wiki_argentina

							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.