Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina,

pronounced [reˈpuβlika arxenˈtina]), is the second largest country in South

America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city,
Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the
largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more
populous. Its continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and
the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Argentina borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the
north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south.
Argentina claims the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands and
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It also claims a part of Antarctica,
overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, though all claims were
suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961.

Argentina has the second-highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita in
purchasing power parity in Latin America. Argentina is one of the G-20 major
economies, with the world's 30th largest nominal GDP, and the 23rd largest when
purchasing power is taken into account. The country is classified as upper-middle
income or a secondary emerging market by the World Bank.
Contents

Etymology
Main article: Name of Argentina

The name is derived from the Latin argentum (silver), which comes from the Ancient
Greek ἀργήντος (argēntos), gen. of ἀργήεις (argēeis), "white, shining".[6]
Αργεντινός (argentinos) was an ancient Greek epithet meaning "silvery".[7] The
first use of the name Argentina can be traced to the early 16th century voyages of
the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors to the Río de la Plata ("Silver River").
[citation needed]
History
Main article: History of Argentina
Early history

The earliest evidence of humans in Argentina is in Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa

Cruz) and dates from 11,000 BC (Santa María, Huarpes, Diaguitas and Sanavirones,
among others). The Inca Empire under King Pachacutec invaded and conquered
present-day northwestern Argentina in 1480, integrating it into a region called
Collasuyu; the Guaraní developed a culture based on yuca, sweet potato and yerba
mate. The central and southern areas (Pampas and Patagonia) were dominated by
nomadic cultures, unified in the 17th century by the Mapuches.[citation needed]

European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain established the Viceroyalty of Peru in

1542 encompassing all its holdings in South America, and established a permanent
colony at Buenos Aires in 1580 as part of the dependency of Río de la Plata. In
1776 this dependency was elevated to a viceroyalty which shifted trade from Lima
to Buenos Aires.
José de San Martín, Liberator of Argentina and Perú

The area was largely a country of Spanish immigrants and their descendants, known
as criollos, and others of native cultures and of descendants of African slaves,
present in significant numbers. A third of Colonial-era settlers gathered in
Buenos Aires and other cities, others living on the pampas as gauchos, for
instance. Indigenous peoples inhabited much of the rest of Argentina. The British
invaded twice between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars when Spain was
an ally of France, but both invasions were repelled.
The Buenos Aires Cabildo, scene of the 1810 resolution that led to independence

On 25 May 1810, after the rumors of the Napoleonic overthrow of Ferdinand VII were
confirmed, the citizens of Buenos Aires created the First Government Junta (May
Revolution). Two nations emerged in the former viceroyalty: the United Provinces
of South America (1810) and the Liga Federal (1815). Other provinces delayed the
formation of a unified state because of differences between autonomist and
centralist parties; Paraguay seceded, declaring independence in 1811.

Between 1814 and 1817, General José de San Martín led a military campaign aimed at
making independence a reality. San Martín and his regiment crossed the Andes in
1817 to defeat royalist forces in Chile and Perú, thus securing independence. The
Congress of Tucumán gathered on 9 July 1816 and finally issued a formal
Declaration of Independence from Spain. The Liga Federal was crushed in 1820 by
the combined forces of the United Provinces and Brazil, and its provinces were
absorbed into the United Provinces of South America. Bolivia declared independence
in 1825, and Uruguay was created in 1828 as a result of a truce following the
Argentina-Brazil War. The controversial truce led to the rise of Buenos Aires
provincial governor Juan Manuel de Rosas, who, as a federalist, exercised a reign
of terror and kept the fragile confederacy together.

The centralist Unitarios and the Federales maintained an internecine conflict

until Rosas' 1852 overthrow after the Platine War, and to help prevent future
struggle during the tenuous times that followed, a Constitution was promulgated in
1853. The constitution, drafted by legal scholar Juan Bautista Alberdi, was
defended by Franciscan Friar Mamerto Esquiú and endured through difficult early
years. National unity was reinforced when Paraguayan dictator López attacked
Argentina and Brazil in 1865,[8] resulting in the War of the Triple Alliance,
which left more than 300,000 dead and devastated Paraguay.[9]
Modern history
The Port of Buenos Aires (1900). Maritime trade led to accelerated development
after 1875.

A wave of foreign investment and immigration from Europe after 1870 led to the
development of modern agriculture and to a near-reinvention of Argentine society
and the economy and the strengthening of a cohesive state. The rule of law was
consolidated in large measure by Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, whose 1860 Commercial
Code and 1869 Civil Code laid the foundation for Argentina's statutory laws.
General Julio Argentino Roca's military campaign in the 1870's established
Argentine dominance over the southern Pampas and Patagonia, subdued the remaining
indigenous peoples and left 1,300 indigenous dead.[10][11] Some contemporary
sources indicate that it was campaign of genocide by the Argentine government.[12]
Hipólito Yrigoyen was an activist for universal (male) suffrage and was
Argentina's first president so elected (1928)

Argentina increased in prosperity and prominence between 1880 and 1929, while
emerging as one of the 10 richest countries in the world, benefiting from an
agricultural export-led economy. Driven by immigration and decreasing mortality,
the Argentine population grew fivefold and the economy by 15-fold.[13]
Conservative interests dominated Argentine politics through non-democratic means
until, in 1912, President Roque Sáenz Peña enacted universal male suffrage and the
secret ballot. This allowed their traditional rivals, the centrist Radical Civic
Union, to win the country's first free elections in 1916. President Hipólito
Yrigoyen enacted social and economic reforms and extended assistance to family
farmers and small business. But having been politically imposing and beset by the
Great Depression, the military forced him from power in 1930. This led to another
decade of Conservative rule, whose economists turned to more protectionist
policies and whose electoral policy was one of "patriotic fraud". The country was
neutral during World War I and most of World War II, becoming an important source
of foodstuffs for the Allied Nations.[13]
President Juan Perón (1946)
In 1946, General Juan Perón was elected president, creating a political movement
referred to as "Peronism". His hugely popular wife, Evita, played a central
political role until her death in 1952, mostly through the Eva Perón Foundation
and the Peronist Women's Party.[14] During Perón's tenure, wages and working
conditions improved appreciably, the number of unionized workers quadrupled,
government programs increased and urban development was prioritized over the
agrarian sector.[15] Formerly stable prices and exchange rates were disrupted,
however: the peso lost about 70% of its value from early 1948 to early 1950, and
inflation reached 50% in 1951.[16] Foreign policy became more isolationist,
straining U.S.-Argentine relations. Perón intensified censorship as well as
repression: 110 publications were shuttered,[17] and numerous opposition figures
were imprisoned and tortured.[18] Over time, he rid himself of many important and
capable advisers, while promoting patronage. A violent coup, which bombarded the
Casa Rosada and its surroundings killing many, deposed him in 1955. He fled into
exile, eventually residing in Spain.
Arturo Frondizi (second from left) hosts U.S. President John F. Kennedy (1961)

Following an attempt to purge the Peronist influence and the banning of Peronists
from political life, elections in 1958 brought Arturo Frondizi to office. Frondizi
enjoyed some support from Perón's followers, and his policies encouraged
investment to make Argentina self-sufficient in energy and industry, but led to a
trade deficit for Argentina. The military, however, frequently interfered on
behalf of conservative interests and the results were mixed.[13] Frondizi was
forced to resign in 1962. Arturo Illia, elected in 1963, enacted expansionist
policies; but despite prosperity, his attempts to include Peronists in the
political process resulted in the armed forces' retaking power in a quiet 1966
coup. Though repressive, this new regime continued to encourage domestic
development and invested record amounts into public works. The economy grew
strongly, and income poverty declined to 7% by 1975, still a record low. Partly
because of their repressiveness, however, political violence began to escalate
and, from exile, Perón skillfully co-opted student and labor protests, which
eventually resulted in the military regime's call for free elections in 1973 and
his return from Spain.[19] Taking office that year, Perón died in July 1974,
leaving his third wife Isabel, the Vice President, to succeed him in office. Mrs.
Perón had been chosen as a compromise among feuding Peronist factions who could
agree on no other running mate; secretly, though, she was beholden to Perón's most
fascist advisers. The resulting conflict between left and right-wing extremists
led to mayhem and financial chaos and, in March 1976, a coup d'état removed her
from office.
The policies of dictator Jorge Videla and economist José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz
left a traumatic legacy

The self-styled National Reorganization Process intensified measures against armed

groups on the far left such as People's Revolutionary Army and the Montoneros,
which from 1970 had kidnapped and murdered people almost weekly.[20] Repression
was quickly extended to the opposition in general, however, and during the "Dirty
War" thousands of dissidents "disappeared". These abuses were aided and abetted by
the CIA in Operation Condor, with many of the military leaders that took part in
abuses trained in the U.S.-financed School of the Americas.[21] This new
dictatorship at first brought some stability and built numerous important public
works; but their frequent wage freezes and deregulation of finance led to a sharp
fall in living standards and record foreign debt.[13] Deindustrialization, the
peso's collapse and crushing real interest rates, as well as unprecedented
corruption, public revulsion in the face of alleged human rights abuses and,
finally, the country's 1982 defeat by the British in the Falklands War discredited
the military regime and led to free elections in 1983.
Leopoldo Galtieri's takeover of the Falkland Islands in 1982 cost Argentina lives
and prestige

Raúl Alfonsín's government took steps to account for the "disappeared",

established civilian control of the armed forces and consolidated democratic
institutions. The members of the three military juntas were prosecuted and
sentenced to life terms. The previous regime's foreign debt, however, left the
Argentine economy saddled by the conditions imposed on it by both its private
creditors and the IMF, and priority was given to servicing the foreign debt at the
expense of public works and domestic credit. Alfonsín's failure to resolve
worsening economic problems caused him to lose public confidence. Following a 1989
currency crisis that resulted in a sudden and ruinous 15-fold jump in prices, he
left office five months early.[22]
Raúl Alfonsín (left) greets supporters with his trademark salute (1983)

Newly elected President Carlos Menem began pursuing privatizations and, after a
second bout of hyperinflation in 1990, reached out to economist Domingo Cavallo,
who imposed a peso-dollar fixed exchange rate in 1991 and adopted far-reaching
market-based policies, dismantling protectionist barriers and business
regulations, while accelerating privatizations. These reforms contributed to
significant increases in investment and growth with stable prices through most of
the 1990s; but the peso's fixed value could only be maintained by flooding the
market with dollars, resulting in a renewed increase in the foreign debt. Towards
1998, moreover, a series of international financial crises and overvaluation of
the pegged peso caused a gradual slide into economic crisis. The sense of
stability and well being which had prevailed during the 1990s eroded quickly, and
by the end of his term in 1999, these accumulating problems and reports of
corruption had made Menem unpopular.[23]
Néstor Kirchner (second from right) hosts Raúl Alfonsín (right) and former
Brazilian Presidents Lula da Silva and José Sarney to commemorate 20 years of
productive trade talks

President Fernando de la Rúa inherited diminished competitiveness in exports, as

well as chronic fiscal deficits. The governing coalition developed rifts, and his
returning Cavallo to the Economy Ministry was interpreted as a crisis move by
speculators. The decision backfired and Cavallo was eventually forced to take
measures to halt a wave of capital flight and to stem the imminent debt crisis
(culminating in the freezing of bank accounts). A climate of popular discontent
ensued, and on 20 December 2001 Argentina dove into its worst institutional and
economic crisis since the 1890 Barings financial debacle. There were violent
street protests, which clashed with police and resulted in several fatalities. The
increasingly chaotic climate, amid riots accompanied by cries that "they should
all go", finally resulted in the resignation of President de la Rúa.[24]
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, president since December 2007

Three presidents followed in quick succession over two weeks, culminating in the
appointment of interim President Eduardo Duhalde by 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 depreciation of the
peso and a spike in inflation. Duhalde, a Peronist with a center-left economic
position, had to cope with a financial and socio-economic crisis, with
unemployment as high as 25% by late 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 protest, the economy began to stabilize by late 2002,
and restrictions on bank withdrawals were lifted in December.[25]

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 Néstor Kirchner, a social
democratic Peronist, was elected president in May 2003 and during Kirchner's
presidency Argentina restructured its defaulted debt with a steep discount (about
66%) on most bonds, paid off debts with the International Monetary Fund,
renegotiated contracts with utilities and nationalized some previously privatized
enterprises. Kirchner and his economists, notably Roberto Lavagna, also pursued
vigorous income policies and public works investments.[26]

Argentina has since been enjoying economic growth, though with high inflation.
Néstor Kirchner forfeited the 2007 campaign in favor of his wife Senator Cristina
Fernández de Kirchner. Winning by a landslide that October, she became the first
woman elected President of Argentina and in a disputed result, Fabiana Ríos, a
center-left (ARI) candidate in Tierra del Fuego Province became the first woman in
Argentine history to be elected governor. President Cristina Kirchner, despite
carrying large majorities in Congress, saw controversial plans for higher
agricultural export taxes defeated by Vice President Julio Cobos' surprise tie-
breaking vote against them on 16 July 2008, following massive agrarian protests
and lockouts from March to July. The global financial crisis has since prompted
Mrs. Kirchner to step up her husband's policy of state intervention in troubled
sectors of the economy.[27] A halt in growth and political missteps helped lead
Kirchnerism and its allies to lose their absolute majority in Congress, following
the 2009 mid-term elections.
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Argentina and Climate of Argentina
Topographic map of Argentina (including some territorial claims)

The total surface area (excluding the Antarctic claim) is 2,766,891 km2 (1,068,303
sq mi), of which 30,200 km2 (11,700 sq mi) (1.1%) is water. Argentina is about
3,900 km (2,400 mi) long from north to south, and 1,400 km (870 mi) from east to
west (maximum values). There are four major regions: the fertile central plains of
the Pampas, source of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling, oil-
rich southern plateau of Patagonia including Tierra del Fuego; the subtropical
northern flats of the Gran Chaco, and the rugged Andes mountain range along the
western border with Chile.

The highest point above sea level is in Mendoza province at Cerro Aconcagua (6,962
m (22,841 ft)), also the highest point in the Southern[28] and Western Hemisphere.
[29] The lowest point is Laguna del Carbón in Santa Cruz province, -105 m (−344
ft) below sea level.[30] This is also the lowest point in South America. The
geographic center of the country is in south-central La Pampa province. The
easternmost continental point is northeast of Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones,
(26°15′S 53°38′W / 26.25°S 53.633°W / -26.25; -53.633 (Argentina's easternmost
continental point)) the westernmost in the Mariano Moreno Range in Santa Cruz
province.(49°33′S 73°35′W / 49.55°S 73.583°W / -49.55; -73.583 (Argentina's
westernmost point)) The northernmost point is at the confluence of the Grande de
San Juan and Mojinete rivers in Jujuy province,(21°46′S 66°13′W / 21.767°S
66.217°W / -21.767; -66.217 (Argentina's northernmost point)) and the southernmost
is Cape San Pío in Tierra del Fuego. (55°03′S 66°31′W / 55.05°S 66.517°W / -55.05;
-66.517 (Argentina's southernmost point))[31]
Sailboats on the Uruguay River

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

There are several large lakes including Argentino and Viedma in Santa Cruz, Nahuel
Huapi between Río Negro and Neuquén, Fagnano in Tierra del Fuego, and Colhué Huapi
and Musters in Chubut. Lake Buenos Aires and O'Higgins/San Martín Lake are shared
with Chile. Mar Chiquita, Córdoba, is the largest salt water lake in the country.
There are numerous reservoirs created by dams. Argentina features various hot
springs, such as Termas de Río Hondo with temperatures between 65°C and 89°C.[32]

The largest oil spill in fresh water was caused by a Shell Petroleum tanker in the
Río de la Plata, off Magdalena, on January 15, 1999, polluting the environment,
drinking water, and local wildlife.[33]

The 4,665 km (2,899 mi) long Atlantic coast[34] has been a popular local vacation
area for over a century, and varies between areas of sand dunes and cliffs. The
continental platform is unusually wide; this shallow area of the Atlantic is
called the Argentine Sea. The waters are rich in fisheries and possibly hold
important hydrocarbon energy resources. The two major ocean currents affecting the
coast are the warm Brazil Current and the cold Falkland Current. Because of the
unevenness of the coastal landmass, the two currents alternate in their influence
on climate and do not allow temperatures to fall evenly with higher latitude. The
southern coast of Tierra del Fuego forms the north shore of the Drake Passage.
Climate

The generally temperate climate ranges from subtropical in the north to subpolar
in the far south. The north is characterized by very hot, humid summers with mild
drier winters, and is subject to periodic droughts. Central Argentina has hot
summers with thunderstorms (western Argentina produces some of the world's largest
hails), and cool winters. The southern regions have warm summers and cold winters
with heavy snowfall, especially in mountainous zones. Higher elevations at all
latitudes experience cooler conditions.
The Andean range over Santa Cruz province

The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have
occurred in Argentina. A record high temperature of 49.1 °C (120.4 °F), was
recorded at Villa de María, Córdoba, on 2 January 1920. The lowest temperature
recorded was −39 °C (−38 °F) at Valle de los Patos Superior, San Juan, on 17 July
1972.

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. The Zonda, a hot dry
wind, affects west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during the 6,000 m
(20,000 ft) descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up
to 120 km/h (75 mph), fueling wildfires and causing damage; when the Zonda blows
(June-November), snowstorms and blizzard (viento blanco) conditions usually affect
higher elevations.

The Sudestada ("southeasterlies") could be considered similar to the Nor'easter,

though snowfall is rare but not unprecedented. Both are associated with a deep
winter low pressure system. The sudestada usually moderates cold temperatures but
brings very heavy rains, rough seas and coastal flooding. It is most common in
late autumn and winter along the central coast and in the Río de la Plata estuary.

The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of
daylight from November to February (up to nineteen hours) and extended nights from
May to August.
Mar del Plata welcomes millions of local tourists every summer, when humidity in
most of Argentina is highest
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Argentina, Religion in Argentina, and Languages of
Argentina
Fiesta del Inmigrante or "Immigrants' Festival" celebrates the immigration to
Argentina during the 19th and 20th century in the town of Oberá, Misiones

The census of 2001 counted a population of 36,260,130, and the estimate for 2008
was 40,482,000. Argentina ranks third in South America in total population and
30th globally. Argentina's population density is 15 persons per square kilometer
of land area, well below the world average of 50 persons. The population is
unevenly distributed: the city of Buenos Aires has a population density of over
14,000 inhab./km², while Santa Cruz province has fewer than 1 inhab./km².
Benefiting from a moderate birth rate since the 1930s,[35] Argentina has a
migration rate of zero per 10,000 locals, yearly.[36]
Ethnography

As with other areas of new settlement such as Canada, Australia and the United
States, Argentina is considered a country of immigrants.[37] Most Argentines are
descended from colonial-era settlers and of the 19th and 20th century immigrants
from Europe, and 86.4% of Argentina's population self-identify as European
descent[2] An estimated 8% of the population is mestizo.[2] A further 4% of
Argentines were of Arab or East Asian heritage.[2] In the last national census,
based on self-identification, 600,000 Argentines (1.6%) declared to be
Amerindians[3][38]

Following the arrival of the initial Spanish colonists, over 6 million Europeans
emigrated to Argentina from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries[39] Argentina was
second only to the United States in the number of European immigrants received,
and at the time, the national population doubled every two decades mostly as a
result.[40]

The majority of these European immigrants came from Italy and Spain. Italian
immigrants arrived mainly from the Piedmont, Veneto and Lombardy regions,
initially, and later from Campania and Calabria;[41] up to 25 million Argentines
have some degree of Italian descent, around 60% of the total population.[42]
Spanish immigrants were mainly Galicians and Basques.[43][44] Smaller but
significant numbers of immigrants came from France (notably Béarn and the Basses-
Pyrénées), Germany and Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Greece, Portugal,
and the United Kingdom. Eastern Europeans were also numerous, and arrived from
Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and from Central Europe (particularly Poland, Hungary,
Romania, Croatia and Slovenia).[45] Sizable numbers of immigrants also arrived
from Balkan countries (Bulgaria and Montenegro).[46] There is a large Armenian
community and the Chubut Valley has a significant population of Welsh descent.[47]
Built in 1906 to welcome hundreds of newcomers daily, the Immigrants' Hotel is now
a national museum

Small but growing numbers of people from East Asia have also settled in Argentina,
mainly in Buenos Aires. The first Asian-Argentines were of Japanese descent;
Koreans, Vietnamese and Chinese followed. Today, Chinese are the fastest growing
community and over 70,000 Chinese-born live in the largest Argentine cities.[48]

The majority of Argentina's Jewish community are Ashkenazi Jews, while about 15–
20% are Sephardic groups, primarily Syrian Jews. Argentina's Jewish community is
the fifth largest in the world.

Argentina is home to a large community from the Arab world, made up mostly of
immigrants from Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Most are Christians of the Eastern
Orthodox and Eastern Catholic (Maronite) Churches, with small Muslim and Jewish
minorities. Many have gained prominent status in national business and politics,
including former president Carlos Menem, the son of Syrian settlers from the
province of La Rioja.
Although relatively few in number, English immigrants to Argentina have played a
disproportionately large role in forming the modern state. Anglo-Argentines were
traditionally often found in positions of influence in the railway, industrial and
agricultural sectors. The history of the English Argentine position was
complicated when their economic influence was finally eroded by Juan Perón's
nationalisation of many British-owned companies in the 1940s and, more recently,
by the Falklands War in 1982.

The officially recognized indigenous population in the country, according to the

2004-05 "Complementary Survey of Indigenous Peoples", stands at approximately
600,000 (around 1.4% of the total population), the most numerous of whom are the
Mapuche people.[3]

Criticisms of the national census state that data has historically been collected
using the category of national origin rather than race in Argentina, leading to
undercounting Afro-Argentines and mestizos.[49] The 1887 Buenos Aires census was
the last in which blacks were included as a separate category.[50]

Illegal immigration has been a recent factor in Argentine demographics. Most

illegal immigrants come from Bolivia and Paraguay, countries which border
Argentina to the north. Smaller numbers arrive from Peru, Ecuador and Romania.[51]
The Argentine government estimates that 750,000 inhabitants lack official
documents and has launched a program called Patria Grande ("Greater Homeland")[52]
to encourage illegal immigrants to regularize their status; so far over 670,000
applications have been processed under the program.[53]
Religion
The 17th century Cathedral of Córdoba

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but also requires the government
to support Roman Catholicism.[54] Until 1994 the President and Vice President had
to be Roman Catholic, though there were no such restrictions on other government
officials; indeed, since 1945, numerous Jews have held prominent posts. Catholic
policy, however, remains influential in government and still helps shape a variety
of legislation. Estimates for the number of Roman Catholics vary from 70% of the
population,[55] to as much as 90%,[56] though perhaps only 20% attend services
regularly.[36] Evangelical churches have been gaining a foothold since the 1980s,
and count approximately 9% of the total population amongst their followers.[57]
Pentecostal churches and traditional Protestant denominations are present in most
communities. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, claiming
over 330,000 (the seventh-largest congregation in the world), are also present.
[58]

Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America with about 230,000.
The community numbered about 400,000 after World War II, but the appeal of Israel
and economic and cultural pressures at home led many to leave; recent instability
in Israel has resulted in a modest reversal of the trend since 2003.[56][59] Islam
in Argentina constitutes approximately 1.5% of the population, or about 500,000–
600,000 (93% Sunni).[56] Buenos Aires is home to one of the largest mosques in
Latin America. A recent study found that approximately 11% of Argentines are non-
religious, including those who believe in God, though not religion, agnostics (4%)
and atheists (5%). Overall, only 24% attended religious services regularly, and
only Protestants attended services in the majority of cases.[57]
Language
"Voseo" in a Buenos Aires billboard

The official language of Argentina is Spanish, usually called castellano

(Castilian) by Argentines. A phonetic study conducted by the Laboratory for
Sensory Investigations of CONICET and the University of Toronto showed that the
accent of the inhabitants of Buenos Aires (known as porteños) is closer to the
Neapolitan dialect of Italian than any other spoken language. Italian immigration
and other European immigrations influenced Lunfardo, the slang spoken in the Río
de la Plata region, permeating the vernacular vocabulary of other regions as well.

Argentines are the largest Spanish-speaking society that universally employs what
is known as voseo (the use of the pronoun vos instead of tú (you), which occasions
the use of alternate verb forms as well). The most prevalent dialect is
Rioplatense, whose speakers are primarily located in the basin of the Río de la
Plata.

According to one survey, there are around 1.5 million Italian speakers (which
makes it the second most spoken language in the country) and 1 million speakers of
North Levantine Spoken Arabic.[60]

Standard German is spoken by between 400,000 and 500,000 Argentines of German

ancestry,[60] making it the third or fourth most spoken language in Argentina.

Some indigenous communities have retained their original languages. Guaraní is

spoken by some in the northeast, especially in Corrientes (where it enjoys
official status) and Misiones. Quechua is spoken by some in the northwest and has
a local variant in Santiago del Estero. Aymara is spoken by members of the
Bolivian community who migrated to Argentina from Bolivia. In Patagonia there are
several Welsh-speaking communities, with some 25,000 estimated second-language
speakers.[60] More recent immigrants have brought Chinese and Korean, mostly to
Buenos Aires. English, Brazilian Portuguese and French are also spoken. English is
commonly taught at schools as a second language and, to a lesser extent,
Portuguese and French.[citation needed]
Urbanization
See also: List of cities in Argentina by population
Population distributon

Argentina is highly urbanized,[61] with the ten largest metropolitan areas

accounting for half of the population,[citation needed] and fewer than one in ten
living in rural areas. About 3 million people live in Buenos Aires city[62] and
12.8 million in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, making it one of the
largest conurbations in the world.[citation needed] The metropolitan areas of
Córdoba and Rosario have around 1.3 million inhabitants each,[62] and six other
metropolises (Mendoza, Tucumán, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe)[62]
[63] have at least half a million people each. The population is unequally
distributed amongst the provinces with about 60% living in the Pampa region (21%
of the total area), including 15 million people in Buenos Aires province and 3
million in each of the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe and Buenos Aires city.
Seven other provinces each have about one million people: Mendoza, Tucumán, Entre
Ríos, Salta, Chaco, Corrientes and Misiones. Tucumán is the most densely populated
(with 60 inhabitants/km²; more than the world average) while, the southern
province of Santa Cruz has less than 1 inhabitant/km².

Most European immigrants settled in the cities which offered jobs, education and
other opportunities enabling them to enter the middle class. Many also settled in
the growing small towns along the expanding railway system and since the 1930s
many rural workers have moved to the big cities.[19] Urban areas reflect the
influence of European immigration, and most of the larger ones feature boulevards
and diagonal avenues inspired by the redevelopment of Paris. Argentine cities were
originally built in a colonial Spanish grid style, centered around a plaza
overlooked by a cathedral and important government buildings. Many still retain
this general layout, known as a damero, meaning checkerboard, since it is based on
a pattern of square blocks. The city of La Plata, designed at the end of the
nineteenth century by Pedro Benoit, combines the checkerboard layout with added
diagonal avenues at fixed intervals, and was the first in South America with
electric street illumination.[64]
The Ninth of July Avenue in Buenos Aires, named after the date of Argentine
Independence in 1816
Ninth of July Avenue in Buenos Aires, named after the date of Argentine
Independence in 1816
The city of Rosario and the Paraná River
The city of Rosario and the Paraná River
Córdoba city centre
Córdoba city centre
San Martin Boulevard in Mendoza
San Martin Boulevard in Mendoza
The Governor's office in Tucumán
The Governor's office in Tucumán
La Plata City Hall
La Plata City Hall
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Argentina, Agriculture in Argentina, Argentine foreign
trade, and Tourism in Argentina
The Buenos Aires waterfront and three sectors leading the recent economic
recovery: construction, foreign trade and tourism
Newbery Airfield connects the vast nation to its capital, and to neighbouring
Uruguay. International flights operate through Ministro Pistarini Airport at
Ezeiza.
Freight rail yard in Rosario. The nations' railways move 25 million metric tons of
cargo annually.[65]

Argentina has abundant natural resources, a well-educated population, an export-

oriented agricultural sector and a relatively diversified industrial base.
Domestic instability and global trends, however, contributed to Argentina's
decline from its noteworthy position as the world's 10th wealthiest nation per
capita in 1913 to that of an upper-middle income economy.[66] Though no consensus
exists explaining this, systemic problems have included increasingly burdensome
debt, uncertainty over the monetary system, excessive regulation, barriers to free
trade, and a weak rule of law coupled with corruption and a bloated bureaucracy.
[66] Even during its era of decline between 1930 and 1980, however, the Argentine
economy created Latin America's largest proportional middle class;[13] but this
segment of the population has suffered from a series of economic crises between
1981 and 2002, when the relative decline became absolute.

Argentina's economy started to slowly lose ground after 1930[67] when it entered
the Great Depression and recovered slowly, afterwards. Erratic policies helped
lead to serious bouts of stagflation in the 1949–52 and 1959–63 cycles and the
country lost its place among the world's prosperous nations, even as it continued
to industrialize.[13] Following a promising decade, the economy further declined
during the military dictatorship that lasted from 1976 to 1983 and for some time
afterwards.[68] The dictatorship's chief economist, José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz,
advanced a disorganized, corrupt, monetarist[69] financial liberalization that
increased the debt burden and interrupted industrial development and upward social
mobility; over 400,000 companies of all sizes went bankrupt by 1982[13] and
economic decisions made from 1983 through 2001 failed to revert the situation.

Record foreign debt interest payments, tax evasion and capital flight resulted in
a balance of payments crisis that plagued Argentina with serious stagflation from
1975 to 1990. Attempting to remedy this, economist Domingo Cavallo pegged the peso
to the U.S. dollar in 1991 and limited the growth in the money supply. His team
then embarked on a path of trade liberalization, deregulation and privatization.
Inflation dropped and GDP grew by one third in four years;[65] but external
economic shocks and failures of the system diluted benefits, causing the economy
to crumble slowly from 1995 until the collapse in 2001. That year and the next,
the economy suffered its sharpest decline since 1930; by 2002, Argentina had
defaulted on its debt, its GDP had shrunk, unemployment reached 25% and the peso
had depreciated 70% after being devalued and floated.[65]

In 2003 expansionary policies and commodity exports triggered a rebound in GDP.

This trend has been largely maintained, creating millions of jobs and encouraging
internal consumption. The socio-economic situation has been steadily improving and
the economy grew around 9% annually for five consecutive years between 2003 and
2007 and 7% in 2008. Inflation, however, though officially hovering around 9%
since 2006, has been privately estimated at over 15%,[70] becoming a contentious
issue again. The urban income poverty rate has dropped to 18% as of mid-2008, a
third of the peak level observed in 2002, though still above the level prior to
1976.[71][72] Income distribution, having improved since 2002, is still
considerably unequal.[73][74]

Argentina faces slowing economic growth in light of an international financial

crisis. The Kirchner administration responded at the end of 2008 with a record
US$32 billion public-works program for 2009–10 and a further US$4 billion in new
tax cuts and subsidies.[75][76] Kirchner has also nationalized private pensions,
which required growing subsidies to cover, in a move designed to shed a budgetary
drain as well as to finance high government spending and debt obligations.[77][78]
Government
Main articles: Government of Argentina, Politics of Argentina, and Provinces of
Argentina
The Casa Rosada, seat of the Executive branch
The Argentine National Congress, Buenos Aires
The Supreme Court of Argentina

The Argentine Constitution of 1853 mandates a separation of powers into executive,

legislative, and judicial branches 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-party system.

Executive power resides in the President and the Cabinet. The President and Vice
President are directly elected to four-year terms and are limited to two terms.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President and are not subject to
legislative ratification. The current President is Cristina Fernández 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-member Chamber 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,
with half of the members standing for re-election every two years. A third of the
candidates presented by the parties must be women.

The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Supreme
Court has seven members appointed by the President in consultation with the
Senate. The judges of all the other courts are appointed by the Council of
Magistrates of the Nation, a secretariat composed of representatives of judges,
lawyers, the Congress and the executive.

Though declared the capital in 1853, Buenos Aires did not become the official
capital until 1880. There have been moves to relocate the administrative centre
elsewhere. During the presidency of Raúl Alfonsín, a law was passed to transfer
the federal capital to Viedma, Río Negro. Studies were underway when economic
problems halted the project in 1989. Though the law was never formally repealed,
it is now treated as a relic.

Argentina is divided into twenty-three provinces (provincias; singular provincia)

and one autonomous city. Buenos Aires 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.

1. Buenos Aires City

2. Buenos Aires Province
3. Catamarca Province
4. Chaco Province
5. Chubut Province
6. Córdoba Province
7. Corrientes Province
8. Entre Ríos Province
9. Formosa Province
10. Jujuy Province
11. La Pampa Province
12. La Rioja Province
13. Mendoza Province
14. Misiones Province
15. Neuquén Province
16. Río Negro Province
17. Salta Province
18. San Juan Province
19. San Luis Province
20. Santa Cruz Province
21. Santa Fe Province
22. Santiago del Estero Province
23. Tierra del Fuego
and disputed areas of Antarctica and the South Atlantic
24. Tucumán Province

Argentine provinces and territorial claims

Foreign policy
Main article: Foreign relations of Argentina

Argentina is a full member of the Mercosur block together with Brazil, Paraguay,
Uruguay and Venezuela; and five associate members: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,
Ecuador and Peru. From 2006 Argentina has emphasised Mercosur, which has some
supranational legislative functions, as its first international priority; by
contrast, during the 1990s, it relied more heavily on its relationship with the
United States. Argentina is a founding signatory and permanent consulting member
of the Antarctic Treaty System and the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat is based in
Buenos Aires.[79]

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas),
the South Shetland Islands, the South Sandwich Islands and almost 1 million km² in
Antarctica, between the 25°W and the 74°W meridians and the 60°S parallel,
overlapping British claims. Since 1904, a scientific post has been maintained in
Antarctica by mutual agreement. While Argentina has employed threats and force to
pursue its claims against Chile in the Beagle channel and Laguna del Desierto,
against Britain in Antarctica[80] and the Falklands, as well as against illegal
trawlers, this is the exception rather than the rule in Argentine international
relations.

Argentina was the only Latin American country to participate in the 1991 Gulf War
under the United Nations mandate. It was also the only Latin American country
involved in every phase of Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.[citation needed]
Argentina has contributed worldwide to peacekeeping operations, including those in
El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Ecuador-Peru dispute, Western
Sahara, Angola, Kuwait, Cyprus, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Timor Leste. In
recognition of its contributions to international security, U.S. President Bill
Clinton designated Argentina as a major non-NATO ally in January 1998. It was last
elected as a member of the UN Security Council in 2005. The United Nations White
Helmets, a bulwark of peacekeeping and humanitarian aid efforts, were first
deployed in 1994 following an Argentine initiative.[81]
Military
Main article: Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic
Libertador Building (Ministry of Defense and Army Headquarters) and the flagship
Sarmiento frigate

The armed forces of Argentina comprise an army, navy and air force, and number
about 70,000 active duty personnel, one third fewer than levels before the return
to democracy in 1983.[82] The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces,
with the Defense Ministry exercising day-to-day control. There are also two 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 the Defense Ministry. The
minimum age for enlistment in the armed forces is 18 years and there is no
obligatory military service. Historically, Argentina's military has been one of
the best equipped in the region (for example, developing its own jet fighters as
early as the 1950s);[83] but recently it has faced sharper expenditure cutbacks
than most other Latin American armed forces. Real military expenditures declined
steadily after 1981 and though there have been recent increases, the defense
budget is now around US$6 billion.[84] The armed forces are currently
participating in major peacekeeping operations in Haiti and Cyprus.
Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Argentina
Motorway in Buenos Aires (Av. General Paz)
Buenos Aires Light rail

Argentina's transport infrastructure is relatively advanced.[85] There are over

230,000 km (144,000 mi) of roads (not including private rural roads) of which
72,000 km (45,000 mi) are paved[86] and 1,575 km (980 mi) are expressways,[87]
many of which are privatized tollways. Having doubled in length in recent years,
multilane expressways now connect several major cities with more under
construction.[88] Expressways are, however, currently inadequate to deal with
local traffic, as 9.2 million motor vehicles are registered nationally as of 2008
(230 per 1000 population).[89]
A cargo ship in front of the Rosario-Victoria Bridge

The railway network has a total length of 34,059 km (21,170 mi).[90] After decades
of declining service and inadequate maintenance, most intercity passenger services
shut down in 1992 when the rail company was privatized, and thousands of
kilometers of track (excluding the above total) are now in disuse. Metropolitan
rail services in and around Buenos Aires remained in great demand, however, owing
in part to their easy access to the Buenos Aires subway, and intercity rail
services are currently being reactivated along numerous lines.

Inaugurated in 1913, the Buenos Aires Metro was the first subway system built in
Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere.[91] It is no longer the most extensive
in Latin America; but, its 33 miles (53 km) of track carry nearly 900,000
passengers daily.[65]

Argentina has around 11,000 km (6,835 mi) of navigable waterways, and these carry
more cargo than do the country's renown freight railways.[92] This includes an
extensive network of canals, though Argentina is blessed with ample natural
waterways, as well; the most significant among these being the Río de la Plata,
Paraná, Uruguay, Río Negro and Paraguay rivers.
Flora
The ceibo is the national flower of Argentina

Subtropical plants dominate the Gran Chaco in the north, with the Dalbergia genus
of trees well represented by Brazilian Rosewood and the quebracho tree; also
predominant are white and black algarrobo trees (prosopis alba and prosopis
nigra). Savannah-like areas exist in the drier regions nearer the Andes. Aquatic
plants thrive in the wetlands of Argentina. In central Argentina the humid pampas
are a true tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The original pampa had virtually no trees;
some imported species like the American sycamore or eucalyptus are present along
roads or in towns and country estates (estancias). The only tree-like plant native
to the pampa is the evergreen Ombú. The surface soils of the pampa are a deep
black color, primarily mollisols, known commonly as humus. This makes the region
one of the most agriculturaly productive on Earth; however, this is also
responsible for decimating much 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.[93]

Most of Patagonia lies within the rain shadow of the Andes, so the flora, shrubby
bushes and plants, is suited to dry conditions. The soil is hard and rocky, making
large-scale farming impossible except along river valleys. Coniferous forests in
far western Patagonia and on the island of Tierra del Fuego, include alerce,
ciprés de la cordillera, ciprés de las guaitecas, huililahuán, lleuque, mañío
hembra and pehuén, while broadleaf trees include several species of Nothofagus
such as coihue, lenga and ñire. Other introduced trees present in forestry
plantations include spruce, cypress and pine. Common plants are the copihue and
colihue.[94]

In Cuyo, semiarid thorny bushes and other xerophile plants abound. Along the many
rivers grasses and trees grow in significant numbers. The area presents optimal
conditions for the large scale growth of grape vines. In northwest Argentina there
are many species of cactus. No vegetation grows in the highest elevations (above
4,000 m (13,000 ft)) because of the extreme altitude.
Fauna
Further information: List of national parks of Argentina
The hornero is one of the national emblems of Argentina

Many species live in the subtropical north. Big cats like the jaguar, cougar, and
ocelot; primates (howler monkey); large reptiles (crocodiles),Argentine Black and
White Tegu and a species of caiman. Other animals include the tapir, peccary,
capybara, bush dog, raccoon and various species of turtle and tortoise. There are
a wide variety of birds, notably hummingbirds, flamingos, toucans and swallows.

The central grasslands are populated by the giant anteater, armadillo, pampas cat,
maned wolf, mara, cavias and the rhea (ñandú), a 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 puma inhabits the northeast of the country

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

Southern Argentina is home to the cougar, huemul, pudú (the world's smallest
deer), and introduced, non-native wild boar.[94] The coast of Patagonia is rich in
animal life: elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and species of penguin. The far
south is populated by cormorants.

The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such as
dolphins, orcas, and whales like the southern right whale, a major tourist draw
for naturalists. Sea fish include sardines, Argentine hakes, dolphinfish, salmon,
and sharks; also present are squid and spider crab (centolla) in Tierra del Fuego.
Rivers and streams in Argentina have many species of trout and the South American
dorado fish. Outstanding snake species inhabiting Argentina include boa
constrictors and the very venomous yarará pit viper and South American rattle
snake. The Hornero was elected the National Bird after a survey in 1928.[95]
Culture
Café de los Angelitos, a meeting point for musical and literary talent, like many
Argentine coffee houses
Main articles: Culture of Argentina and List of Argentines

Argentine culture has significant European influences. Buenos Aires, considered by

many its cultural capital, is often said to be the most European city in South
America, as a result both of the prevalence of people of European descent and of
conscious imitation of European styles in architecture. The other big influence is
the gauchos and their traditional country lifestyle of self-reliance. Finally,
indigenous American traditions (like yerba mate infusions) have been absorbed into
the general cultural milieu.
Literature

When I think of what I've lost, I ask "who know themselves better than the
blind?" - for every thought becomes a tool.[96]
Jorge Luis Borges

Main article: Argentine literature

Argentina has a rich history of world-class literature, including one of the

twentieth century's most critically acclaimed writers, Jorge Luis Borges. The
country has been a leader in Latin American literature since becoming a fully
united entity in the 1850s, with a strong constitution and a defined nation-
building plan. The struggle between the Federalists (who favored a loose
confederation of provinces based on rural conservatism) and the Unitarians (pro-
liberalism and advocates of a strong central government that would encourage
European immigration), set the tone for Argentine literature of the time.

The ideological divide between gaucho epic Martín Fierro by José Hernández, and
Facundo[97] by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, is a great example. Hernández, a
federalist, opposed to the centralizing, modernizing and Europeanizing tendencies.
Sarmiento wrote immigration was the only way to save Argentina from becoming
subject to the rule of a small number of dictatorial caudillo families, arguing
such immigrants would make Argentina more modern and open to Western European
influences and therefore a more prosperous society.

Argentine literature of that period was fiercely nationalist. It was followed by

the modernist movement, which emerged in France in the late nineteenth century,
and this period in turn was followed by vanguardism, with Ricardo Güiraldes as an
important reference. Jorge Luis Borges, its most acclaimed writer, found new ways
of looking at the modern world in metaphor and philosophical debate and his
influence has extended to writers all over the globe. Borges is most famous for
his works in short stories such as Ficciones and The Aleph.

Argentina has produced many more internationally noted writers, poets and
intellectuals: Juan Bautista Alberdi, Roberto Arlt, Enrique Banchs, Adolfo Bioy
Casares, Silvina Bullrich, Eugenio Cambaceres, Julio Cortázar, Esteban Echeverría,
Leopoldo Lugones, Eduardo Mallea, Ezequiel Martínez Estrada, Tomás Eloy Martínez,
Victoria Ocampo, Manuel Puig, Ernesto Sabato, Osvaldo Soriano, Alfonsina Storni
and María Elena Walsh. A number of Argentine caricaturists have also become
influential: Roberto Fontanarrosa's grotesque characters captured life's
absurdities with quick-witted commentary and Quino (born Joaquin Salvador Lavado),
has entertained readers the world over, while dipping into current events with
soup-hating Mafalda and her comic strip gang.
Film and theatre
Main article: Cinema of Argentina
The Gran Rex Cinema, Buenos Aires
The Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires

Argentina is a major producer of motion pictures. The world's first animated

feature films were made and released in Argentina, by cartoonist Quirino
Cristiani, in 1917 and 1918. Argentine cinema enjoyed a 'golden age' in the 1930s
through the 1950s with scores of productions, many now considered classics of
Spanish-language film. The industry produced actors who became the first movie
stars of Argentine cinema, often tango performers such as Libertad Lamarque,
Floren Delbene, Tito Lusiardo, Tita Merello, Roberto Escalada and Hugo del Carril.

More recent films from the "New Wave" of cinema since the 1980s have achieved
worldwide recognition, such as The Official Story (La historia official), Nine
Queens (Nueve reinas), Man Facing Southeast (Hombre mirando al sudeste), Son of
the Bride (El hijo de la novia), The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta),
or Iluminados por el fuego. Although rarely rivaling Hollywood-type movies in
popularity, local films are released weekly and widely followed in Argentina and
internationally. Even low-budget films have earned prizes in cinema festivals
(such as Cannes), and are promoted by events such as the Mar del Plata Film
Festival and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema.

The per capita number of screens is one of the highest in Latin America, and
viewing per capita is the highest in the region. A new generation of Argentine
directors has caught the attention of critics worldwide.[98] Argentina is a major
center of cinema; its levels of cinema-attendance are comparable to those of
European countries. An example of this was Spider-Man 3 which took in 466,586 the
first day—a record in Argentina. In Italy it took in 400,000 and Germany 486,571,
breaking all records for first day release.[99] Argentine composers Luis Enrique
Bacalov, Gustavo Santaolalla and Eugenio Zanetti are Academy Award winners. Lalo
Schiffrin has received numerous Grammys and is best known for the
Mission:Impossible theme.

Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of theater. The Teatro Colón is a
national landmark for opera and classical performances. Built at the end of the
19th century, Teatro Colón's acoustic is considered the best in the world.
Currently it is undergoing major refurbishment, in order to preserve its
outstanding sound characteristics, the French-romantic style, the impressive
Golden Room (a minor auditorium targeted to Chamber Music performances) and the
museum at the entrance. With its program of national and international caliber,
Calle Corrientes, or 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.[100] Many great careers in acting, music, and film have begun in its
many theaters. The Teatro General San Martín is one of the most prestigious along
Corrientes Avenue and the Teatro Nacional Cervantes functions as the national
stage theater of Argentina. The El Círculo in Rosario, Independencia in Mendoza
and Libertador in Córdoba are also prominent. Griselda Gambaro, Roberto Cossa and
Carlos Gorostiza are Argentine playwrights well-known internationally. Julio Bocca
and Jorge Donn are two of the great ballet dancers of the modern era.
Architecture, painting and sculpture
Second Empire and Neoclassical architecture in downtown Buenos Aires
Font of the Nereids (1903) by Lola Mora, a student of Auguste Rodin's
Yerba mate (green tea) in a traditional gourd

Numerous Argentine architects have enriched their own country's cityscapes and, in
recent decades, those around the world. Juan Antonio Buschiazzo helped popularize
Beaux-Arts architecture and Francisco Gianotti combined Art Nouveau with
Italianate styles, each adding flair to Argentine cities during the early 20th
century. Francisco Salamone and Viktor Sulĉiĉ left an Art Deco legacy, and
Alejandro Bustillo created a prolific body of Rationalist architecture. Clorindo
Testa introduced Brutalist architecture locally and César Pelli's and Patricio
Pouchulu's Futurist creations have graced cities, worldwide. Pelli's 1980s
throwbacks to the Art Deco glory of the 1920s, in particular, 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 as readily as unorthodox painting media; he also
"invented" two imaginary languages. The works of Cándido López (in Naïve art
style), Ernesto de la Cárcova and Eduardo Sívori (realism), Fernando Fader
(impressionism), Pío Collivadino (post-impressionist), Emilio Pettoruti (cubist),
Antonio Berni (neo-figurative), Gyula Košice (constructivism) and Guillermo Kuitca
(abstract) are appreciated internationally.

Benito Quinquela Martín is considered to be the quintessential 'port' painter, for

which the city of Buenos Aires and the working class and immigrant-bound La Boca
neighborhood, in particular, was excellently suited. A similar environment
inspired Adolfo Bellocq, whose lithographs have been influential since the 1920s.
Realist sculptors Erminio Blotta's, Lola Mora's and Rogelio Yrurtia's evocative
monuments became the part of the national landscape and today, Lucio Fontana and
León Ferrari are acclaimed sculptors and conceptual artists. Ciruelo is a world-
famous fantasy artist and sculptor and Eduardo Mac Entyre's geometric designs have
influenced advertisers worldwide since the 1970s.
Food and drink
Main article: Cuisine of Argentina

Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental
Europe, Argentines enjoy a wide variety of indigenous 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,
the latter considered Argentina's national beverage. Other popular items include
chorizo (a spicy sausage), facturas (Viennese-style pastry) and Dulce de Leche.
An asado with sliced provolone

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.[101]
The Argentine wine industry, long among the largest outside Europe, has benefited
from growing investment since 1992; in 2007, 60% of foreign investment worldwide
in viticulture was destined to Argentina.[102] The country is the fifth most
important wine producer in the world, with the annual per capita consumption of
wine among the highest. Malbec grape, a discardable varietal in France (country of
origin), has found in the Province of Mendoza an ideal environment to successfully
develop and turn itself into the world's best Malbec.[102] Mendoza is one of the
eight wine capitals of the world[103] and accounts for 70% of the country's total
wine production. "Wine tourism" is important in Mendoza province, with the
impressive landscape of the Cordillera de Los Andes and the highest peak in the
Americas, Mount Aconcagua, 6,952 m (22,808 ft) high, providing a very desirable
destination for international tourism.
Sports
Further information: Sport in Argentina
Argentine player Ignacio Corleto about to score against France in the 2007 Rugby
World Cup

The official national sport of Argentina is pato,[104] played with a six-handle

ball on horseback, but the most popular sport is association football.[105] The
national football team has won 25 major international titles[106] including two
FIFA World Cups, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen Copa Américas.[107] Over one
thousand Argentine players play abroad, the majority of them in European football
leagues.[108] There are 331,811 registered football players,[109] with increasing
numbers of girls and women, who have organized their own national championships
since 1991 and were South American champions in 2006.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was formed in 1893 and is the eighth
oldest national football association in the world. The 1891 league tournament in
Argentina was the third in football history, after England and the Netherlands.
The AFA today counts 3,377 football clubs,[109] including 20 in the Premier
Division. Since the AFA went professional in 1931, fifteen teams have won national
tournament titles, including River Plate with 33 and Boca Juniors with 24.[110]
Over the last twenty years, futsal and beach soccer have become increasingly
popular. The Argentine beach football team was one of four competitors in the
first international championship for the sport, in Miami, in 1993.[111]

Argentina has an important rugby union football team, "Los Pumas", with many of
its players playing in Europe. Argentina beat host nation France twice in the 2007
Rugby World Cup, placing them third in the competition. The Pumas are currently
sixth in the official world rankings. Basketball is also popular; a number of
basketball players play in the U.S. National Basketball Association and European
leagues including Manu Ginóbili, Andrés Nocioni, Carlos Delfino and Fabricio
Oberto. The men's national basketball team won Olympic gold in the 2004 Olympics
and the bronze medal in 2008. Argentina is currently ranked first by the
International Basketball Federation. Other popular sports include field hockey
(particularly amongst women), tennis, auto racing, boxing, volleyball, polo and
golf.
Music
Main article: Music of Argentina
Carlos Gardel, still the standard among Tango vocalists

Tango, the music and lyrics (often sung in a form of slang called lunfardo), is
Argentina's musical symbol. The Milonga dance was a predecessor, slowly evolving
into modern tango. By the 1930s, tango had changed from a dance-focused music to
one of lyric and poetry, with singers like Carlos Gardel, Hugo del Carril, Roberto
Goyeneche, Raúl Lavié, Tita Merello and Edmundo Rivero. The golden age of tango
(1930 to mid-1950s) mirrored that of Jazz and Swing in the United States,
featuring large orchestral groups too, like the bands of Osvaldo Pugliese, Anibal
Troilo, Francisco Canaro, Julio de Caro and Juan D'Arienzo. Incorporating acoustic
music and later, synthesizers into the genre after 1955, bandoneon virtuoso Astor
Piazzolla popularized "new tango" creating a more subtle, intellectual and
listener-oriented trend. Today tango enjoys worldwide popularity; ever-evolving,
neo-tango is a global phenomenon with renown groups like Tanghetto, Bajofondo and
the Gotan Project.
Progressive rock musician
Charly García

Argentine rock, called rock nacional, is the most popular music among youth.
Arguably the most listened form of Spanish-language rock, its influence and
success internationally owes to a rich, uninterrupted development. Bands such as
Soda Stereo or Sumo, and composers like Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta, and
Fito Páez are referents of national culture. Mid-1960s Buenos Aires and Rosario
were cradles of the music and by 1970, Argentine rock was well-established among
middle class youth (see Almendra, Sui Generis, Pappo, Crucis). Seru Giran bridged
the gap into the 1980s, when Argentine bands became popular across Latin America
and elsewhere (Enanitos Verdes, Fabulosos Cadillacs, Virus, Andrés Calamaro).
There are many sub-genres: underground, pop-oriented and some associated with the
working class (La Renga, Attaque 77, Divididos, Hermética, V8 and Los Redonditos).
Current popular bands include: Babasonicos, Rata Blanca, Horcas, Attaque 77,
Bersuit, Los Piojos, Intoxicados, Catupecu Machu, Carajo and Miranda!.
Mercedes Sosa, the grande dame of Argentine folk music

European classical music is well represented in Argentina. Buenos Aires is home to

the world-renowned Colón Theater. Classical musicians, such as Martha Argerich,
Eduardo Alonso-Crespo, Daniel Barenboim, Eduardo Delgado and Alberto Lysy, and
classical composers such as Juan José Castro and Alberto Ginastera are
internationally acclaimed. All major cities in Argentina have impressive theaters
or opera houses, and provincial or city orchestras. Some cities have annual events
and important classical music festivals like Semana Musical Llao Llao in San
Carlos de Bariloche and the multitudinous Amadeus in Buenos Aires.

Argentine folk music is uniquely vast. Beyond dozens of regional dances, a

national folk style emerged in the 1930s. Perón's Argentina would give rise to
Nueva Canción, as artists began expressing in their music objections to political
themes. Atahualpa Yupanqui, the greatest Argentine folk musician, and Mercedes
Sosa would be defining figures in shaping Nueva Canción, gaining worldwide
popularity in the process. The style found a huge reception in Chile, where it
took off in the 1970s and went on to influence the entirety of Latin American
music.[112] Today, Chango Spasiuk and Soledad Pastorutti have brought folk back to
younger generations. Leon Gieco's folk-rock bridged the gap between Argentine
folklore and Argentine rock, introducing both styles to millions overseas in
successive tours.
Holidays
Architect Alejandro Bustillo's National Flag Memorial, Rosario
Main article: Public holidays in Argentina

Though holidays of many faiths are respected, public holidays usually include most
Catholic holidays. Historic holidays include the celebration of the May Revolution
(25 May), the Independence Day (9 July), National Flag Day (20 June) and the death
of José de San Martín (17 August).

The extended family gathers on Christmas Eve at around 9 p.m. for dinner, music,
and often dancing. Candies are served just before midnight, when the fireworks
begin. They also open gifts from Papá Noel (Father Christmas or "Santa Claus").
New Year's Day is also marked with fireworks. Other widely observed holidays
include Good Friday, Easter, Labor Day (1 May) and Sovereignty Day (formerly
Malvinas Day, 2 April).
Education
Main article: Education in Argentina

After independence, Argentina constructed a national public education system in

comparison to other nations, placing the country high up in the global rankings of
literacy. Today the country has a literacy rate of 97%, and three in eight adults
over age 20 have completed secondary school studies or higher.[71]
The ubiquitous white uniform of Argentine school children is a national symbol of
learning

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 17. The Argentine school
system consists of a primary or lower school level lasting six or seven years, and
a secondary or high school level lasting between five to six years. In the 1990s,
the system was split into different types of high school instruction, called
Educacion Secundaria and the Polimodal. Some provinces adopted the Polimodal while
others did not. A project in the executive branch to repeal this measure and
return to a more traditional secondary level system was approved in 2006.[113]
President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento is overwhelmingly credited in pushing and
implementing a free, modern education system in Argentina. The 1918 university
reform shaped the current tripartite representation of most public universities.

Education is funded by tax payers at all levels except for the majority of
graduate studies. There are many private school institutions in the primary,
secondary and university levels. Around 11.4 million people were enrolled in
formal education of some kind in 2006, including 1.5 million in the nation's 85
universities.[71]

Public education in Argentina is tuition-free from the primary to the university

levels. Though literacy was nearly universal as early as 1947,[71] the majority of
Argentine youth had little access to education beyond the compulsory seven years
of grade school during the first half of the 20th century; since then, when the
tuition-free system was extended to the secondary and university levels, demand
for these facilities has often outstripped budgets (particularly since the 1970s).
[114] Consequently, public education is now widely found wanting and in decline;
this has 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 in
place. Roughly one in four primary and secondary students and one in six
university students attend private institutions.[71][114]

There are thirty-eight public universities across the country,[115] as well as

numerous private ones. The University of Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de
Córdoba, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, and
the National Technological University are among the most important. Public
universities faced cutbacks in spending during the 1980s and 1990s, which led to a
decline in overall quality.
Health care
Main article: Health care in Argentina
The University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, alma mater to many of the
country's 3,000 medical graduates, annually.[116]

Health care is provided through a combination of employer and labor union-

sponsored plans (Obras Sociales), government insurance plans, public hospitals and
clinics and through private health insurance plans. Government efforts to improve
public health can be traced to Spanish Viceroy Juan José de Vértiz's first Medical
Tribunal of 1780.[117] Following independence, medical schools were established at
the University of Buenos Aires (1822) and the National University of Córdoba
(1877). The training of doctors and nurses at these and other schools enabled the
rapid development of health care cooperatives, which during the presidency of Juan
Perón became publicly subsidized Obras Sociales. Today, these number over 300 (of
which 200 are related to labor unions) and provide health care for half the
population; the national INSSJP (popularly known as PAMI) covers nearly all of the
five million senior citizens.[118]

Perón's Minister of Health, Ramón Carrillo, borrowed from German Chancellor Otto
von Bismarck's support for employer or guild-sponsored plans and the British
National Health Service. He advanced the widespread use of Obras Sociales, a form
of health insurance cooperative, accompanied by the construction of over 4,000
public clinics and hospitals.[118][119] These (totaling 8,000) serve the roughly
40% of Argentines who belong to neither an Obra Social nor to one of 280 private
health insurance companies.[120] Private health insurance, which was first made
available in 1932 by Alejandro Schvarzer, covers 1.1 million households (about 10%
of the population) and collects average monthly premiums of about US$100 (though
larger families often pay US$300). This system operates nearly 10,000 clinics and
18,000 beds.[120][121]

Health care costs amount to almost 10% of GDP and have been growing in pace with
the proportion of Argentines over 65 (7% in 1970). Public and private spending
have historically split this about evenly: public funds are mainly spent through
Obras, which in turn, refer patients needing hospitalization to private and public
clinics; private funds are spent evenly between private insurers' coverage and
out-of-pocket expenses.[122][123]

There are more than 153,000 hospital beds, 121,000 physicians and 37,000 dentists
(ratios comparable to developed nations).[121][124] The relatively high access to
medical care has historically resulted in mortality patterns similar to developed
nations; from 1953 to 2005, deaths from cardiovascular disease have increased from
20% to 23% of the 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 a steady 6% and infectious diseases, 4%. Causes related to
senility led to many of the rest. Infant deaths ahve fallen from 19% of all deaths
in 1953 to 3% in 2005.[121][125]

The availability of health care has reduced infant mortality from 69 per 1000 live
births in 1948 to 12.9 in 2006[121] and raised life expectancy at birth from 60
years to 76.[126] Though these figures compare favorably with global averages,
they fall short of levels in developed nations and in 2006, Argentina ranked
fourth in Latin America.[124]
Science and technology
Main article: Science and technology in Argentina
Dr. Luis Federico Leloir (left) and his staff toast his 1970 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry

Argentina has contributed many distinguished doctors, scientists and inventors to

the world, including three Nobel Prize laureates in sciences. Argentines have been
responsible for major breakthroughs in world medicine; their research has led to
significant advances in wound-healing therapies and in the treatment of heart
disease and several forms of cancer. Domingo Liotta designed and developed the
first artificial heart successfully implanted in a human being in 1969. René
Favaloro developed the techniques and performed the world's first ever coronary
bypass surgery and Francisco de Pedro invented a more reliable artificial cardiac
pacemaker. Bernardo Houssay, the first Latin American awarded with a Nobel Prize,
discovered the role of pituitary hormones in regulating glucose in animals; César
Milstein did extensive research in antibodies; Luis Leloir discovered how
organisms store energy converting glucose into glycogen and the compounds which
are fundamental in metabolizing carbohydrates. Dr. Luis Agote devised the first
safe method of blood transfusion, Enrique Finochietto designed operating table
tools such as the surgical scissors that bear his name ("Finochietto scissors")
and a surgical rib-spreader.[127] They have likewise contributed to bioscience in
efforts like the Human Genome Project, where Argentine scientists have
successfully mapped the genome of a living being, a world first.[128][129]
Dr. Luis Agote (second from right) overseeing the first safe and effective blood
transfusion (1914)

Argentina's nuclear program is highly advanced, having resulted in a research

reactor in 1957 and Latin America's first on-line commercial reactor in 1974.
Argentina developed its nuclear program without being overly dependent on foreign
technology. Nuclear facilities with Argentine technology have been built in Peru,
Algeria, Australia and Egypt. In 1983, the country admitted having the capability
of producing weapon-grade uranium, a major step needed to assemble nuclear
weapons; since then, however, Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power only for
peaceful purposes.[130]

In other areas, Juan Vucetich, a Croatian immigrant, was the father of modern
fingerprinting (dactiloscopy).[131] Raúl Pateras Pescara demonstrated the world's
first flight of a helicopter, Hungarian-Argentine László Bíró mass-produced the
first modern ball point pens and Eduardo Taurozzi developed the pendular
combustion engine.[132] Juan Maldacena, an Argentine-American scientist, is a
leading figure in string theory. An Argentine satellite, the PEHUENSAT-1[133] was
successfully launched on 10 January 2007 using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV). The Pierre Auger Observatory near Malargüe, Mendoza, is the world's
foremost cosmic ray observatory.[134]
Communications and media
Print
The funeral of Eva Perón, as covered by Clarín

The print media industry is highly developed and independent of the government,
with more than two hundred newspapers. The major national newspapers are from
Buenos Aires, including the centrist Clarín, the best-selling daily in Latin
America and the second most-widely circulated in the Spanish-speaking world.[135]
Other nationally circulated papers are La Nación (center-right, published since
1870), Página/12 (left-wing), Ámbito Financiero (business conservative), Olé
(sports) and Crónica (populist). Two foreign language newspapers enjoy a
relatively high circulation: the Argentinisches Tageblatt in German and the Buenos
Aires Herald, published since 1876. Major regional papers include La Voz del
Interior (Córdoba), Río Negro (General Roca), Los Andes (Mendoza), La Capital
(Rosario), El Tribuno (Salta) and La Gaceta (Tucuman). The most circulated
newsmagazine is Noticias.[136] The Argentine publishing industry ranks with Spain
and Mexico as the most important in the Spanish-speaking world, and includes the
largest bookstore chain in Latin America, El Ateneo.
Radio and television
Main article: Communications in Argentina
Public television, Buenos Aires. On the air since 1951, Argentine TV broadcasting
was the first in Latin America.

Argentina was a pioneering nation in radio broadcasting. At 9 pm on 27 August

1920, Sociedad Radio Argentina announced: "We now bring to your homes a live
performance of Richard Wagner's Parsifal opera from the Coliseo Theater in
downtown Buenos Aires"; only about twenty homes in the city had a receiver to tune
in. The world's first radio station was the only one in the country until 1922,
when Radio Cultura went on the air; by 1925, there were twelve stations in Buenos
Aires and ten in other cities. The 1930s were the "golden age" of radio in
Argentina, with live variety, news, soap opera and sport shows.[137]
There are currently 260 AM broadcasting and 1150 FM broadcasting radio stations in
Argentina.[138] Radio remains an important medium in Argentina. Music and youth
variety programs dominate FM formats; news, debate, and sports are AM radio's
primary broadcasts. Amateur radio is widespread in the country. Radio still serves
a vital service of information, entertainment and even life saving in the most
remote communities.

The Argentine television industry is large and diverse, widely viewed in Latin
America, and its productions seen around the world. Many local programs are
broadcast by networks in other countries, and others have their rights purchased
by foreign producers for adaptations in their own markets. Argentina has five
major networks. All provincial capitals and other large cities have at least one
local station. Argentines enjoy the highest availability of cable and satellite
television in Latin America, similar to percentages in North America.[139] Many
cable networks operate from Argentina and serve the Spanish-speaking world,
including Utilísima Satelital, TyC Sports, Fox Sports en Español (with the United
States and México), MTV Argentina, Cosmopolitan TV and the news network Todo
Noticias.