Dictionary Definition
Argentine adj : of or relating to or
characteristic of Argentina or its people; "Argentinian tango"
[syn: Argentinian] n
: any of various small silver-scaled salmon-like marine
fishes
User Contributed Dictionary
see Argentine
English
Etymology
Old French
argentin, silvery "A:dZ@n%ti:n/, /"A:dZ@n%taIn/
Adjective
- Resembling silver.
French
Adjective
- feminine of argentin
Related terms
Italian
Adjective
argentine- Feminine plural form of argentino
Noun
argentine- Plural of argentina
Extensive Definition
Argentina is a South
American country, constituted as a federation of twenty-three
provinces and an autonomous city. It is second in size on the South
American continent to Brazil and
eighth in the world. Argentina occupies a continental surface
area of between the Andes mountain
range in the west and the southern Atlantic
Ocean in the east and south. It is bordered by Paraguay and
Bolivia in
the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the
northeast, and Chile in the west and
south. The country claims the British-administered
overseas territories of the Falkland
Islands and
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Argentina also
claims of Antarctica,
known as Argentine
Antarctica, overlapping other claims made by Chile and the United
Kingdom (British
Antarctic Territory).
Argentina has the highest Human
Development Index level and the second highest Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in purchasing
power parity in Latin
America and its total national GDP is the 23rd largest in the
world. The country is currently classified as an Upper-Middle
Income Country or as a secondary emerging
market by the World Bank.
Argentina's nominal GDP makes it the 31st largest economy in the
world.
Etymology
The name Argentina (from Latin argentum: silver) was first used extensively in the 1612 book Historia del descubrimiento, población, y conquista del Río de la Plata (History of the discovery, population, and conquest of the Río de la Plata) by Ruy Díaz de Guzmán, naming the territory Tierra Argentina (Land of Silver).History
The first signs of human presence in Argentina are located in the Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz), and date from 11,000 BC(Santa María, Huarpes, Diaguitas, Sanavirones, among others). In 1480, the Inca Empire under the rule of king Pachacutec launched an offensive and conquered present-day northwestern Argentina, integrating it into a region called Collasuyu. In the northeastern area, the Guaraní developed a culture based on yuca and sweet potato. The central and southern areas (Pampas and Patagonia) were dominated by nomadic cultures, unified in the seventeenth century by the Mapuches.European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain established a
permanent colony on the site of Buenos Aires
in 1580; the
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was created in 1776. During
the early part of this period it was largely a country of Spanish
immigrants and their descendants, known as criollos,
some of them gathered in Buenos Aires
and other cities, others living on the pampas as gauchos. Descendants of African
slaves (See:Afro-Argentines)
were present in significant numbers. Indigenous peoples inhabited
much of the rest of Argentina. In 1806 and 1807 the British
Empire
launched two invasions to Buenos Aires, but the criollo
population repelled both attempts. On May 25, 1810, after
confirmation of the rumors about the overthrow of King
Ferdinand VII by Napoleon,
citizens of Buenos Aires
created the First
Government Junta (May
Revolution).Two nations emerged in what is now Argentina
United Provinces of South America (1810) and Liga Federal
(1815) Other provinces through the reluctance of some factions
and the centralist tendencies of the more radical activists delayed
a combined State. In the meantime, Paraguay declared
its independence in 1811.
Military campaigns led by General
José de San Martín between 1814 and 1817 made independence
increasingly a reality. In 1820 Liga Federal
was crushed by forces of the
United Provinces of South America and Portugal armies from
Brazil and its provinces absorbed into United Provinces of South
America. Argentines revere San Martín, who campaigned in Argentina,
Chile, and
Peru, as the hero of their national independence. On July 9, 1816, a Congress
gathered in Tucumán (the
Congress
of Tucumán) and finally issued a formal declaration of
independence from Spain. Bolivia declared
itself independent in 1825, and Uruguay was created
in 1828 as a result of the Argentina-Brazil
War.
In 1818, General
José de San Martín crossed
the Andes to free Chile and Peru, thus eliminating
the Spanish threat. Centralist and
federalist
groups (Spanish: Unitarios
and Federales)
were in conflict until national unity was established and the
constitution
promulgated in 1853. The constitution was strongly defended in
moving oratory by the patriot and Franciscan
Mamerto
Esquiú, for whom one of the country's departments is named.
From 1865 to 1870, the bloody War
of Triple Alliance was fought by Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay
against Paraguay.
Foreign investment and immigration
from Europe led to the adoption of modern agricultural techniques.
In the 1870s, the "Conquest
of the Desert" subdued the remaining indigenous tribes
throughout the southern Pampas and Patagonia,
leaving 1,300 indigenous dead.
From 1880 to 1916, Argentina enjoyed increasing
prosperity, prominence and became one of the top 10 richest
countries in the world, through an agricultural export-led economy.
The population of the country swelled sevenfold. Conservative
forces dominated Argentine politics through non-democratic means
until 1916, when their traditional rivals, the Radicals,
won control of the first free-elected government. The military
forced Hipólito
Yrigoyen from power in 1930, leading to another decade of
Conservative rule. The country was neutral
during World War
II. Political change led to the presidency of Juan
Perón in 1946, who worked to empower the working class and
greatly expanded the number of unionized workers. The economy
turned to more protectionist policies and the developing of
industry. The self-proclamated Revolución
Libertadora of 1955 deposed him.
From the 1950s to 1970s, soft military and weak
civilian administrations traded power. During those years the
economy grew strongly and poverty declined (to less than 7% in
1975). At the same time political
violence continued to escalate, fighting against the military
government, demanding the return of Perón from his Spanish exile.
In 1973, Perón returned to the presidency, but he died within a
year of assuming power. His third wife
Isabel, the Vice President, succeeded him in office, but the
military
coup of March 24,
1976 removed
her from office.
The armed forces
took power through a junta
in charge of the self-appointed
National Reorganization Process until 1983. The military
government repressed opposition and leftist groups using harsh
illegal measures (the "Dirty War");
thousands of dissidents "disappeared",
while the
SIDE cooperated with DINA and other South
American intelligence
agencies, and with the
CIA in Operation
Condor. Many of the military leaders that took part in the
Dirty War were trained in the U.S.-financed
School
of the Americas, among them Argentine dictators Leopoldo
Galtieri and Roberto
Viola. The military dictatorship (1976-1983) greatly increased
the extent of the country's foreign debt. From that point the
economy of the country began to be controlled more and more by the
conditions imposed on it by both its creditors and the IMF
(International Monetary Fund) with priority given to servicing the
repayment of the foreign debt. These and other economic problems,
charges of corruption, public revulsion in the face of human rights
abuses and, finally, the country's 1982 defeat by the British in
the Falklands
War discredited the Argentine military
regime.
Democracy was restored in 1983. 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.
Failure to resolve endemic economic problems and an inability to
maintain public confidence led to Alfonsín's early departure six
months before his term was to be completed.
The 1990s began with hyperinflation. President
Carlos
Menem imposed a peso-dollar
fixed
exchange rate in 1991 to stop hyperinflation and
adopted far-reaching market-based
policies, dismantling protectionist barriers and
business regulations, and
implementing a privatization program.
These reforms contributed to significant increases in investment
and growth with stable prices through most of the 1990s. However,
the peso was tied to the dollar at an artificially high rate that
could only be maintained by flooding the market with dollars. As a
result the foreign debt increased enormously and state companies
and services were privatized. The total opening up of the market to
foreign goods, which up until then were produced locally, resulted
in the collapse of local industry. So while part of the population
was saving in dollars, traveling overseas, and purchasing imported
and luxury goods cheaply, the rest of the population was
experiencing an increase in both poverty and unemployment. The IMF
and the world economists praised the liberalization of the
Argentine market, and the country was presented as a “model
student”. Toward the end of the 1990s, large fiscal deficits and
overvaluation of the pegged peso caused a gradual slide into
economic
crisis. In 1998 a period of profound economic recession began.
This was a direct result of the economic measures which dominated
the decade of the 90s and which produced a false sense of stability
and well being. By the end of his term in 1999, these accumulating
problems and perceived corruption had made Menem unpopular.
The Menem and de
la Rúa administrations faced diminished competitiveness in
exports, massive imports which damaged national industry and
reduced employment, chronic fiscal and trade deficits, and the
contagion of several economic crises. Unemployment reached as high
as 25% of the economically active population, and another 15% had
only part-time work. The Asian
financial crisis in 1998 precipitated an outflow of
capital that mushroomed into a recession, and culminated in
economic crisis in November 2001. The governing coalition was
forced to undertake a series of measures including the freezing of
bank accounts. This was done to halt the flow of capital out of the
country and to stem the growing debt crisis. However, a climate of
popular discontent was unleashed as a result. On 20 December
2001 Argentina
was thrown into its worst institutional and economic crisis for
several decades. There were violent street protests, which brought
about clashes with the police and resulted in several fatalities.
The increasingly chaotic climate, amidst
bloody riots, finally resulted in the resignation of President
de la Rúa. The economic crisis accentuated the people's lack of
trust in their politicians. During this time street protests were
accompanied by the cry “they all should go.” The "they" referred to
the politicians, especially those involved in many reported acts of
corruption. They were also accused of dealing fraudulently with
public goods and money, without any judicial sanctions in place to
curb the corruption.
In two weeks, several presidents followed in
quick succession, culminating in Eduardo
Duhalde's being appointed interim President
of Argentina by the Legislative
Assembly on 2 January
2002.
Argentina defaulted
on its international debt obligations. The peso's near eleven
year-old linkage to the United States dollar was abandoned,
resulting in major depreciation
of the peso and a spike in inflation.
With a more competitive and flexible exchange
rate, the country implemented new policies based on
re-industrialization, import
substitution, increased exports, and consistent fiscal and
trade surpluses. By the end of 2002 the economy began to stabilize,
mainly thanks to the soybean and other cereals' boom and floating
of exchange rates. In 2003, Néstor
Kirchner was elected president. During Kirchner's presidency,
Argentina
restructured its defaulted debt with a steep discount (about 66
percent) on most bonds, paid off debts with the
International Monetary Fund, renegotiated contracts with
utilities, and nationalized some previously privatized enterprises.
Currently, Argentina is enjoying a period of economic
growth. In 2007
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was elected president, becoming
the first woman to be elected president of Argentina. Also in 2007,
Center-left Fabiana
Ríos (ARI)
became the first woman to be elected
governor of Tierra del Fuego and first elected female governor
in Argentina's history.
Politics
Government
Argentina's political framework is a federal presidential
representative
democratic republic, in which the President
of The Argentine Nation is both head of
state and head of
government, complemented by a pluriform multi-party
system. The current president (2007) is
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with Julio Cobos
as vice president.
The
Argentine Constitution of 1853 mandates a separation
of powers into executive,
legislative, and
judicial branches at
the national and provincial level.
Executive
power resides in the President
and his or her cabinet. The President
of The Argentine Nation and Vice President are directly elected
to four-year terms, limited to two consecutive terms, and the
cabinet
ministers are appointed by the president.
Legislative
power is vested in the bicameral National
Congress or
Congreso de la Nación, consisting of a Senate (Senado)
of seventy-two seats, and a Chamber
of Deputies (Cámara
de Diputados) of 257 members.
Senators serve six-year terms, with one-third
standing for reelection every two years. Members of the Chamber of
Deputies are directly elected to four-year term via a system of
proportional
representation, with half of the members of the lower house
being elected 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
Argentine Supreme Court of Justice has seven members who are
appointed by the President in consultation with the Senate. The
rest of the judges are appointed by the
Council of Magistrates of the Nation, a secretariat composed of
representatives of judges, lawyers, the Congress, and the executive
(see Law of
Argentina).
Argentina is a member of an international bloc,
Mercosur,
which has some legislative supranational functions. Mercosur is
composed of five full members: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and
Venezuela. It has
five associate members without full voting rights: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and
Peru.
Argentina was the only country from Latin
America to participate in the 1991 Gulf War under
mandate of the United
Nations. It was also the only Latin American country involved
in every phase of the Haiti
operation. Argentina has contributed worldwide to peacekeeping operations,
including in El
Salvador-Honduras-Nicaragua,
Guatemala,
Ecuador-Peru, 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. In 2005,
it was elected as a temporary member of the UN
Security Council.
In 1993, Argentina launched the United Nations
White
Helmets indicative of humanitarian
aid.
On November
4-November 5
2005, the
Argentine city of Mar del
Plata hosted the
Fourth Summit of the Americas. This summit was marked by a
number of anti-U.S. protests. As of 2006,
Argentina has been emphasizing Mercosur as its
first international priority; by contrast, during the 1990s, it
relied more heavily on its relationship with the United
States. 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. For more than a century, there has been an Argentine
presence at the Orcadas
Base.
Argentina is a founding signatory and permanent
consulting member of the Antarctic
Treaty System and the
Antarctic Treaty Secretariat is established in Buenos
Aires.
Military
Argentina's armed forces are controlled by the Defense Ministry, with the country's President as their Commander-in-Chief. Historically, Argentina's military has been one of the best equipped in the region (for example, developing its own advanced jet fighters as early as the 1950s), but has faced expenditure cutbacks in comparison to other regional militaries. The age of allowable military service is 18 years; there is no obligatory military service and currently no conscription. The armed forces are composed of a traditional Army, Navy, and Air Force. Controlled by a separate ministry (the Interior Ministry), Argentine territorial waters are patrolled by the Naval Prefecture, and the border regions by the National Gendarmerie; both arms however maintain liaison with the Defense Ministry. Argentina's Armed Forces are currently undertaking major operations in Haiti and Cyprus, in accordance with UN mandates.Provinces
3. Catamarca
4. Chaco
5. Chubut
6.
Córdoba
7. Corrientes
8. Entre
Ríos
9. Formosa
10. Jujuy
11. La
Pampa
12.
La Rioja
|col2 = 13. Mendoza
14. Misiones
15. Neuquén
16. Río
Negro
17. Salta
18.
San Juan
19. San
Luis
20.
Santa Cruz
21. Santa
Fe
23.
Tierra del Fuego
24. Tucumán
}} Though
declared the capital in 1853, Buenos Aires didn't become the
capital of the country until 1880. There have been moves to
relocate the administrative centre elsewhere. During the presidency
of Raúl
Alfonsín, a law was passed ordering the transfer of the federal
capital to Viedma, a city in
the Patagonian
province of 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.
Provinces are divided into smaller secondary
units called departamentos ("departments"), of which there are
376
in total. The province of Buenos
Aires has 134 similar divisions known as partidos.
Departamentos and partidos are further subdivided into
municipalities or districts.
In descending order by number of inhabitants, the
major cities in Argentina are Buenos
Aires, Córdoba,
Rosario,
Mendoza,
Tucumán,
La
Plata, Mar del
Plata, Salta, Santa
Fe, San
Juan, Resistencia,
and Neuquén.
Geography
Main features
The total surface area of Argentina (not including the Antarctic claim),is as the following:- Total: 2,766,891 km²
- Land: 2,736,691 km²
- Water: 30,200 km²
Argentina is nearly 5,121 km (about
3,182 mi) long from north to south, and 1,400 km (about
870 mi) from east to west (maximum values). It can roughly be
divided into four parts: the fertile plains of the Pampas in the center
of the country, the source of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the
flat to rolling, oil-rich plateau of Patagonia in the
southern half down to Tierra del
Fuego; the subtropical flats of the Gran Chaco in
the north, and the rugged Andes mountain
range along the western border with Chile.
The highest point above sea level in
Argentina is located in Mendoza.
Cerro Aconcagua, at
6,962 meters (22,834
feet),
is the highest mountain in the Americas, the
Southern,
and Western
Hemisphere. The lowest point is Laguna
del Carbón in Santa
Cruz, −105 meters (−344 ft) below sea level. This is also the
lowest point on the South American continent. The geographic
center of the country is located in south-central La
Pampa province.
The country has a territorial claim over a
portion of Antarctica
(unrecognized by any other country), where, from 1904, it has
maintained a constant
presence.
Geographic regions
The country is traditionally divided into several major geographically distinct regions:Rivers and lakes
Major rivers in Argentina include the Pilcomayo,
Paraguay,
Bermejo,
Colorado,
Río Negro, Salado,
Uruguay and
the largest river, the Paraná.
The latter two flow together before meeting the Atlantic
Ocean, forming the estuary of the Río
de la Plata. 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 in Argentina, many of them in
Patagonia. Among these are lakes Argentino
and Viedma in
Santa Cruz, Nahuel
Huapi in Río Negro and 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 those at Termas
de Río Hondo with temperatures between 30 °C and 65 °C.
Coastal areas and seas
Argentina has of coastline. The continental platform is unusually wide; in Argentina this shallow area of the Atlantic Ocean is called Mar Argentino. The waters are rich in fisheries and suspected of holding important hydrocarbon energy resources. Argentina's coastline varies between areas of sand dunes and cliffs. The two major ocean currents affecting the coast are the warm Brazil Current and the cold Falkland Current (Spanish: corriente antártica or corriente de las Malvinas). Because of the uneveness 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
Because of longitudinal and elevation amplitudes, Argentina is subject to a variety of climates. As a rule, the climate is predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from subtropical in the north to subpolar in the far south. The north of the country is characterized by very hot, humid summers with mild drier winters, and is subject to periodic droughts. Central Argentina has hot summers with thunderstorms (in western Argentina producing some of the world's largest hail), 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 hottest and coldest temperature extremes
recorded in South America have occurred in Argentina. A record high
temperature of , was recorded at Villa de María,
Córdoba on January 2
1920. The
lowest temperature recorded was at Valle de los Patos Superior,
San
Juan, July 17 1972.
Major winds in Argentina include the cool
Pampero
blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia and the Pampas after a
cold
front; the Viento
Norte, a warm wind that can blow from the north in mid and late
winter creating mild conditions; and the Zonda, a hot
and dry wind (see also foehn wind),
affecting west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during
the 6,000 meter descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for
hours with gusts up to 120 km/h,
fueling wildfires and
causing damage. When the Zonda blows (June-November), snowstorms
and blizzard (viento
blanco) conditions usually affect the higher elevations.
The Sudestada
(literally “southeastern”) could be considered similar to the
Noreaster, though
snowfall is rarely involved (but is 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 coasts of central Argentina 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. All of
Argentina uses UTC-3 time zone. The
country does observe daylight
saving time occasionally, the last summertime being started at
0:00 December 30,
2007 and being
finished at 0:00 March 16,
2008.
Extremities Argentina's eastermost continental
point is northeast of the town of
Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones
(), the westernmost in the Mariano Moreno Range in
Santa Cruz (). The northernmost point is located at the
confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete rivers, Jujuy (),
and the southernmost is Cape San Pío in
Tierra del Fuego ().
Enclaves and exclaves
There is one Argentine exclave, the Martín García Island (co-ordinates ). It is near the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, a kilometer (0.62 mi) inside Uruguayan waters, and 3.5 kilometres (2.1 mi) from the Uruguayan coastline near the small town of Martín Chico (itself halfway between Nueva Palmira and Colonia del Sacramento).An agreement reached by Argentina and Uruguay in
1973 reaffirmed Argentine jurisdiction over the island, ending a
century-old dispute. Under the terms of the agreement, Martín
García is to be devoted exclusively as a natural preserve. Its area
is about 2 square kilometres (500 acres), and its
population is about 200 people.
Flora
Subtropical plants dominate the north, part of the Gran Chaco region of South America. The genus Dalbergia of trees is well disseminated with representatives like the 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 dotting the region.Many species live in the subtropical north.
Big cats
like the jaguar, cougar, and ocelot; primates (howler
monkey); large reptiles (crocodiles), and a species of
caiman. Other animals
include the tapir,
capybara, peccary, bush dog,
raccoon, and various
species of turtle and
tortoise. There are
many birds, notably hummingbirds, flamingos, toucans, and parrots.
The central grasslands are populated by the
giant
anteater, armadillo, pampas cat,
maned
wolf, mara and
the rhea (ñandú),
a flightless bird. Hawks, falcons, herons, partridges inhabit the
region. There are also deer
and foxes. Some of these
species extend into Patagonia.
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.
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.
Economy
Argentina benefits from abundant natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base, that was once one of the wealthiest nations with a large middle class but this segment of the population has suffered by a succession of economic crises. Argentina otherwise maintains a relatively high standard of living.Argentina's economy started to slowly lose ground
after 1945 when it went from a wealthy nation with a strong and
prosperous economy to a deep recession in the mid 50s, losing its
place in the position of prosperous industrialized nations. The
economy further declined during the military dictatorship that
lasted from 1976 to 1983.
During this period, the government took out large
loans with high interest rates from the IMF and private banking
institutions. The country engaged in a disorganized and corrupt
rapid liberalization that marked the end of its industrial hegemony
in Latin America. During the military dictatorship over 400,000
companies of all sizes went bankrupt. The economic decisions made
from 1983 till 2001 failed to revert the situation. Finally, in
2001, after 3 years of recession, the economy broke down and
reached its worst point in history.
Although significant since then, the result is
that, today, while a significant segment of the population is still
financially well-off, they stand in sharp contrast with the
millions who have seen their purchasing power drastically reduced.
Since 2002, there has been an improvement in the situation of the
poorer sectors and a strong rebound of the middle class.
The urban poverty rate dropped to 26.9% by 2007,
down from 48 percent observed in 2003, but is still above the level
prior to the recession. From the late 1970s the country piled up
public debt and was plagued by bouts of high inflation. In 1991, the
government pegged
the peso to the U.S.
dollar and limited the growth in the money
supply. It then embarked on a path of trade
liberalization, deregulation and privatization. Inflation
dropped and gross
domestic product grew, but external economic shocks and
failures of the system diluted benefits, causing the economy to
crumble slowly from 1995 until the
collapse in 2001.
By 2002, Argentina had defaulted
on its debt, its GDP had shrunk, unemployment was more than
25%, and the peso had depreciated
75% after being devalued and floated.
However, careful spending control and heavy taxes on then-soaring exports
allowed the state to regain resources and conduct monetary
policy.
In 2003, import
substitution policies and soaring exports, coupled with lower
inflation and expansive economic measures, triggered a surge in the
GDP. This was repeated in 2004 and 2005, creating millions of jobs
and encouraging internal consumption. Capital
flight decreased, and foreign
investment slowly returned. An influx of foreign currency from
exports created a huge trade
surplus. The Central Bank was forced to buy dollars from the
market, and continues to do so from time to time to prevent the
Argentine peso from appreciating significantly and cutting
competitiveness.
The situation by 2006 was further improved. The
economy grew 8.8% in 2003, 9.0% in 2004, 9.2% in 2005, 8.5% in
2006, and 8.7% in 2007, though inflation, estimated at around 12 to
15% (official numbers are 9.8% for 2006), has become an issue
again, and income
distribution is still considerably unequal.
Sectors
seealso Tourism in Argentina In 2007, agricultural output accounted for 10% of GDP, and nearly one third of all exports. Soy and vegetable oils are major export commodities at 32% of exports. Wheat, maize, oats, sorghum, and sunflower seeds totalled 7%. Cattle is also a major industry. Beef, milk, leather products, and cheese were 6% of total exports.As a strike by farmers, who are protesting an increase in export taxes for their products, continued for a 13th day March 25 2008 with no solution in sight, butchers and supermarkets were among the first hit.Industrial petrochemicals, oil, and natural gas
are Argentina's second group of exports, 20% of totals. The most
important oil fields lie
in Patagonia and
Cuyo. An
impressive network of pipelines
send raw product to Bahia
Blanca, center of the petrochemical industry, and to the
La
Plata-Rosario
industrial belt. Coal is also
mined.
Mining is a rising
industry. The northwest
and San Juan
Province are main regions of activity. Metals mined include
gold, silver, zinc, magnesium, copper, sulfur, tungsten and uranium. In only ten years
exports soared from US$ 200 million to 1.2 billion in 2004, 3% of
total. Estimates for 2006 are US$ 2bn, a 10 fold rise from
1996.
In fisheries, argentine hake accounts for 50% of
catches, pollack and
squid follow. Forestry has
expanded in Mesopotamia;
elm for cellulose, pine and eucalyptus for furniture,
timber, and paper products. Both sectors each
account for 2% of exports.
Manufacturing
is the nation's leading single sector in GDP output, with 35% of
the share.internet
(with more than 16 million people online), and broadband services (4.1%).
Regular telephone
(with 9.5 million lines)and mail are robust.
The service
sector is the biggest contributor to total GDP. Argentina
produces energy in large part through well developed hydroelectric resources;
nuclear
energy is also of high importance. The country is one of the
largest producers and exporters (with Canada and Russia) of Cobalt-60, a
radioactive isotope widely used in cancer therapy. Construction
has led employment creation in the current economic expansion, and
is 5% of GDP.
Tourism is
increasingly important, now providing 7% of economic output.
Argentines are traveling more within their borders, and foreigners
are flocking to a country seen as affordable, safe, and incredibly
diverse: Cosmopolitan Buenos Aires
and Rosario;
the Iguazu Falls
and colonial Salta;
the South American indigenous Jujuy
Province and fun-filled
Córdoba; the wineries of Mendoza;
the ski-suitable scenic Bariloche to the
beaches of Pinamar; and
Perito
Moreno Glacier to
Tierra del Fuego. 3.7 million tourists visited in 2005.
Transportation
Argentina's infrastructure is advanced compared to other countries in Latin America. There are nearly 215,471 km (133,887 mi) of roads of which 68,809 km are paved, and 734 km are expressways, many of which are privatized. Multilane highways now connect several main cities and more are now under construction.The railway network has a total
length of 31,902 km. After decades of decaying service and lack of
maintenance, most passenger services shut down in 1992 when the
rail company was privatized, and thousands of kilometers of track
are now in disrepair. Railway services are currently being
reactivated among several cities.
The country has around 3,000 kilometers of
waterways, the most
significant among these being the Río
de la Plata, Paraná,
Uruguay,
Río Negro and Paraguay
rivers.
Water supply and sanitation
Water supply and sanitation in Argentina faces five key challenges: (i) low coverage with higher levels of service provision for its income level; (ii) poor service quality; and (iii) high levels of pollution; (iv) low cost recovery; and (v) unclear allocation of responsibilities between institutions in the sector.Population
Contemporary figures
The National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC) 2001 census showed the population of Argentina was 36,260,130. It ranks third in South America in total population and 30th globally. The 2007 estimate is 40,927,301. Argentina's population density is 14 inhabitants per square kilometer. However, the population is not evenly distributed: areas of the city of Buenos Aires have a population density of over 14,000 inhab./km², while Santa Cruz province has less than 1 inhab./km². Argentina is the only nation in South America with a net positive migration rate, of about +0.4 persons.Cities and metropolitan areas
As of 2005, Argentina's 20th largest metropolitan areas are:Demographics
Ethnicity
Argentina is a melting pot of different peoples, both autochthonous and immigrants. Citizens of European descent make up the great majority of the population, with estimates varying from white 89.7% to 97% of the total population. The last national census, based on self-ascription, indicated a similar figure..A study conducted by
Argentine, Swedish and North
American institutions, established that the genetic average
structure of the Argentine population, contains 79.9% of European
contribution, whereas the Amerindian
admixture, though not fully visible in physical appearance, was
estimated to be present in a high percentage of the population,
close to 56% on either paternal or maternal lineages, of which just
10% were shown to have Amerindian ancestors on both lineages.
After the Spanish colonists, waves of European
settlers
migrated to Argentina from the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth
centuries. Major contributors included Italy (initially from
Piedmont,
Veneto and
Lombardy,
later from Campania and
Calabria),
Spain
(foremost among them Galicians and
Basques,
and France
(mostly to Buenos Aires and Mendoza). Smaller but significant
numbers of immigrants came from Germany and
Switzerland
(to the Lakes Region of Patagonia; and to Córdoba), Scandinavia,
(Denmark,
Norway and
Sweden),
Greece,
Lebanon,
the United
Kingdom and Ireland
(to Buenos Aires, Santa Fé, and Patagonia; see also
English settlement in Argentina), and Portugal. Eastern
Europeans were also numerous, from Poland, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Croatia and
Slovenia
and Lithuania, as
well as Balkan countries
(Romania
Serbia and
Montenegro,
particularly in Chaco). There is a large Armenian
community, and the Patagonian Chubut Valley has a significant
Welsh-descended
population.
Minorities
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, now at over 60,000.
The majority of Argentina's Jewish community
derive from immigrants of north and eastern European origin
(Ashkenazi
Jews), and about 15–20% from Sephardic groups
from Syria.
Argentina is home to the fifth largest Ashkenazi Jewish community
in the world. (See also
History of the Jews in Argentina) Argentina has a large
Arab
community, made up mostly of immigrants from Syria and Lebanon. 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. Most of the Arab Argentines are Christian of
the Eastern
Orthodox and Eastern
Catholic Churches.
The officially recognized
indigenous population in the country, according to the
"Complementary Survey of Indigenous Peoples" based on 2001 Census
data, stands at approximately 402,921 people (about 1 percent of
the total population)
Illegal immigrants
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. The Argentine government estimates that 750,000 inhabitants lack official documents and has launched a program called Patria Grande ("Big Homeland"), to encourage illegal immigrants to regularize their status; so far over 670,000 applications have been processed under the program. http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2007/07/21/noticia_0035.htmlUrbanization
Argentina's population is very highly urbanized. About 3 million people live in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, and 12.4 million in Greater Buenos Aires (2007), making it one of the largest conurbations in the world. Together with their respective metropolitan areas, the second- and third-largest cities in Argentina, Córdoba and Rosario, comprise about 1.3 and 1.1 million inhabitants respectively.Most European immigrants
to Argentina settled in the cities, which offered jobs,
education, and other opportunities which enabled newcomers to enter
the middle
class. Many also settled in the growing small towns along the
expanding railway system. Since the 1930s, many rural workers have
moved to the big cities.
The 1990s saw many rural towns become ghost towns
when train services ceased and local products manufactured on a
small scale were replaced by massive amounts of cheap imported
goods. Many slums (villas
miserias) sprouted in the outskirts of the largest cities,
inhabited by impoverished lower-class urban dwellers, migrants from
smaller towns in the interior, and also a large number of
immigrants from neighbouring countries that came during the time of
the convertibility and did not leave after the 2001 crisis.
Some urban areas appear European, reflecting the
influence of European settlers. Many cities are built in a
Spanish-grid style around a main square (plaza). A cathedral and
important government buildings often face the plaza. The general
layout of the cities is called damero (checkerboard), since it is
based on a pattern of square blocks, though modern developments
sometimes depart from it (the city of La Plata, built at the end of
the nineteenth century, is organized as a checkerboard plus
diagonal avenues at fixed intervals).
The city of La
Plata was the first in South America with electric street
illumination.
Culture
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 mate tea
drinking) have been absorbed into the general cultural
milieu.
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 by Domingo
Faustino Sarmiento, is a great example. Hernández, although 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 Cásares, 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. Quino (born Joaquin
Salvador Lavado), has entertained readers the world over, while
dipping into the events of modern times, with soup-hating Mafalda and her
comic
strip gang.
Film and theatre
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). The city of
Mar
del Plata organizes its
own film festival, while Buenos Aires has its
independent cinema counterpart. 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.
Additionally, Argentina is a major center of cinema, it is compared
to other European countries in terms of people who attend movie
theaters. 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.
Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of
theater. The Teatro
Colon is a national landmark for opera and classical performances.
Built at the ending of XIX century, Teatro Colon'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. Enrico
Caruso, B.Gigli, Félix Weingartner, Artur Nikisch, Richard
Strauss,Arturo Toscanini, Igor Stravinsky, Paul Hindemith, Camille
Saint-Saëns, Manuel de Falla, Aaron Copland, Krzysztof Penderecki,
Gian-Carlo Menotti, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan,
Tullio Serafin, Gino Marinuzzi, Albert Wolff, Víctor De Sabata,
Leonard Bernstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Karl
Böhm, Fernando Previtali, Sir Thomas Beecham, Ferdinand Leitner,
Lorin Maazel, Igor Markevitch, Bernard Haitink, Zubin Mehta, Marek
Janowsky, Aldo Ceccato, Riccardo Muti, Kurt Masur, Michel Corboz,
Franz-Paul Decker, Riccardo Chailly, Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio
Abbado, René Jacobs are among the artists, composers and conductors
who performed in this opera house.
Besides the Teatro
Colón (one of the great opera houses
of the world), with its program of national and international
caliber, Calle Corrientes, or Corrientes
Avenue, is synonymous with the art. It is dubbed 'the street
that never sleeps', and sometimes referred to as the Broadway
of Buenos Aires. 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; the Teatro Nacional
Cervantes is designated the national theater of Argentina. Another
important theater is the Independencia in Mendoza.
Florencio Sanchez and Griselda
Gambaro are famous Argentine playwrights. Julio Bocca
is one of the great ballet
dancers of the modern era.
Painting and sculpture
Perhaps one of the most enigmatic figures of Argentine culture is Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari, aka Xul Solar, whose watercolor style and unorthodox painting media draws large crowds at museums worldwide; he also 'invented' two imaginary languages. The works of Candido Lopez (in Naïve art style), Emilio Pettoruti (cubist), Antonio Berni (neo-figurative style), Fernando Fader, and Guillermo Kuitca are appreciated internationally.
Benito Quinquela Martín is considered to be the quintesennial
'port' painter, to which the city of Buenos Aires
and particularly the working class and immigrant-bound La Boca
neighborhood, was excellently suited for. Lucio
Fontana and Leon Ferrari
are acclaimed sculptors and conceptual
artists. Ciruelo is a
world-wide famous fantasy artist and sculptor.
Food and drink
Argentine food is influenced by cuisine from Spain, Italy, Germany, France and other European countries, and many foods from those countries such as pasta, sausages, and desserts are common in the nation's diet. Argentina has a wide variety of staple foods, which include empanadas, a stuffed pastry; locro, a mixture of corn, beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd; and chorizo, a spicy sausage. Other popular items include facturas (Viennese-style pastry), Dulce de Leche and mate, Argentina's national beverage.The Argentine barbecue, asado as well as a parrillada, is
one of the most famous in the world and 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.
Since 1992 Argentina has invested over 650
million dollars to modernize the wine industry. The country is an
important wine
producer, rated fifth in the world, with the annual per capita
consumption of wine amongst the highest in the world. (Malbec has become a
representative variety from Argentina). Malbec grape, a discardable
varietal in France (country of origin), has found in Province of
Mendoza an ideal environment to successfully develop and turn
itself into tthe world's best Malbec. The city of Mendoza
is one of the eight wine capitals of the world, and Mendoza
accounts for 70% of the country total production (all varietals
considered). "Wine tourism" is important in the Province of
Mendoza, with the impressive landscape of Cordillera de Los Andes
and the highest peak in America, Mount Aconcagua, 6952 meters high,
providing a very desirable destination for international
tourism.
Sports
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Argentina, whose national team is twice FIFA World Cup Champion and one-time Olympic Gold medalist (also fourteen-time Copa América winners).Also widespread are volleyball and basketball; a number of
basketball players participate in the
NBA and European leagues. Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, Carlos
Delfino, and Fabricio Oberto are a few, and the national team won
Olympic Gold in the
Athens Olympics. Argentina has an important rugby
union football team, "Los Pumas" (see
Argentina national rugby union team), with many of its players
playing in Europe. Argentina beat host nation France twice in the
Rugby World Cup 2007, placing them third in the competition. The
Pumas currently sit at third spot in the International
Rugby Board's official world rankings. Argentine tennis is very competitive on the
world stage, with dozens of players, male and female, in active
tour.
Other popular sports include field hockey
(the top female sport, see Las Leonas),
golf, and sailing.
Argentina has the highest number of highly-ranked polo players in the world and the
national squad has been the uninterrupted world champion ever since
1949. The Open Polo Championship of Buenos Aires
is the most important polo-related event in the world. Cricket is growing
in popularity due to the National Team's recent successes where
they came as the underdogs and finished runner's up of the
Inaugural World
Cricket League Division 3. Baseball is played
in a most limited fashion, as well as the Gridiron.
Motorsports are
well represented in Argentina, with Turismo
Carretera and TC 2000 being the
most popular car racing formats. People all over the country enjoy
the races, but it is most fervently followed in small towns and
rural Argentina, attracting a rather similar demographic as
NASCAR in
the United
States. The Rally
Argentina is part of the World
Rally Championship (currently held in Córdoba Province). In
Formula 1 racing, the country produced one world champion (Juan
Manuel Fangio, five times) and two runners-up (Froilán González and
Carlos
Reutemann, once each)
The official national sport of the country is
pato, played with a
six-handle ball on horseback.
Music
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, Roberto Goyeneche, Hugo del Carril, 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, and Juan D'Arienzo. After 1955 tango turned more intellectual and listener-oriented, led by Astor Piazzolla. Today tango has worldwide popularity, and the rise of neo-tango is a global phenomenon with groups like Tanghetto, Bajofondo and Gotan Project.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 evolution. 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
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,
Andres
Calamaro). There are many sub-genres: underground, pop
oriented, and some associated with the working class (La Renga,
Attaque
77, Divididos,
Los Redonditos). Current popular bands include: Babasonicos,
Rata
Blanca, El Otro Yo,
Attaque
77, Bersuit, Los Piojos,
Intoxicados,
Catupecu
Machu, and Miranda!.
European
classical music is well represented in Argentina. Buenos Aires
is home to the world-renowned Colón
Theater. Classical musicians, such as Martha
Argerich, Daniel
Barenboim, Eduardo
Alonso-Crespo, Eduardo Delgado, Lalo
Schiffrin, and classical composers such as 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. 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.
Other notable musicians include Gato
Barbieri with his seductive saxophone and free jazz
compositions, and Jaime Torres
and his spacious andean
music.
Religion
Argentines are predominantly Roman Catholic. Around 93% declare themselves Roman Catholic according to different surveys; the Church estimates an affiliation of 70%. According to the Constitution, the Argentine government should support Roman Catholicism. However, this does not imply that it is the official religion of the Argentine Republic, nor does it imply that people working in the government should have this faith.Evangelical
churches have gained a foothold in Argentina since the 1980s, and
their followers now number more than 3.5 million, about 10% of the
total population. Traditional Protestant
communities are present in most communities.
Members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
numbering over 330,300, the seventh-largest concentration in the
world, are also present.
The country also hosts the largest Jewish population
in all of Latin
America, about 2 percent of the population.
Islam in
Argentina constitutes approximately 1.5% of the population, or
an estimated 500,000-600,000 (93% Sunni).
Argentina is also home to one of the largest mosques in Latin America, serving
Argentina's Muslim
community.
Language
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.
Standard
German is spoken by between 400,000 and 500,000 Argentines of
German
ancestry, though it has also been stated that the there could be as
much as 1,800,000. German today, is the third or fourth most spoken
language in Argentina.
According to one survey, there are around
1,500,000 Italian
speakers (which makes it the second most spoken language in the
country) and 1,000,000 speakers of Levantine Arabic,
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 11.1 million people were enrolled in formal
education of some kind:
- 9,551,728 people attended either kindergarten, primary (lower school), or secondary (high school) establishments;
- 494,461 people attended non-university level establishments (such as training or technical schools);
- 1,125,257 people attended colleges or universities.
Education in public schools (primary, secondary
and tertiary) is free. Public
education, which was perceived to be of the best quality during
the mid 20th century, is now often perceived to be bad and in
continuous decline because of lack of funding. This has helped
private education to flourish, albeit it has also caused an
imbalance in terms of who can afford it (usually middle and upper
classes), as often private schools have no scholarship systems in
place.
There are thirty-eight public
universities across the country, as well as several private.
The Universities of
Buenos Aires (the largest one, has 300,000 students),
Córdoba (110,000 students and one of the oldest in the
continent),
Rosario (75,000 students),
La Plata (75,000 students) and
UTN (National Technological University, 70,000 students) are
among the most important. Public universities faced cutbacks in
spending during the 1980s and 1990s, which led to a decline in
overall quality.
Holidays
Public holidays include most of the Catholic holidays, though holidays of other faiths are respected. The main historic holidays include the anniversaries of the May Revolution (May 25), the Independence Day (July 9), National Flag day (June 20), and the death of the hero José de San Martín (August 17).On Christmas Eve, the extended family gathers
around 9 p.m. for dinner, music, and often dancing. Candies are
served just before midnight, when fireworks displays begin. The
evening also includes opening gifts from Papá Noel (Father
Christmas or "Santa Claus"). New Year's
Day is marked with fireworks as well. Other holidays include
Good
Friday and Easter; Labor Day
(1 May);
sovereignty Day (former Malvinas Day) (2 April); and
Flag Day (20
June).
Science and technology
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. 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. Medicine's Nobel
laureate Bernardo
Houssay, the first Latin American awarded with a Nobel Prize,
discovered the role of pituitary
hormones in regulating glucose in animals; Medicine's
Nobel
laureate César
Milstein did extensive research in antibodies; and Chemistry's
Nobel
laureate Luis Leloir
discovered how organisms store energy converting glucose into
glycogen, and the
compounds which are fundamental in metabolizing carbohydrates. Luis Agote
performed one of the first two blood
transfusions with pre-stored blood in history. Enrique
Finochietto designed operating table tools such as the surgical
scissors that bear his name ("Finochietto scissors"), and a
rib-spreader. Roberto
Zaldívar is a pioneer in laser-eye procedures and research.
Argentine research has led to advancement in wound-healing
therapies, heart
disease, and in several forms of cancer.
Argentina's nuclear
program is highly advanced. 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 to assemble nuclear
weapons. Since then Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power
only for peaceful purposes.
In other areas, Juan
Vucetich, a Croatian immigrant, was the father of modern
fingerprinting (dactiloscopy). (see fingerprint),
Raúl Pateras de 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 more efficient
pendular combustion engine. Juan
Maldacena, an Argentine-American scientist, is a leading figure
in string
theory. An Argentine satellite, the PEHUENSAT-1 was
successfully launched on January 10
2007 using the
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
Communications and media
The Argentine publishing industry is
together with those in Spain and Mexico the most
important in the Spanish-speaking world. Argentina features the
largest bookstore
chains in Latin America, the El Ateneo and
Yenny
bookstores; numerous well-stocked independent stores abound. A
number carry titles in English and other languages. There are
hundreds of magazine
publications covering a plethora of issues and hobbies, which are
sold in kiosks on city sidewalks and in bookstores.
Radio and television
Argentina was a pioneering nation in radio broadcasting. At 9 pm on August 27, 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.At present there are more than 1,500 radio
stations licensed in Argentina; 260 are AM
broadcasting and 1150 FM
broadcasting. 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. Argentina boasts the highest
penetration of cable and satellite television in Latin America,
similar to percentages in North America. 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.
References
Bibliography
- Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina
- Presidency of Argentina
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto (official website of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship)
- The Special Relationship between Argentina and Brazil
- Historia de las Relaciones Exteriores Argentinas. History of Argentine foreign relations.