Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina, pronounced [reˈ

Argentina has the second-highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita in purchasing p
Contents
Etymology
Main article: Name of Argentina
The name is derived from the Latin argentum (silver), which comes from the Ancient Greek ἀρ
Histo y
Main a ticle: Histo y of A
entina
Ea ly histo y
The ea liest evidence of humans in A
entina is in Pata
onia (Pied a Museo, Santa C uz) and
Eu opean explo e s a ived in 1516. Spain established the Vice oyalty of Pe u in 1542 encom
José de San Ma tín, Libe ato of A
entina and Pe ú
The a ea was la
ely a count y of Spanish immi
ants and thei descendants, known as c ioll
The Buenos Ai es Cabildo, scene of the 1810 esolution that led to independence
On 25 May 1810, afte the umo s of the Napoleonic ove th ow of Fe dinand VII we e confi me
Between 1814 and 1817, Gene al José de San Ma tín led a milita y campai
n aimed at makin
i
The cent alist Unita ios and the Fede ales maintained an inte necine conflict until Rosas'
Mode n histo y
The Po t of Buenos Ai es (1900). Ma itime t ade led to accele ated development afte 1875.
A wave of fo ei
n investment and immi
ation f om Eu ope afte 1870 led to the development
Hipólito Y i
oyen was an activist fo unive sal (male) suff a
e and was A
entina's fi st p
A
entina inc eased in p ospe ity and p ominence between 1880 and 1929, while eme
in
as o
P esident Juan Pe ón (1946)
In 1946, Gene al Juan Pe ón was elected p esident, c eatin
a political movement efe ed t
A tu o F ondizi (second f om left) hosts U.S. P esident John F. Kennedy (1961)
Followin
an attempt to pu
e the Pe onist influence and the bannin
of Pe onists f om poli
The policies of dictato Jo
e Videla and economist José Alf edo Ma tínez de Hoz left a t a
The self-styled National Reo
anization P ocess intensified measu es a
ainst a med
oups o
Leopoldo Galtie i's takeove of the Falkland Islands in 1982 cost A
entina lives and p est
Raúl Alfonsín's
ove nment took steps to account fo the "disappea ed", established civilia
Raúl Alfonsín (left)
eets suppo te s with his t adema k salute (1983)
Newly elected P esident Ca los Menem be
an pu suin
p ivatizations and, afte a second bout
Nésto Ki chne (second f om i
ht) hosts Raúl Alfonsín ( i
ht) and fo me B azilian P esid
P esident Fe nando de la Rúa inhe ited diminished competitiveness in expo ts, as well as ch
C istina Fe nández de Ki chne , p esident since Decembe 2007
Th ee p esidents followed in quick succession ove two weeks, culminatin
in the appointmen
Benefitin
f om a devalued exchan
e ate the
ove nment implemented new policies based on
A
entina has since been enjoyin
economic
owth, thou
h with hi
h inflation. Nésto Ki ch
Geo
aphy
Main a ticles: Geo
aphy of A
entina and Climate of A
entina
Topo
aphic map of A
entina (includin
some te ito ial claims)
The total su face a ea (excludin
the Anta ctic claim) is 2,766,891 km2 (1,068,303 sq mi),
The hi
hest point above sea level is in Mendoza p ovince at Ce o Aconca
ua (6,962 m (22,84
Sailboats on the Uruguay River
The major rivers are the Paraná (the largest), the Pilcomayo, Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado,
There are several large lakes including Argentino and Viedma in Santa Cruz, Nahuel Huapi be
The largest oil spill in fresh water was caused by a Shell Petroleum tanker in the Río de l
The 4,665 km (2,899 mi) long Atlantic coast[34] has been a popular local vacation area for
Climate
The generally temperate climate ranges from subtropical in the north to subpolar in the far
The Andean range over Santa Cruz province
The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have occurred in Arg
Major wind currents include the cool Pampero Winds blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia
The Sudestada ("southeasterlies") could be considered similar to the Nor'easter, though sno
The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of daylight from
Mar del Plata welcomes millions of local tourists every summer, when humidity in most of Ar
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Argentina, Religion in Argentina, and Languages of Argentina
Fiesta del Inmigrante or "Immigrants' Festival" celebrates the immigration to Argentina dur
The census of 2001 counted a population of 36,260,130, and the estimate for 2008 was 40,482
Ethnography
As with other areas of new settlement such as Canada, Australia and the United States, Arge
Following the arrival of the initial Spanish colonists, over 6 million Europeans emigrated
The majority of these European immigrants came from Italy and Spain. Italian immigrants arr
Built in 1906 to welcome hundreds of newcomers daily, the Immigrants' Hotel is now a nation
Small but growing numbers of people from East Asia have also settled in Argentina, mainly i
The majority of Argentina's Jewish community are Ashkenazi Jews, while about 15–20% are Sep
Argentina is home to a large community from the Arab world, made up mostly of immigrants fr
Although relatively few in number, English immigrants to Argentina have played a disproport
The officially recognized indigenous population in the country, according to the 2004-05 "C
Criticisms of the national census state that data has historically been collected using the
Illegal immigration has been a recent factor in Argentine demographics. Most illegal immigr
Religion
The 17th century Cathedral of Córdoba
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but also requires the government to support
Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America with about 230,000. The commun
Language
"Voseo" in a Buenos Aires billboard
The official language of Argentina is Spanish, usually called castellano (Castilian) by Arg
Argentines are the largest Spanish-speaking society that universally employs what is known
According to one survey, there are around 1.5 million Italian speakers (which makes it the
Standard German is spoken by between 400,000 and 500,000 Argentines of German ancestry,[60]
Some indigenous communities have retained their original languages. Guaraní is spoken by so
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 h
Most European immigrants settled in the cities which offered jobs, education and other oppo
The Ninth of July Avenue in Buenos Aires, named after the date of Argentine Independence in
Ninth of July Avenue in Buenos Aires, named after the date of Argentine Independence in 181
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
The Buenos Aires waterfront and three sectors leading the recent economic recovery: constru
Newbery Airfield connects the vast nation to its capital, and to neighbouring Uruguay. Inte
Freight rail yard in Rosario. The nations' railways move 25 million metric tons of cargo an
Argentina has abundant natural resources, a well-educated population, an export-oriented ag
Argentina's economy started to slowly lose ground after 1930[67] when it entered the Great
Record foreign debt interest payments, tax evasion and capital flight resulted in a balance
In 2003 expansionary policies and commodity exports triggered a rebound in GDP. This trend
Argentina faces slowing economic growth in light of an international financial crisis. The
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, legislat
Executive power resides in the President and the Cabinet. The President and Vice President
Legislative power is vested in the bicameral National Congress, comprising a 72-member Sena
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Supreme Court has se
Though declared the capital in 1853, Buenos Aires did not become the official capital until
Argentina is divided into twenty-three provinces (provincias; singular provincia) and one a
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 an
Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), the Sout
Argentina was the only Latin American country to participate in the 1991 Gulf War under the
Military
Main article: Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic
Libertador Building (Ministry of Defense and Army Headquarters) and the flagship Sarmiento
The armed forces of Argentina comprise an army, navy and air force, and number about 70,000
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
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 decli
Inaugurated in 1913, the Buenos Aires Metro was the first subway system built in Latin Amer

Argentina has around 11,000 km (6,835 mi) of navigable waterways, and these carry more carg
Flora
The ceibo is the national flower of Argentina
Subtropical plants dominate the Gran Chaco in the north, with the Dalbergia genus of trees
Most of Patagonia lies within the rain shadow of the Andes, so the flora, shrubby bushes an
In Cuyo, semiarid thorny bushes and other xerophile plants abound. Along the many rivers gr
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; p
The central grasslands are populated by the giant anteater, armadillo, pampas cat, maned wo
The puma inhabits the northeast of the country
The western mountains are home to different animals. These include the llama, guanaco, vicu
Southern Argentina is home to the cougar, huemul, pudú (the world's smallest deer), and int
The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such as dolphins, orc
Culture
Café de los Angelitos, a meeting point for musical and literary talent, like many Argentine
Main articles: Culture of Argentina and List of Argentines
Argentine culture has significant European influences. Buenos Aires, considered by many its
Literature
When I think of what I've lost, I ask "who know themselves better than the blind?" - fo
Jorge Luis Borges
Main article: Argentine literature
Argentina has a rich history of world-class literature, including one of the twentieth cent
The ideological divide between gaucho epic Martín Fierro by José Hernández, and Facundo[97]
Argentine literature of that period was fiercely nationalist. It was followed by the modern
Argentina has produced many more internationally noted writers, poets and intellectuals: Ju
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
More recent films from the "New Wave" of cinema since the 1980s have achieved worldwide rec
The per capita number of screens is one of the highest in Latin America, and viewing per ca
Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of theater. The Teatro Colón is a national landma
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 d
One of the most influential Argentine figures in fine arts was Xul Solar, whose surrealist
Benito Quinquela Martín is considered to be the quintessential 'port' painter, for which th
Food and drink
Main article: Cuisine of Argentina
Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental Europe, Argenti
An asado with sliced provolone
The Argentine barbecue, asado as well as a parrillada, includes various types of meats, amo
The Argentine wine industry, long among the largest outside Europe, has benefited from grow
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 hor
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was formed in 1893 and is the eighth oldest nation
Argentina has an important rugby union football team, "Los Pumas", with many of its players
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
Progressive rock musician
Charly García
Argentine rock, called rock nacional, is the most popular music among youth. Arguably the m
Mercedes Sosa, the grande dame of Argentine folk music
European classical music is well represented in Argentina. Buenos Aires is home to the worl
Argentine folk music is uniquely vast. Beyond dozens of regional dances, a national folk st
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
The extended family gathers on Christmas Eve at around 9 p.m. for dinner, music, and often
Education
Main article: Education in Argentina
After independence, Argentina constructed a national public education system in comparison
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 c
Education is funded by tax payers at all levels except for the majority of graduate studies
Public education in Argentina is tuition-free from the primary to the university levels. Th
There are thirty-eight public universities across the country,[115] as well as numerous pri
Health care
Main article: Health care in Argentina
The University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, alma mater to many of the country's 3,00
Health care is provided through a combination of employer and labor union-sponsored plans (
Perón's Minister of Health, Ramón Carrillo, borrowed from German Chancellor Otto von Bismar
Health care costs amount to almost 10% of GDP and have been growing in pace with the propor
There are more than 153,000 hospital beds, 121,000 physicians and 37,000 dentists (ratios c
The availability of health care has reduced infant mortality from 69 per 1000 live births i
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
Dr. Luis Agote (second from right) overseeing the first safe and effective blood transfusio
Argentina's nuclear program is highly advanced, having resulted in a research reactor in 19
In other areas, Juan Vucetich, a Croatian immigrant, was the father of modern fingerprintin
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 t
Radio and television
Main article: Communications in Argentina
Public television, Buenos Aires. On the air since 1951, Argentine TV broadcasting was the f
Argentina was a pioneering nation in radio broadcasting. At 9 pm on 27 August 1920, Socieda
There are currently 260 AM broadcasting and 1150 FM broadcasting radio stations in Argentin
The Argentine television industry is large and diverse, widely viewed in Latin America, and