mapuches.[13] The Atacaman settlement of Tastil in the north had an estimatedpopulation of 2,000 people, the highest populated area in pre-Columbian Argentina.The most advanced indigenous populations were the Charras and Guaranes, who developed some basic agricultureand the use of pottery. Most of their population were located at other sites of South America however, and theirpresence at the territory of modern Argentina was scarce by comparison.[14]

Colonial Period

William Carr Beresford surrenders to Santiago deLiniers at the end of the first of the British

invasions of the Ro de la Plata.

European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain established the Viceroyaltyof Peru in 1542, encompassing all its holdings in South America. Theirfirst settlement in modern Argentina was the Fort of Sancti Spirituestablished in 1527 next to the Paran River. Buenos Aires, apermanent colony, was established in 1536 but was destroyed bynatives. The city was established again in 1580 as part of theGovernorate of the Ro de la Plata.

The area which encompassed much of the territory that would laterbecome Argentina was largely a territory of Spanish immigrants andtheir descendants (known as criollos), mestizos, native cultures, and

descendants of African slaves. A third of Colonial-era settlers gathered in Buenos Aires and other cities, others livedon the pampas, as gauchos for example. Indigenous peoples inhabited much of the remainder and most of Patagoniaand Gran Chaco remained under indigenous control.

Buenos Aires became the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata in 1776, which was created over someformer territories of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The Ro de la Plata area was forced to import goods overland via Limaafter 1595, and a reliance on contraband emerged. After 1776, however, Buenos Aires flourished as a commercialhub. In 1806 and 1807 the city was the site of two ill-fated British invasions. The resistance was headed both timesby the French Santiago de Liniers, who would become viceroy through popular support. The news of the overthrowof the Spanish King Ferdinand VII during the Peninsular War created great concern in the Viceroyalty. The MayRevolution of 1810 took place in Buenos Aires, removing Viceroy Cisneros from government and replacing him bythe Primera Junta.

Building of a nation-state

Jos de San Martn, Liberator ofArgentina, Chile and Peru

During the following decade a war for independence ensued in the formerViceroyalty, its regions divided between patriots and royalists. While the cities ofpresent-day Argentina would align with the independents after 1811, the otherregions would follow differing paths: Paraguay seceded, declaring itsindependence from Spain 1811 and from Argentina in 1842. Upper Peru wasdisputed with the royalists from Peru until it declared independence as Bolivia in1824. The eastern bank of the Uruguay river was invaded by theBrazilian-Portuguese Empire in 1817 and declared independence as Uruguay in1828 after the Argentina-Brazil War.

Internal conflicts would cause political instability within the patriots. In just fouryears the Primera Junta was replaced by the Junta Grande, the first and secondtriumvirates, and the first Supreme Director. In 1813 an Assembly convened todeclare independence but it could not do so due to political disputes. A Civil War

ensued between the provinces joined into the Federal League and the Supreme Directorship.

Argentina 5

By 1816 the United Provinces of South America were under severe internal and external threats. In July a newCongress declared independence and named Juan Martn de Pueyrredn as the Supreme Director. The militarycampaign became the responsibility of Jos de San Martn, who led an army across the Andes in 1817 and defeatedthe Chilean royalists. With the Chilean navy at his disposal he then took the fight to the royalist stronghold of Lima.San Martn's military campaigns complemented those of Simn Bolvar in Gran Colombia and led to theindependent's victory in the Spanish American wars of independence.The 1820 Battle of Cepeda, fought between the Centralists and the Federalists, resulted in the end of the centralizednational 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 soon rejected by theprovinces, due to its Centralist bias, and Rivadavia resigned shortly after. The provinces then reorganized themselvesas the Argentine Confederation, a loose 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 themanagement of international relations.Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas ruled from 1829 to 1832, and from 1835 to 1852. During his first term he convenedthe Pacto Federal and defeated the Unitarian League. After 1835 he was given the "Sum of public power". He facedunitarian resistance and a constant state of war, including a French blockade from 1838 to 1840, the War of theConfederation in the north, an Anglo-French blockade from 1845 to 1850, and the Corrientes Province revolt. Rosasremained undefeated during this series of conflicts and prevented further loss of national territory. His refusal toenact a national constitution, pursuant to the Pacto Federal, led to Entre Ros Province Governor Justo Jos deUrquiza's reclaiming provincial sovereignty. He defeated Rosas at the Battle of Caseros, forcing him into exile. TheSan Nicols Agreement followed and in 1853 the Constitution of Argentina was promulgated. Following thesecession of the State of Buenos Aires from the Confederation, and its later return, Bartolom Mitre was elected thefirst president of the unified country in 1862. National unity was further advanced by the War of the TripleAlliance,[15] which left over 300,000 dead and devastated Paraguay.[16]

After 1875 a wave of foreign investment and immigration from Europe led to the strengthening of a cohesive state,the development of modern agriculture and to a near-reinvention of Argentine society and economy. The rule of lawwas consolidated, in large measure, by Dalmacio Vlez Srsfield whose 1860 Commercial Code and 1869 CivilCode laid the foundation for Argentina's statutory laws. General Julio Argentino Roca's military campaign in the1870s established Argentine dominance over the southern Pampas and Patagonia, subdued the remaining nativepeoples, and left 1,300 indigenous dead.[17] [18] Waged to suppress Maln raids, some contemporary sources indicatethat the "Conquest of the Desert" was a campaign of genocide by the Argentine government.[19]

Argentina 6

Modern history

Juan Pern and his influential wife, Eva.

Argentina increased in prosperity and prominence between 1880 and1929 and emerged as one of the ten richest countries in the world,benefiting from an agricultural export-led economy as well as British andFrench investment. Driven by immigration and decreasing mortality theArgentine population grew fivefold and the economy 15-fold.[20]

Conservative lites dominated Argentine politics through nominallydemocratic means until 1912, when President Roque Senz Pea enacteduniversal male suffrage and the secret ballot. This allowed theirtraditional rivals, the centrist Radical Civic Union, to win the country'sfirst free elections in 1916. President Hiplito Yrigoyen enacted socialand economic reforms and extended assistance to family farmers andsmall business. Yrigoyen was overthrown by a coup in 1930, however,which led to another decade of Conservative rule. The Concordanceregime strengthened ties with the British Empire and their electoralpolicy was one of "patriotic fraud". The country was neutral duringWorld War I and most of World War II, becoming an important source offoodstuffs for the Allied Nations.[20]

In 1946, General Juan Pern was elected president, creating a populist movement referred to as "Peronism". His wifeEva was popular and played a central political role until her death in 1952, mostly through the Eva Pern Foundationand the Female Peronist Party,[21] as women's suffrage was granted in 1947. During Pern's tenure, wages andworking conditions improved appreciably, unionization was fostered, strategic industries and services werenationalized, as well as import substitution industrialization and urban development being prioritized in the agrariansector.[22]

Formerly stable prices and exchange rates were disrupted however: the peso lost around 70% of its value from 1948to 1950, and inflation reached 50% in 1951.[23] Foreign policy became more isolationist, straining US-Argentinerelations. Pern intensified censorship as well as repression: 110 publications were shuttered,[24] and numerousopposition figures were imprisoned and tortured.[25] Advancing a personality cult, Pern rid himself of manyimportant and capable advisers while promoting patronage. A bombing of Plaza de Mayo was followed some monthslater by a violent coup which deposed him in 1955. He fled into exile, eventually residing in Spain.

Argentina 7

Arturo Frondizi (right) and his chief economicadviser, Rogelio Frigerio, whose policies

promoted greater self-sufficiency in energyand industry.

Following an attempt to purge the Peronist influence and the banning ofPeronists from political life, elections in 1958 brought Arturo Frondizi tooffice. Frondizi enjoyed some support from Pern's followers, and hispolicies encouraged investment to make the country self-sufficient inenergy and industry, helping reverse a chronic trade deficit for Argentina.The military frequently interfered on behalf of conservative, agrarianinterests however, and the results were mixed.[20] Frondizi was forced toresign in 1962. Arturo Illia was elected in 1963 and enacted expansionistpolicies but, despite prosperity, his attempts to include Peronists in thepolitical process resulted in the armed forces retaking power in a quiet1966 coup.

Though repressive, this new regime continued to encourage domesticdevelopment and invested record amounts into public works. Theeconomy grew strongly and income poverty declined to 7% by 1975.Partly because of their repressiveness, however, political violence began

to escalate and Pern, still in exile, skilfully co-opted student and labor protests which eventually resulted in themilitary regime's call for free elections in 1973, and Pern's return from Spain.[13]

Poster from the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo NGO, with photos ofthe disappeared

Taking office that year, Pern died in July 1974 leavinghis third wife Isabel, the Vice President, to succeed himin office. Mrs. Pern had been chosen as a compromiseamong feuding Peronist factions who could agree on noother running mate; secretly though, she was beholden toPern's most fascist advisers. The resulting conflict,between left and right-wing extremists, led to mayhem,financial chaos and a coup d'tat in March 1976 whichremoved her from office.

The self-styled National Reorganization Processintensified measures against armed groups on the far left,such as People's Revolutionary Army and the Montoneros who had kidnapped and murdered people almost weeklysince 1970.[26] Repression was quickly extended to the opposition in general and, during the "Dirty War", thousandsof dissidents "disappeared". These abuses were aided and abetted by the CIA in Operation Condor, with many of themilitary leaders that took part in abuses trained in the School of the Americas.[27]

The new dictatorship brought some stability at first, and built numerous important public works, but frequent wagefreezes and deregulation of finance led to a sharp fall in living standards and record foreign debt.[20]

Deindustrialization, the peso's collapse, 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 Falklands War, discredited the militaryregime and led to free elections in 1983.

Argentina 8

Contemporary history

Carlos Menem receives the Presidential sashfrom Ral Alfonsn in 1989. This was the first

democratic transfer of power between opposingpolitical parties in Argentina since 1916.

Ral Alfonsn's government took steps to account for the disappeared,established civilian control of the armed forces, and consolidateddemocratic institutions. The members of the three military juntas wereprosecuted and sentenced to life terms. The previous regime's foreigndebt, however, left the Argentine economy saddled by the conditionsimposed on it by both its private creditors and the International MonetaryFund, and priority was given to servicing the foreign debt at the expenseof public works and domestic credit. Alfonsn's failure to resolveworsening economic problems caused him to lose public confidence.Following a 1989 currency crisis that resulted in a sudden and ruinous15-fold jump in prices, he left office five months early.[28]

Newly elected President Carlos Menem began pursuing privatizationsand, after a second bout of hyperinflation in 1990, reached out toeconomist Domingo Cavallo, who imposed a peso-US$ fixed exchangerate in 1991 and adopted far-reaching market-based policies, dismantlingprotectionist barriers and business regulations, while acceleratingprivatizations. These reforms contributed to significant increases ininvestment and growth with stable prices through most of the 1990s; butthe peso's fixed value could only be maintained by flooding the marketwith dollars, resulting in a renewed increase in the foreign debt. Towards1998, moreover, a series of international financial crises and overvaluation of the pegged peso caused a gradual slideinto economic crisis. The sense of stability and well being which had prevailed during the 1990s eroded quickly, andby the end of his term in 1999, these accumulating problems and reports of corruption had made Menemunpopular.[29]

Nstor Kirchner with his wife and successor,Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner, upon her

inaugural in 2007.

President Fernando de la Ra inherited diminished competitiveness inexports, as well as chronic fiscal deficits. The governing coalitiondeveloped rifts, and his returning Cavallo to the Economy Ministrywas interpreted as a crisis move by speculators. The decision backfiredand Cavallo was eventually forced to take measures to halt a wave ofcapital flight and to stem the imminent debt crisis (culminating in thefreezing of bank accounts). A climate of popular discontent ensued,and on 20 December 2001, Argentina dove into its worst institutionaland economic crisis since the 1890 Barings financial debacle. Therewere violent street protests, which clashed with police and resulted inseveral fatalities. The increasingly chaotic climate, amid riotsaccompanied by cries that "they should all go", finally resulted in theresignation of President de la Ra.[30]

Three presidents followed in quick succession over two weeks,culminating in the appointment of interim President Eduardo Duhaldeby the Legislative Assembly on 2 January 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 depreciationof the peso and a spike in inflation. Duhalde, a Peronist with a centre-left economic position, had to cope with a

financial and socio-economic crisis, with unemployment 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 a year racked by

Argentina 9

protest, the economy began to stabilize in late 2002, and restrictions on bank withdrawals were lifted inDecember.[31]

Benefiting from a devalued exchange rate the government implemented new policies based on re-industrialization,import substitution and increased exports and began seeing consistent fiscal and trade surpluses. Governor NstorKirchner, a left-wing Peronist, was elected president in May 2003. During his administration, Argentina restructuredits defaulted debt with a steep discount (about 66%) on most bonds, paid off debts with the International MonetaryFund, renegotiated contracts with utilities and nationalized some previously privatized enterprises. Kirchner and hiseconomists, notably Roberto Lavagna, also pursued a vigorous incomes policy and public works investment.[32]

Argentina has since been enjoying economic growth, though with high inflation. Nstor Kirchner forfeited the 2007campaign, in favor of his wife Senator Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner, who became the first woman to be electedPresident of Argentina. She saw controversial plans for higher agricultural export taxes defeated by Vice PresidentJulio Cobos' surprise tie-breaking vote against them in July 2008, following massive agrarian protests and lockoutsfrom March to July. The global financial crisis has since prompted Mrs. Kirchner to step up her husband's policy ofstate intervention in troubled sectors of the economy.[33] On 15 July 2010, Argentina became the first country inLatin America and the second country in the Southern Hemisphere to legalize same-sex marriage.[34] [35]

PoliticsThe Argentine Constitution of 1853 mandates a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicialbranches at the national and provincial level. The political framework is a federal representative democratic republic,in which the President is both 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 Vice President are directly elected tofour-year terms and are limited to two terms. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President and are not subject tolegislative ratification. The current President is Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner, with Julio Cobos as Vice President.Legislative power is vested in the bicameral National Congress, comprising a 72-member Senate and a 257-memberChamber of Deputies. Senators serve six-year terms, with one-third standing for re-election every two years.Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected to four-year terms by a proportional representation system, withhalf of the members standing for re-election every two years. A third of the candidates presented by the parties mustbe women.The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Supreme Court has seven members appointedby the President in consultation with the Senate. The judges of all the other courts are appointed by the Council ofMagistrates of the Nation, a secretariat composed of representatives of judges, lawyers, the Congress and theexecutive.Though declared the capital in 1853, Buenos Aires did not become the official Capital until 1880. The 1994amendment of the Argentine Constitution included a limited form of devolution to Buenos Aires. The nationalgovernment reserved control of the Argentine Federal Police (the federally administered city force), the Port ofBuenos Aires, and other faculties, however.[36]

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

Argentina 10

Casa Rosada (Executive branch)

Argentine National Congress The Supreme Court

Foreign policy

The President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, in a pressconference with President Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner.

Argentina is a full member of the Mercosur block together withBrazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela; and five associatemembers: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. From2003 Argentina has emphasized Mercosur, which has somesupranational legislative functions, as its first internationalpriority; by contrast, during the 1990s, it relied more heavily onits relationship with the United States. Argentina is a foundingsignatory and permanent consulting member of the AntarcticTreaty System and the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat is based inBuenos Aires.[37]

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the FalklandIslands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), and South Georgia and the

South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories, as well asalmost 1000000 square kilometres ( sqmi) in Antarctica, between 25W and 74W and south of 60S. The Antarcticclaim overlaps claims by Chile and the United Kingdom, though all claims to Antarctica fall under the provisions ofthe Antarctic Treaty. Since 1904, a scientific post has been maintained in Antarctica by mutual agreement. WhileArgentina has employed threats and force to pursue its claims against Chile in the Beagle channel, against Britain inAntarctica[38] and the Falklands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as against illegaltrawlers, this is the exception rather than the rule in Argentine international relations.

Argentina 11

Libertador Building (Ministry of Defense and ArmyHeadquarters) and the museum ship ARA Sarmiento, a sail

frigate.

Argentina was the only Latin American country to participatein the 1991 Gulf War under the United Nations mandate, andplayed an important role in Operation Uphold Democracy, inHaiti.[39] Argentina has contributed worldwide to peacekeepingoperations, including those in El Salvador, Honduras,Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Ecuador-Peru dispute, WesternSahara, Angola, Kuwait, Cyprus, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia andTimor Leste. In recognition of its contributions to internationalsecurity, U.S. President Bill Clinton designated Argentina as amajor non-NATO ally in January 1998. It was last elected as amember of the UN Security Council in 2005. The UnitedNations White Helmets, a bulwark of peacekeeping andhumanitarian aid efforts, were first deployed in 1994 followingan Argentine initiative.[40]

Military

The armed forces of Argentina comprise an army, navy and air force, and number about 70,000 active dutypersonnel, one third fewer than levels before the return to democracy in 1983.[41] The President iscommander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the Defense Ministry exercising day-to-day control. There are alsotwo other forces; the Naval Prefecture (which patrols Argentine territorial waters) and the National Gendarmerie(which patrols the border regions); both arms are controlled by the Interior Ministry but maintain liaison with theDefense Ministry. The minimum age for enlistment in the armed forces is 18 years and there is no obligatorymilitary service.

Historically, Argentina's military has been one of the best equipped in the region (for example, developing its ownjet fighters as early as the 1950s);[42] but recently it has faced sharper expenditure cutbacks than most other LatinAmerican armed forces. Real military expenditures declined steadily after 1981 and though there have been recentincreases, the defense budget is now around US$3billion.[43] The armed forces are currently participating in majorpeacekeeping operations in Haiti and Cyprus.

ProvincesArgentina is composed of twenty-three provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular provincia) and one autonomous city(Ciudad autnoma de Buenos Aires). The city and the provinces have their own constitutions, but exist under afederal system. The administrative divisions of the Provinces are the departments (Spanish: departamentos, singulardepartamento), and the municipalities (Spanish: municipios or intendencias), except for Buenos Aires Province,which is divided into partidos. The City of Buenos Aires is divided into communes.

Argentina 12

Buenos AiresLa Rioja

SanJuan

CatamarcaChaco

FormosaCorrientesMisionesCrdoba

SanLuis

MendozaNeuqun

Ro NegroChubut

La PampaEntreRiosSanta

FeSaltaJujuySantaCruzTierra

del Fuego

Argentina 13

Sgo delEstero

TBA

Autonomous City of Buenos Airesa

Buenos Aires Province Catamarca Chaco Chubut Crdoba Corrientes Entre Ros Formosa Jujuy La Pampa La Rioja Mendoza Misiones Neuqun Ro Negro Salta San Juan San Luis Santa Cruz Santa Fe Santiago del Estero Tierra del Fuego, Antrtida e Islas del 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, the Falkland Islands and South

Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Argentina 14

Geography

Topographic map of Argentina (including someterritorial claims)

The total surface area (excluding the Antarctic claim) is 2766891.2km2 ( sqmi), of which 30200km2 (11700sqmi) (1.1%) is water.Argentina is about 3900km (2400mi) long from north to south, and1400km (870mi) from east to west (maximum values). There are fourmajor regions: the fertile central plains of the Pampas, source ofArgentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling, oil-rich southernplateau of Patagonia including Tierra del Fuego; the subtropicalnorthern flats of the Gran Chaco, and the rugged Andes mountainrange along the western border with Chile.

The highest point above sea level is in Mendoza province at CerroAconcagua (6962m (22841 ft)), also the highest point in theSouthern[44] and Western Hemisphere.[45] The lowest point is Lagunadel Carbn in Santa Cruz province, 105m (344ft) below sealevel.[46] This is also the lowest point in South America. Thegeographic center of the country is in south-central La Pampaprovince. The easternmost continental point is northeast of Bernardode Irigoyen, Misiones,(2615S 5338W) the westernmost in theMariano Moreno Range in Santa Cruz province.(4933S 7335W)The northernmost point is at the confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete rivers in Jujuyprovince,(2146S 6613W) and the southernmost is Cape San Po in Tierra del Fuego. (5503S 6631W)[47]

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

Mount Aconcagua, the highest outside theHimalayas.

There are several large lakes including Argentino and Viedma in SantaCruz, Nahuel Huapi between Ro Negro and Neuqun, Fagnano inTierra del Fuego, and Colhu Huapi and Musters in Chubut. LakeBuenos Aires and O'Higgins/San Martn Lake are shared with Chile.Mar Chiquita, Crdoba, is the largest salt water lake in the country.There are numerous reservoirs created by dams. Argentina featuresvarious hot springs, such as Termas de Ro Hondo with temperaturesbetween 65 C (149F) and 89 C (192F).[48]

The largest oil spill in fresh water was caused by a Shell Petroleumtanker in the Ro de la Plata, off Magdalena, on 15 January 1999,

polluting the environment, drinking water, and local wildlife.[49]

The 4665km (2899mi) long Atlantic coast[50] has been a popular local vacation area for over a century, and variesbetween areas of sand dunes and cliffs. The continental platform is unusually wide; this shallow area of the Atlanticis called the Argentine Sea. The waters are rich in fisheries and possibly hold important hydrocarbon energyresources. The two major ocean currents affecting the coast are the warm Brazil Current and the cold FalklandCurrent. Because of the unevenness of the coastal landmass, the two currents alternate in their influence on climateand do not allow temperatures to fall evenly with higher latitude. The southern coast of Tierra del Fuego forms thenorth shore of the Drake Passage.

Argentina 15

Climate

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

The generally temperate climate ranges from subtropical in the north to subpolar in the far south. The north ischaracterized by very hot, humid summers with mild drier winters, and is subject to periodic droughts. CentralArgentina has hot summers with thunderstorms (western Argentina produces some of the world's largest hail), andcool winters. The southern regions have warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall, especially inmountainous zones. Higher elevations at all latitudes experience cooler conditions.The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have occurred in Argentina. A record hightemperature of 49.1 C (120.4F), was recorded at Villa Mara, Crdoba, on 2 January 1920. The lowest temperaturerecorded was 39 C (38.2F) at Valle de los Patos Superior, San Juan, on 17 July 1972.[51]

Major wind currents include the cool Pampero Winds blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia and the Pampas;following the cold front, warm currents blow from the north in middle and late winter, creating mild conditions. TheZonda, a hot dry wind, affects west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during the 6000m (19685ft) descentfrom the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up to 120km/h (75mph), fueling wildfires and causingdamage; when the Zonda blows (JuneNovember), snowstorms and blizzard (viento blanco) conditions usuallyaffect higher elevations.The Sudestada ("southeasterlies") could be considered similar to the Nor'easter, though snowfall is rare but notunprecedented. Both are associated with a deep winter low pressure system. The sudestada usually moderates coldtemperatures but brings very heavy rains, rough seas and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumn andwinter along the central coast and in the Ro de la Plata estuary.The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of daylight from November to February (upto nineteen hours) and extended nights from May to August.

Biodiversity

Emperor Penguins (Antarctic Region) and a coati (Mesopotamic Region).

Subtropical plants dominate the Gran Chaco in the north, with the Dalbergia genus of trees well represented byBrazilian Rosewood and the quebracho tree; also predominant are white and black algarrobo trees (prosopis albaand prosopis nigra). Savannah-like areas exist in the drier regions nearer the Andes. Aquatic plants thrive in thewetlands of Argentina. In central Argentina the humid pampas are a true tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The originalpampa had virtually no trees; some imported species like the American sycamore or eucalyptus are present alongroads or in towns and country estates (estancias). The only tree-like plant native to the pampa is the evergreenOmb. The surface soils of the pampa are a deep black color, primarily mollisols, known commonly as humus. Thismakes the region one of the most agriculturally productive on Earth; however, this is also responsible for decimatingmuch of the original ecosystem, to make way for commercial agriculture. The western pampas receive less rainfall,this dry pampa is a plain of short grasses or steppe.[52] The national government maintains 29 national parks.[53]

Argentina 16

Most of Patagonia lies within the rain shadow of the Andes, so the flora, shrubby bushes and plants, is suited to dryconditions. The soil is hard and rocky, making large-scale farming impossible except along river valleys. Coniferousforests in far western Patagonia and on the island of Tierra del Fuego, include alerce, ciprs de la cordillera, ciprs delas 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,cypress and pine. Common plants are the copihue and colihue.[54]

In Cuyo, semiarid thorny bushes and other xerophile plants abound. Along the many rivers grasses and trees grow insignificant numbers. The area presents optimal conditions for the large scale growth of grape vines. In northwestArgentina there are many species of cactus. No vegetation grows in the highest elevations (above 4000m (13000ft))because of the extreme altitude.

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

Many species live in the subtropical north. Prominent animals include big cats like the jaguar, puma, and ocelot;primates (howler monkey); large reptiles (crocodiles), the Argentine Black and White Tegu and a species of caiman.Other animals include the tapir, peccary, capybara, bush dog, and various species of turtle and tortoise. There are awide 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 therhea (and), a large flightless bird. Hawks, falcons, herons, and tinamous (perdiz, Argentine "false partridges")inhabit the region. There are also pampas deer and pampas foxes. Some of these species extend into Patagonia.The western mountains are home to different animals. These include the llama, guanaco, vicua, among the mostrecognizable species of South America. Also in this region are the fox, viscacha, Andean Mountain Cat, kodkod, andthe largest flying bird in the New World, the Andean Condor.Southern Argentina is home to the cougar, huemul, pud (the world's smallest deer), and introduced, non-native wildboar.[54] The coast of Patagonia is rich in animal life: elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and species of penguin. Thefar south is populated by cormorants.The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such as dolphins, orcas, and whales like thesouthern right whale, a major tourist draw for naturalists. Sea fish include sardines, Argentine hakes, dolphinfish,salmon, and sharks; also present are squid and King crab (centolla) in Tierra del Fuego. Rivers and streams inArgentina have many species of trout and the South American golden dorado fish. Well known snake speciesinhabiting Argentina include boa constrictors and a very venomous pit viper named the yarar. The Hornero waselected the National Bird after a survey in 1928.[55]

EconomyArgentina has a market-oriented economy with abundant natural resources, a well-educated population, anexport-oriented agricultural sector and a relatively diversified industrial base.The nation's services sector accounts for around 59% of the economy and 72% of employment, manufacturing is21% of GDP and 13% of employment, and agriculture is 9% of GDP, with 7% of employment; construction, mining,and public utilities divide the rest.[56] [57] Agriculture, including processed goods, provided 54% of export earningsin 2010, however, while industrial manufactures accounted for 35% (energy staples and metal ores were most of theremainder).[58]

Argentina 17

High inflation has been a weakness of the Argentine economy for decades.[59] Officially hovering around 9% since2006, inflation has been privately estimated at over 20%,[60] becoming a contentious issue again. The urban incomepoverty rate has dropped to 18% as of mid-2008, a third of the peak level observed in 2002, though still above thelevel prior to 1976.[61] [62] Income distribution, having improved since 2002, is still considerably unequal.[63] [64]

Argentina ranks 105th out of 178 countries in the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for2010.[65] Reported problems include both government and private-sector corruption, the latter of which includemoney laundering, trafficking in narcotics and contraband, and tax evasion.[66] The Kirchner administrationresponded to the Global financial crisis of 20082009 with a record public-works program, new tax cuts andsubsidies,[67] [68] and the transfer of private pensions to the social security system. Private pension plans, whichrequired growing subsidies to cover, were nationalized to shed a budgetary drain as well as to finance highgovernment spending and debt obligations.[69] [70]

Argentina has, after its neighbour Chile, the second-highest Human Development Index, and the highest GDP percapita in purchasing power terms in Latin America. Argentina is one of the G-20 major economies, with the world's27th largest nominal GDP, and the 22nd largest by purchasing power. The country is classified as upper-middleincome or a secondary emerging market by the World Bank.

History

The British-financed docks and railway systemcreated a dynamic agro-export sector that remains

as an economic pillar.

Argentina's economy developed from 1875 onwards with a surge ofagricultural exports, as well European investment and immigration.This boom ended in 1930, after which the economy began to slowlylose ground.[71] Domestic instability and global trends, however,contributed to Argentina's decline from its noteworthy position as theworld's 10th wealthiest nation per capita in 1913[72] to 62nd by 2010(though it remains above the world average in purchasing power parityterms).[5] Though no consensus exists explaining this, systemicproblems include burdensome debt, monetary uncertainty, excessiveregulation, barriers to free trade, and a weak rule of law withcorruption and a large bureaucracy.[72]

Even during the long decline from 1930 to 1980 the Argentine economy created Latin America's largest middle classas a proportion of the population.[20] A crisis period of two decades followed Jos Alfredo Martnez de Hoz'sfinancial liberalization policies of the late 1970s, leading to an increased debt burden and interrupted industrialdevelopment and upward social mobility.[73] Expansionary policies and commodity exports triggered a rebound inGDP beginning in 2003. This trend has been largely maintained, creating millions of jobs and encouraging internalconsumption. The socio-economic situation improved steadily, and the economy grew around 9% annually for fiveconsecutive years until 2007, with another 7% in 2008.[56]

The global recession of 200710 hit the country hard in 2009 with GDP growth slowing to 0.8%.[74] Argentine debtrestructuring offers in 2005 and 2010 resumed payments on the majority of its almost $100billion in defaulted bondsfrom 2001. The economic minister Amado Boudou said that with the offer, the Argentine government hoped "to endthe shame of 2001 once and for all."[75] High GDP growth resumed in 2010, and the economy expanded by 8.5%.[76]

Argentina 18

Science and technology

Dr. Luis Agote (second from right) overseeing the first safe and effective blood transfusion (1914); and Dr. Luis Federico Leloir (left) and his stafftoast his 1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Argentina has contributed many distinguished doctors, scientists and inventors to the world, including three NobelPrize laureates in sciences. Argentines have been responsible for major breakthroughs in world medicine; theirresearch has led to significant advances in wound-healing therapies and in the treatment of heart disease and severalforms of cancer. Domingo Liotta designed and developed the first artificial heart successfully implanted in a humanbeing in 1969. Ren Favaloro developed the techniques and performed the world's first ever coronary bypasssurgery, and Francisco de Pedro invented a more reliable artificial cardiac pacemaker.

SAC-D satellite

Bernardo Houssay, the first Latin American awarded with a Nobel Prize in theSciences, discovered the role of pituitary hormones in regulating glucose inanimals; Csar Milstein did extensive research in antibodies; Luis Leloirdiscovered how organisms store energy converting glucose into glycogen and thecompounds which are fundamental in metabolizing carbohydrates. A team led byAlberto Taquini and Eduardo Braun-Menndez discovered angiotensin in 1939,and was the first to describe the enzymatic nature of the renin-angiotensin systemand its role in hypertension.[77] The Leloir Institute of biotechnology is amongthe most prestigious in its field in Latin America and in the world.[78]

Dr. Luis Agote devised the first safe method of blood transfusion, Enrique Finochietto designed operating table toolssuch as the surgical scissors that bear his name ("Finochietto scissors") and a surgical rib-spreader.[79] They havelikewise contributed to bioscience in efforts like the Human Genome Project, where Argentine scientists havesuccessfully mapped the genome of a living being, a world first.[80] [81]

Argentina's nuclear program is highly advanced, having resulted in a research reactor in 1957 and Latin America'sfirst on-line commercial reactor in 1974. Argentina developed its nuclear program without being overly dependenton foreign technology. Nuclear facilities with Argentine technology have been built in Peru, Algeria, Australia andEgypt. In 1983, the country admitted having the capability of producing weapon-grade uranium, a major step neededto assemble nuclear weapons; since then, however, Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power only for peacefulpurposes.[82] As a member of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Argentina hasbeen a strong voice in support of nuclear non-proliferation efforts[83] and is highly committed to global nuclearsecurity.[84]

In other areas, Juan Vucetich, a Croatian immigrant, was the father of modern fingerprinting (dactiloscopy).[85] RalPateras Pescara demonstrated the world's first flight of a helicopter, Hungarian-Argentine Lszl Brmass-produced the first modern ball point pens and Eduardo Taurozzi developed the pendular combustion engine.[86]

Juan Maldacena, an Argentine-American scientist, is a leading figure in string theory. Argentine built satellitesinclude LUSAT-1 (1990), Vctor-1 (1996), PEHUENSAT-1 (2007),[87] and those developed by CONAE, theArgentine space agency, of the SAC series.[88] The Pierre Auger Observatory near Malarge, Mendoza, is theworld's foremost cosmic ray observatory.[89]

Argentina 19

Demographics

Historical populations Year Pop. %

1869 1877490

1895 4044911 +115.4%

1914 7903662 +95.4%

1947 15893811 +101.1%

1960 20013793 +25.9%

1970 23364431 +16.7%

1980 27947446 +19.6%

1991 32615528 +16.7%

2001 36260130 +11.2%

2010 40091359 +10.6%

A crowd in Rosario reflects the importance ofEuropean immigration to Argentine ethnography

and culture.

In the 2001 census [INDEC], Argentina had a population of 36,260,130,and preliminary results from the 2010 census were of 40,091,359inhabitants.[90] [91] Argentina ranks third in South America in totalpopulation and 33rd globally. Population density is of 15 persons persquare kilometer of land area, well below the world average of 50persons. 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 anda mortality rate of 7.4 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The net migrationrate has ranged from zero to four immigrants per 1,000 inhabitants.[92]

The proportion of people under 15 is 25.6%, somewhat below theworld average of 28%, and the proportion of people 65 and older isrelatively high at 10.8%. In Latin America this is second only to

Uruguay and well above the world average, which is currently 7%. Argentina has one of Latin America's lowestpopulation growth rates, recently about 1% a year, as well as a comparatively low infant mortality rate. Its birth rateof 2.3 children per woman is still nearly twice as high as that in Spain or Italy, compared here as they have similarreligious practices and proportions.[93] [94] The median age is approximately 30 years and life expectancy at birth is76.7 years.[92]

Ethnography

Built in 1906 to welcome hundreds of newcomersdaily, the Hotel de Inmigrantes is now a national

museum.

As with other areas of new settlement such as Canada, Australia, andthe United States, Argentina is considered a country of immigrants.[95]

Most Argentines are descended from colonial-era settlers, and 19th and20th century immigrants from Europe.[2] Argentina was second only tothe US in the numbers of European immigrants received and, at thosetimes, the national population doubled every two decades. Themajority of these European immigrants came from Italy and Spain.[96]

86.4% of Argentina's population self-identify as being of Europeandescent. An estimated 8% of the population is Mestizo and 4% ofArgentines are of Arab or Asian heritage.

Argentina 20

Recent Illegal immigration has mostly been coming from Bolivia and Paraguay, with smaller numbers from Peru,Ecuador and Romania.[97] The Argentine government estimates that 750,000 inhabitants lack official documents andhas launched a program called Patria Grande ("Greater Homeland")[98] to encourage illegal immigrants to declaretheir status in return for two-year residence visasso far over 670,000 applications have been processed under theprogram.[99]

Religion

Cathedral of La Plata

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but alsorequires the government to support Roman Catholicismeconomically.[100] Until 1994 the President and Vice Presidenthad to be Roman Catholic, though there were no suchrestrictions on other government officials; although since 1945members of other religious groups have held prominent posts.Catholic policy remains influential in government though, andstill helps shape a variety of legislation. In a study assessingworld-wide levels of religious regulation and persecution, withscores ranging from 010 where 0 represented low levels ofregulation or persecution, Argentina received a score of 1.4 onGovernment Regulation of Religion, 6.0 on Social Regulation ofReligion, 6.9 on Government Favoritism of Religion and 6 onReligious Persecution.[101]

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 and others.[102] ArgentineChristians are mostly Roman Catholic with estimates for thenumber of Catholics varying from 70%[103] to 90% of the population[104] (though perhaps only 20% attend servicesregularly).[92]

Evangelical churches have been gaining a foothold since the 1980s with approximately 9% of the totalpopulation,[105] Pentecostal churches and traditional Protestant denominations are present in most communities andThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 330,000 followers in Argentina (their seventh-largestcongregation in the world).[106]

Argentina has the largest Jewish population of any country in Latin America.[107] A recent study found thatapproximately 11% of Argentines are non-religious (which includes those who believe in God but do not follow areligion), 4% are agnostics and 5% are atheist. Overall 24% attended religious services regularly. Protestants werethe only group with a majority of followers who regularly attended services.[105]

Argentina 21

Language

"Voseo" in a Buenos Aires billboard

The de facto official language of Argentina is Spanish, usually calledcastellano (Castilian) by Argentines. Argentina is the largestSpanish-speaking society that universally employs voseo (the use ofthe pronoun vos instead of t (you), which occasions the use ofalternate verb forms as well). The most prevalent dialect isRioplatense, whose speakers are primarily located in the Ro de laPlata basin. Italian and other European immigrants influencedLunfardo, the slang spoken in the Ro de la Plata region, permeatingthe vernacular vocabulary of other regions as well. A phonetic studyconducted by the Laboratory for Sensory Investigations of CONICETand the University of Toronto showed that the accent of the inhabitants of Buenos Aires (known as porteos) iscloser to the Neapolitan language, spoken in Southern Italy, than any other spoken language.[108]

According to Ethnologue there are around 1.5million Italian speakers (making it the second most spoken languagein the country) and 1 million speakers of the North Levantine dialect of Arabic (spoken in Syria, Lebanon andCyprus).[109] Standard German is spoken by 400,000500,000 Argentines of German ancestry,[109] making it thefourth most spoken language.Some indigenous communities have retained their original languages. Guaran is spoken by some in the north east,especially in Corrientes (where it enjoys official status) and Misiones. Quechua is spoken by some in the north westand has a local variant in Santiago del Estero. Aymara is spoken by members of the Bolivian immigrant community.In Patagonia there are Welsh-speaking communities with around 25,000 using it as their second-language.[109]

Recent immigrants have brought Chinese and Korean (mostly to Buenos Aires). English, Brazilian Portuguese andFrench are also spoken. English is commonly taught at schools as a second language with Portuguese and French toa lesser extent.

UrbanizationArgentina is highly urbanized.[110] The ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population, and fewerthan one in ten live in rural areas. About 3 million people live in Buenos Aires City and the Greater Buenos Airesmetropolitan area totals around 13 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world.[111]

The metropolitan areas of Crdoba and Rosario have around 1.3million inhabitants each[111] and Mendoza,Tucumn, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe[111] [112] have at least half a million people each.The population is unequally distributed amongst the provinces: about 60% live in the Pampa region (21% of the totalarea), including 15 million people in Buenos Aires Province; Crdoba Province Santa Fe Province and theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires have 3 million each. Seven other provinces have over one million people each:Mendoza, Tucumn, Entre Ros, Salta, Chaco, Corrientes and Misiones. Tucumn is the most densely populated with60 inhabitants/km, the only Argentine province more densely populated than the world average, while the southernprovince of Santa Cruz has around 1 inhabitant/km.Most European immigrants settled in the cities, and the many small towns founded along the expanding railwaysystem. From the 1930s rural migration into the nation's larger cities accounted for much of their populationgrowth.[13] Argentine cities were originally built in a colonial Spanish grid style and many still retain this generallayout, which is known as a damero (checkerboard). Most of the larger cities also feature boulevards and diagonalavenues inspired by Haussmann's renovation of Paris. The city of La Plata, designed at the end of the 19th centuryby Pedro Benoit, combines the checkerboard layout with added diagonal avenues at fixed intervalsit was alsothe first in South America to have electric street lights.[113]

Argentina 22

A panorama of the highly urbanized city of Buenos Aires, the country's largest city.

Largest cities

CultureArgentine culture has significant European influences. Buenos Aires, its cultural capital, is largely characterized byboth the prevalence of people of European descent, and of conscious imitation of European styles in architecture.[115]

The other big influence is the gauchos and their traditional country lifestyle of self-reliance. Finally, indigenousAmerican traditions (like yerba mate infusions) have been absorbed into the general cultural milieu.

Literature

Jorge Luis Borges

Argentina has a rich literary history, as well as one of the region's most activepublishing industries. Argentine writers have figured prominently in LatinAmerican literature since becoming a fully united entity in the 1850s. Thestruggle between the Federalists (who favored a loose confederation ofprovinces based on rural conservatism) and the Unitarians (pro-liberalism andadvocates of a strong central government that would encourage Europeanimmigration), set the tone for Argentine literature of the time.[116]

The ideological divide between gaucho epic Martn Fierro by JosHernndez, and Facundo[117] by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, is a greatexample. Hernndez, a federalist, was opposed to the centralizing,modernizing and Europeanizing tendencies. Sarmiento wrote in support ofimmigration as the only way to save Argentina from becoming subject to therule of a small number of dictatorial caudillo families, arguing suchimmigrants would make Argentina more modern and open to WesternEuropean influences and therefore a more prosperous society.[118]

Argentine literature of that period was fiercely nationalist. It was followed bythe modernist movement, which emerged in France in the late 19th century,and this period in turn was followed by vanguardism, with Ricardo Giraldes as an important reference. Jorge LuisBorges, its most acclaimed writer, found new ways of looking at the modern world in metaphor and philosophicaldebate and his influence has extended to writers all over the globe. Borges is most famous for his works in shortstories such as Ficciones and The Aleph.

Some of the nation's notable writers, poets and intellectuals include: Juan Bautista Alberdi, Roberto Arlt, EnriqueBanchs, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Silvina Bullrich, Eugenio Cambaceres, Julio Cortzar, Esteban Echeverra, LeopoldoLugones, Eduardo Mallea, Ezequiel Martnez Estrada, Toms Eloy Martnez, Victoria Ocampo, Manuel Puig,Ernesto Sabato, Osvaldo Soriano, Alfonsina Storni and Mara Elena Walsh.

Argentina 23

Visual arts

Font of the Nereids (1903) by Lola Mora, astudent of Auguste Rodin's

Numerous Argentine architects have enriched their own country'scityscapes and, in recent decades, those around the world. JuanAntonio Buschiazzo helped popularize Beaux-Arts architecture andFrancisco Gianotti combined Art Nouveau with Italianate styles, eachadding flair to Argentine cities during the early 20th century. FranciscoSalamone and Viktor Suli left an Art Deco legacy, and AlejandroBustillo created a prolific body of Rationalist architecture. ClorindoTesta introduced Brutalist architecture locally and Csar Pelli's andPatricio Pouchulu's Futurist creations have graced cities, worldwide.Pelli's 1980s throwbacks to the Art Deco glory of the 1920s, inparticular, made him one of the world's most prestigious architects.

One of the most influential Argentine figures in fine arts was Xul Solar, whose surrealist work used watercolors asreadily as unorthodox painting media; he also "invented" two imaginary languages. The works of Cndido Lpezand Florencio Molina Campos (in Nave art style), Ernesto de la Crcova and Eduardo Svori (realism), FernandoFader (impressionism), Po Collivadino and Cesreo Bernaldo de Quirs (post-impressionist), Emilio Pettoruti(cubist), Antonio Berni (neo-figurative), Gyula Koice (constructivism), Eduardo Mac Entyre (Generative art),Guillermo Kuitca (abstract), and Roberto Aizenberg (Surrealism) are a few of the best-known Argentine painters.

Others include Benito Quinquela Martn, a quintessential 'port' painter for whom the working class andimmigrant-bound La Boca neighborhood, in particular, was excellently suited. A similar environment inspiredAdolfo Bellocq, whose lithographs have been influential since the 1920s. Evocative monuments ny Realist sculptorsErminio Blotta, Lola Mora and Rogelio Yrurtia became the part of the national landscape and today, Lucio Fontanaand Len Ferrari are acclaimed sculptors and conceptual artists. Ciruelo is a world-famous fantasy artist andsculptor, and Marta Minujn is an innovative Conceptual artist.

Film and theatreThe Argentine film industry creates around 80 full-length motion pictures annually.[115] [119] The per capita numberof screens is one of the highest in Latin America, and viewing per capita is the highest in the region.[116] The world'sfirst animated feature films were made and released in Argentina, by cartoonist Quirino Cristiani, in 1917 and1918.[120] Since the 1980s, Argentine films have achieved worldwide recognition, such as The Official Story (Bestforeign film oscar in 1986), Man Facing Southeast, A Place in the World, Nine Queens, Son of the Bride, TheMotorcycle Diaries, Blessed by Fire, and The Secret in Their Eyes, winner of the 2009 Academy Award for BestForeign Language Film. A new generation of Argentine directors has caught the attention of critics worldwide.[121]

Argentine composers Luis Enrique Bacalov and Gustavo Santaolalla have been honored with Academy Award forBest Original Score nods. Lalo Schifrin has received numerous Grammys and is best known for the Theme fromMission: Impossible.Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of theater.[116] The Teatro Coln is a national landmark for opera andclassical performances; its acoustics are considered the best in the world.[115] With its theatre scene of national andinternational caliber, Corrientes Avenue is synonymous with the art. It is thought of as 'the street that never sleeps'and sometimes referred to as the Broadway of Buenos Aires.[122] The Teatro General San Martn is one of the mostprestigious along Corrientes Avenue and the Teatro Nacional Cervantes functions as the national stage theater ofArgentina. The Teatro Argentino de La Plata, El Crculo in Rosario, Independencia in Mendoza and Libertador inCrdoba are also prominent. Griselda Gambaro, Copi, Roberto Cossa, Marco Denevi, Carlos Gorostiza, and AlbertoVaccarezza are a few of the more prominent Argentine playwrights. Julio Bocca, Jorge Donn, Jos Neglia andNorma Fontenla are some of the great ballet dancers of the modern era.

Argentina 24

Music

A Tango show in Buenos Aires

Tango, the music and lyrics (often sung in a form of slang calledlunfardo), is Argentina's musical symbol. The golden age of tango(1930 to mid-1950s) mirrored that of Jazz and Swing in the UnitedStates, featuring large orchestral groups too, like the bands of OsvaldoPugliese, Anibal Troilo, Francisco Canaro, Julio de Caro and JuanD'Arienzo. Incorporating acoustic music and later, synthesizers into thegenre after 1955, bandoneon virtuoso stor Piazzolla popularized "newtango" creating a more subtle, intellectual and listener-oriented trend.Today tango enjoys worldwide popularity; ever-evolving, neo-tango isa global phenomenon with renown groups like Tanghetto, Bajofondoand the Gotan Project.

Argentine rock developed as a distinct musical style in the mid-1960s, when Buenos Aires and Rosario becamecradles of several garage groups and aspiring musicians. Today it is widely considered the most prolific andsuccessful form of Rock en Espaol. Bands such as Soda Stereo or Sumo, and composers like Charly Garca, LuisAlberto Spinetta, and Fito Pez are referents of national culture. Seru Giran bridged the gap into the 1980s, whenArgentine bands became popular across 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 the world-renowned ColnTheater. Classical musicians, such as Martha Argerich, Eduardo Alonso-Crespo, Daniel Barenboim, EduardoDelgado and Alberto Lysy, and classical composers such as Juan Jos Castro and Alberto Ginastera areinternationally acclaimed. Some cities have annual events and important classical music festivals like SemanaMusical 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 the 1930s. Pern's Argentina wouldgive rise to Nueva Cancin, as artists began expressing in their music objections to political themes. The style wenton to influence the entirety of Latin American music.[123] Today, Chango Spasiuk and Soledad Pastorutti havebrought folk back to younger generations. Leon Gieco's folk-rock bridged the gap between Argentine folklore andArgentine rock, introducing both styles to millions overseas in successive tours.

MediaThe print media industry is highly developed and independent of the government, with more than two hundrednewspapers. The major national newspapers are from Buenos Aires, including the centrist Clarn, the best-sellingdaily in Latin America and the second most widely circulated in the Spanish-speaking world.[124] 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.[125]

Radio broadcasting in Argentina is predated only by radio in the United States, and began on 27 August 1920, whenRichard Wagner's Parsifal was broadcast by a team of medical students led Enrique Susini in Buenos Aires' TeatroColiseo.[126] There are currently 260 AM broadcasting and 1150 FM broadcasting radio stations in Argentina.[127]

The Argentine television industry is large and diverse, widely viewed in Latin America, and its productions seenaround the world. Argentines enjoy the highest availability of cable and satellite television in Latin America, similarto percentages in North America.[128]

Argentine comic artists have contributed prominently to national culture, including Alberto Breccia, DanteQuinterno, Oski, Francisco Solano Lpez, Horacio Altuna, Guillermo Mordillo, Roberto Fontanarrosa, whosegrotesque characters captured life's absurdities with quick-witted commentary, and Quino, known for the soup-hatingMafalda and her comic strip gang of childhood friends.

Argentina 25

SportsFurther information: Sport in Argentina

From a Superclsico derby betweenBoca Juniors and River Plate

(August 25, 1974)

The official national sport of Argentina is pato,[129] played with a six-handle ballon horseback, but the most popular sport is association football.[130] The nationalfootball team has won 25 major international titles[131] including two FIFAWorld Cups, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen Copa Amricas.[132] Overone thousand Argentine players play abroad, the majority of them in Europeanfootball leagues.[133] There are 331,811 registered football players,[134] withincreasing numbers of girls and women, who have organized their own nationalchampionships since 1991 and were South American champions in 2006.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was formed in 1893 and is the eightholdest national football association in the world. The AFA today counts 3,377football clubs,[134] including 20 in the Premier Division. Since the AFA wentprofessional in 1931, fifteen teams have won national tournament titles,including River Plate with 33 and Boca Juniors with 24.[135] Over the last twentyyears, futsal and beach soccer have become increasingly popular. The Argentine beach football team was one of fourcompetitors in the first international championship for the sport, in Miami, in 1993.[136]

Basketball is the second most popular sport; a number of basketball players play in the U.S. National BasketballAssociation and European leagues including Manu Ginbili, Andrs Nocioni, Carlos Delfino, Luis Scola andFabricio Oberto. The men's national basketball team won Olympic gold in the 2004 Olympics and the bronze medalin 2008. Argentina is currently ranked first by the International Basketball Federation. Argentina has an importantrugby union football team, "Los Pumas", with many of its players playing in Europe. Argentina beat host nationFrance twice in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, placing them third in the competition. The Pumas are currently eighth inthe official world rankings.[137] Other popular sports include field hockey (particularly amongst women), tennis, autoracing, boxing, volleyball, polo and golf.

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

CuisineDishes & drinks from Argentina

Mate. Asado. Humita. Milanesa.

Argentina 26

Empanadas. Locro. Dulce deLeche.

Alfajores.

Wine.

Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental Europe, Argentines enjoy a widevariety of Indigenous and Criollo creations, which include empanadas (a stuffed pastry), locro (a mixture of corn,beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd), humitas and yerba mate, all originally indigenous Amerindian staples, thelatter considered Argentina's national beverage. Other popular items include chorizo (a spicy sausage), facturas(Viennese-style pastry) and Dulce de leche, a sort of milk caramel jam.The Argentine barbecue, asado as well as a parrillada, includes various types of meats, among them chorizo,sweetbread, chitterlings, and morcilla (blood sausage). Thin sandwiches, sandwiches de miga, are also popular.Argentines have the highest consumption of red meat in the world.[138]

The Argentine wine industry, long among the largest outside Europe, has benefited from growing investment since1992; in 2007, 60% of foreign investment worldwide in viticulture was destined to Argentina.[139] The country is thefifth most important wine producer in the world,[140] with the annual per capita consumption of wine among thehighest. Malbec grape, a discardable varietal in France (country of origin), has found in the Province of Mendoza anideal environment to successfully develop and turn itself into the world's best Malbec.[139] Mendoza accounts for70% of the country's total wine production. "Wine tourism" is important in Mendoza province, with the impressivelandscape of the Cordillera de Los Andes and the highest peak in the Americas, Mount Aconcagua, 6952m (22808ft) high, providing a very desirable destination for international tourism.

Argentina 27

National emblemsArgentina has a number of national symbols, some of which are extensively defined by law.[141]

The National Flag consists of three, equal in width, horizontal stripes, colored light blue, white and light blue, withthe Sun of May in the centre of the middle, white stripe. The flag was designed by Manuel Belgrano in 1812; it wasadopted as a national symbol 20 July 1816. The Coat of Arms of Argentina, which represents the union of theprovinces, came into use in 1813 as a seal for official documents.The Argentine National Anthem, adopted in 1813, was written by Vicente Lpez y Planes with music by BlasParera. It has been subsequently shortened to only three paragraphs, after omitting the lyrics' attacks against formeroccupant Spain.The Cockade of Argentina was first used during the May Revolution of 1810 and was made official two years later.The Hornero, habitating practically across all the national territory, was unanimously designated as Argentina'snational animal in 1927. The ceibo is the country's designated national flower and tree,[141] while the horsebackgame of pato is its national sport.[142] . Asado is the designated national dish, the Rhodochrosite the national stone,and wine the national liquor.[143]

The Virgin of Lujan is Argentina's patron saint.

EducationAfter independence Argentina built a national public education system in comparison to other nations, placing thecountry high in the global rankings of literacy. Today Argentina has a literacy rate of 97%, and three in eight adultsover age 20 have completed secondary school studies or higher.[61]

The ubiquitous white uniform of Argentineschool children is a national symbol of learning

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 17. TheArgentine school system consists of an elementary or lower schoollevel lasting six or seven years, and a secondary or high school levellasting between five to six years. In the 1990s, the system was split intodifferent types of high school instruction, called Educacion Secundariaand the Polimodal. Some provinces adopted the Polimodal whileothers did not. A project in the executive branch to repeal this measureand return to a more traditional secondary level system was approvedin 2006.[144] President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento is credited withpushing for and implementing a free and modern education system inArgentina. 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 graduate studies. There are many privateschool institutions in the primary, secondary and university levels. Around 11.4million people were enrolled informal education of some kind in 2006, including 1.5million in the nation's 85 universities.[61]

Public education in Argentina is tuition-free from the elementary to the university levels. Though literacy was nearlyuniversal as early as 1947,[61] the majority of Argentine youth had little access to education beyond the compulsoryseven years of grade school during the first half of the 20th century; since then, when the tuition-free system wasextended to the secondary and university levels, demand for these facilities has often outstripped budgets(particularly since the 1970s).[145] Consequently, public education is now widely found wanting and in decline; thishas helped private education flourish, though it has also caused a marked inequity between those who can afford it(usually the middle and upper classes) and the rest of society, as private schools often have no scholarship systems inplace. Roughly one in four primary and secondary students and one in six university students attend privateinstitutions.[61] [145]

Argentina 28

There are thirty-eight public universities across the country,[146] as well as numerous private ones. The University ofBuenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de Crdoba, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Universidad Nacional deRosario, and the National Technological University are among the most important. Public universities facedcutbacks in spending during the 1980s and 1990s, which led to a decline in overall quality.

Health care

The University of Buenos AiresSchool of Medicine, alma mater to

many of the country's 3,000 medicalgraduates, annually.[147]

Health care is provided through a combination of employer and laborunion-sponsored plans (Obras Sociales), government insurance plans, publichospitals and clinics and through private health insurance plans. Governmentefforts to improve public health can be traced to Spanish Viceroy Juan Jos deVrtiz's first Medical Tribunal of 1780.[148] Following independence, medicalschools were established at the University of Buenos Aires (1822) and theNational University of Crdoba (1877). The training of doctors and nurses atthese and other schools enabled the rapid development of health carecooperatives, which during the presidency of Juan Pern became publiclysubsidized Obras Sociales. Today, these number over 300 (of which 200 arerelated to labor unions) and provide health care for half the population; thenational INSSJP (popularly known as PAMI) covers nearly all of the five millionsenior citizens.[149]

Health care costs amount to almost 10% of GDP and have been growing in pacewith the proportion of Argentines over 65 (7% in 1970). Public and privatespending have historically split this about evenly: public funds are mainly spent through Obras, which in turn, referpatients needing hospitalization to private and public clinics; private funds are spent evenly between private insurers'coverage and out-of-pocket expenses.[150] [151]

There are more than 153,000 hospital beds, 121,000 physicians and 37,000 dentists (ratios comparable to developednations).[152] [153] The relatively high access to medical care has historically resulted in mortality patterns and trendssimilar to developed nations': from 1953 to 2005, deaths from cardiovascular disease increased from 20% to 23% ofthe total, those from tumors from 14% to 20%, respiratory problems from 7% to 14%, digestive maladies(non-infectious) from 7% to 11%, strokes a steady 7%, injuries, 6%, and infectious diseases, 4%. Causes related tosenility led to many of the rest. Infant deaths have fallen from 19% of all deaths in 1953 to 3% in 2005.[152] [154]

The availability of health care has also reduced infant mortality from 70 per 1000 live births in 1948[155] to 12.1 in2009[152] and raised life expectancy at birth from 60 years to 76.[155] Though these figures compare favorably withglobal averages, they fall short of levels in developed nations and in 2006, Argentina ranked fourth in LatinAmerica.[153]

Argentina 29

References[1] Article 35 of the "Constitution" (http:/ / www. argentina. gov. ar/ argentina/ portal/ documentos/ constitucion_ingles. pdf). . gives equal

recognition to "United Provinces of the River Plate", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation" and authorizes the use of"Argentine Nation" in the making and enactment of laws

[2] Ben Cahoon. "Argentina" (http:/ / www. worldstatesmen. org/ Argentina. html). World Statesmen.org. .[3] "Encuesta Complementaria de Pueblos Indgenas 20042005" (http:/ / www. indec. gov. ar/ webcenso/ ECPI/ index_ecpi. asp). National

Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina. . (Spanish)[4] Buenos Aires Herald (http:/ / www. buenosairesherald. com). "Argentina's population at 40, 117,096, says INDEC" (http:/ / www.

buenosairesherald. com/ article/ 77606/ argentinas-population-at-40-117096-says-indec). .[5] Argentina World Economic Outlook Database, September 2011 (http:/ / www. imf. org/ external/ pubs/ ft/ weo/ 2011/ 02/ weodata/

weorept. aspx?sy=2011& ey=2011& scsm=1& ssd=1& sort=country& ds=. & br=1& pr1. x=50& pr1. y=11& c=213&s=NGDP,NGDPD,NGDPDPC,PPPGDP,PPPPC& grp=0& a=)

[6] "Distribution of family income Gini index" (https:/ / www. cia. gov/ library/ publications/ the-world-factbook/ fields/ 2172. html). TheWorld Factbook. CIA. . Retrieved 2009-09-01.

[7] "Human Development Report 2011" (http:/ / hdr. undp. org/ en/ media/ HDR_2011_EN_Table1. pdf). United Nations. 2011. . Retrieved 2November 2011.

[8] Wurst J (2006) Middle Powers Initiative Briefing Paper (http:/ / www. gsinstitute. org/ docs/ ClingendaelBrief_Final. pdf), GSI[9] "Argentina country profile" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ americas/ country_profiles/ 1192478. stm). news.bbc.co.uk. . Retrieved

2011-01-31.[10] According to the latest estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ( World Economic Outlook Database, April 2011 (http:/ / www.

imf. org/ external/ pubs/ ft/ 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=213,263,268,273,218,278,223,283,228,288,233,293,238,243,248,253,298,258,299& s=NGDPDPC,PPPPC& grp=0&a=)) and the World Bank ( World Development Indicators database (http:/ / databank. worldbank. org/ ddp/ home. do?Step=12& id=4&CNO=2))

[11] According to the Legatum Institute: Economy Ranked 42nd: Argentinas economy appears stable, but confidence in financial institutionsremains low (http:/ / www. prosperity. com/ country. aspx?id=AR) The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index

[12] CONSTITUCIN DE LA REPBLICA ARGENTINA (24 de diciembre de 1826) sancionada por el Congreso General Constituyente de18241827 (http:/ / www. dircost. unito. it/ cs/ docs/ Argentina- Republica 1826. htm) (Spanish)

[13] Rock, David. Argentina, 15161982. University of California Press, 1987.[14] Santilln, p. 19[15] "Country Studies: The War of the Triple Alliance" (http:/ / countrystudies. us/ paraguay/ 11. htm). Countrystudies.us. . Retrieved

2011-06-20.[16] Rubinstein, W. D. (2004). Genocide: a history (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=nMMAk4VwLLwC& pg=PA94& dq#v=onepage&

q=& f=false). Pearson Education. p.94. ISBN0582506018. .[17] Carlos A. Floria and Csar A. Garca Belsunce, 1971. Historia de los Argentinos I and II; ISBN 84-599-5081-6.[18] "Argentina Desert War 18791880" (http:/ / www. onwar. com/ aced/ data/ alpha/ argentina1879. htm). Onwar.com. 2003-11-27. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[19] 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. . Retrieved 2009-09-02.[20] Lewis, Paul. The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1990.[21] Barnes, John. Evita, First Lady: A Biography of Eva Pern. New York: Grove Press, 1978.[22] "Pern" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ peronista/ peron1/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[23] "INDEC (precios)" (http:/ / www. indec. mecon. ar/ nuevaweb/ cuadros/ 10/ ipc-var-dde1943. xls). . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[24] Foster et al (1998). Culture and Customs of Argentina (http:/ / books. google. com/ ?id=iZ-rJyz2pSsC& pg=PA62). Greenwood. p.62.

ISBN9780313303197. .[25] Feitlowitz, Marguerite. A Lexicon of Terror: Argentina and the Legacies of Torture. Oxford University Press, 2002.[26] Nancy Scheper-Hughes. Child Survival: Anthropological Perspectives on the Treatment and Maltreatment of Children. ISBN1556080298.[27] Andersen, Martin. Dossier Secreto. Westview Press, 1993.[28] "Alfonsn" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ democracia/ alfonsin/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[29] "Menem" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ democracia/ menem2/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[30] "de la Ra" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ democracia/ delarua/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[31] "Duhalde" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ democracia/ duhalde/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[32] "Kirchner" (http:/ / www. todo-argentina. net/ historia/ democracia/ kirchner/ index. html) (in Spanish). Todo Argentina. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.

Argentina 30

[33] "Crtica" (http:/ / criticadigital. com/ tapaedicion/ diario279enteroweb. pdf) (in Spanish) (PDF). . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[34] Barrionuevo, Alexei (15 July 2010). "Argentina Approves Gay Marriage, in a First for Region" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2010/ 07/ 16/

world/ americas/ 16argentina. html). New York Times. . Retrieved 2010-07-20.[35] Levin, Dan (27 July 2010). "Awaiting a Full Embrace of Same-Sex Weddings" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2010/ 07/ 28/ world/ africa/

28capetown. html). New York Times. . Retrieved 2010-07-28.[36] "Qu dice la "Ley Cafiero" " (http:/ / www. infobae. com/ contenidos/ 324047-100799-0-Qu-dice-la-Ley-Cafiero). Infobae.com.

2011-01-30. . Retrieved 2011-06-20.[37] "Antarctic Treaty Secretariat" (http:/ / www. ats. aq/ ). Ats.aq. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[38] See Relaciones bilaterales sin dilogo, 19451965 (Spanish)[[Category:Articles with Spanish language external links (http:/ / www.

argentina-rree. com/ 12/ 12-05. htm)]][39] Bentley, David (June 1996). "Operation Uphold Democracy. Institute for National Strategic Studies" (http:/ / www. dtic. mil/ cgi-bin/

GetTRDoc?Location=U2& doc=GetTRDoc. pdf& AD=ADA394191). . Retrieved 2011-06-19.[40] White Helmets Commission (http:/ / www. cascosblancos. gov. ar/ a_inicio/ proposito/ index. htm)[41] "NationMaster Argentine Military statistics" (http:/ / www. nationmaster. com/ country/ ar-argentina/ mil-military). Nationmaster.com. .

Retrieved 2010-04-25.[42] Pulqui: Argentina's Jet Adventure (http:/ / www. ipmsstockholm. org/ magazine/ 2002/ 06/ stuff_eng_profile_pulqui. htm)

IPMStockholm.org[43] "MECON: National budget" (http:/ / www. mecon. gov. ar/ peconomica/ docs/ gp_nac. xls). . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[44] Mountains of the Earth (http:/ / home. comcast. net/ ~igpl/ Mountains. html) The Highest Mountain Peak on Each Continent[45] Aconcagua, the highest in the Western Hemisphere (http:/ / www. summitpost. org/ mountain/ rock/ 150197/ aconcagua. html) s[46] Depressions (http:/ / home. comcast. net/ ~igpl/ Depressions. html) The Lowest Surface Point on Each Continent[47] "Argentine topography, hydrography, and climate" (http:/ / www. hcdsc. gov. ar/ biblioteca/ ISES/ geografiaargentina. asp) (in Spanish).

Chamber of Deputies of Santa Cruz province. .[48] About Termas de Ro Hondo (http:/ / www. liveargentina. com/ SantiagodelEsteroRioHondo. htm).[49] "Magdalena oil spill" (http:/ / www. petroleomagdalena. com). Petroleomagdalena.com. 2009-01-15. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[50] "Global Argentina" (http:/ / www. natlaw. com/ pubs/ sparcs1. htm). National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade. 1997. .[51] "Datos extremos en el pas y en el mundo" (http:/ / www. smn. gov. ar/ ?mod=biblioteca& id=94) (in Spanish). Servicio Meteorolgico

Nacional. . Retrieved 16 October 2010.[52] "WWF" (http:/ / www. worldwildlife. org/ wildworld/ profiles/ terrestrial/ nt/ nt0806_full. html). Worldwildlife.org. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[53] "Administracin de Parques Nacionales" (http:/ / www. parquesnacionales. gov. ar/ ) (in Spanish). Parquesnacionales.gov.ar. . Retrieved

2011-06-19.[54] "Animals in Argentina" (http:/ / www. adventure-tours-south. com/ flofau. htm). Adventure-tours-south.com. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.[55] "Info about Hornero" (http:/ / www. redargentina. com/ Faunayflora/ Aves/ hornero. asp) (in (Spanish)). Redargentina.com. 2007-09-24. .

Retrieved 2010-04-25.[56] "Poltica Econmica Pgina Principal" (http:/ / www. mecon. gov. ar/ peconomica/ basehome/ infoeco. html). Mecon.gov.ar. . Retrieved

2010-04-25.[57] "Cuenta de Generacin del Ingreso" (http:/ / www. mecon. gov. ar/ secpro/ dir_