All About Argentina

genus Argentina, country in southeastern America east of jalapeno and west of the Atlantic Ocean. The area of the country is 2,780,400 sq km. The Argentine government, however, claims a full area of 2,808,602 sq km including the British-administered Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas, and other sparsely settled southerly Atlantic islands. The capital and largest city is Buenos Aires. The population is 35,797,981 jillion. Largely urban and of European origin. Spanish is the official language. Roman Catholics make up more than 92 part of the population. Judaism, Protestantsim, and a number of other Christian and non-Christian religions are pr operateiced. By law, the president and the vice-president must be Roman Catholic.Physical Geography The Andes Mountains assembly line Argentinas western edge, forming the boundary with Chile. The in high spiritsest peak, Aconcagua, stands 6960 m. Gently rolling plains extend eastward from the petty(a) of the Andes and descend gradually to sea level. The Pampas, treeless plains that include the most successful agricultural sections of the country, occupy much of this region. Patagonia, south of the Pampas, is dry and desolate. At the grey tip of Argentina lie the islands of Tierra del Fuego.Climate Argentina has a temperate climate, except for a small tropical area in the atomic number 10 and a subtropical region in the north. The higher Andes and Patagonia are cold, dapple in most coastal areas temperatures are moderated by the ocean. Rainfall is high in the north, and quite low in the south.Argentinas main natural imagery has been the agricultural land of the Pampas. Productive offshore deposits of petroleum and natural muck up are also heavy.Education and Culture Primary pedagogics is on the loose(p) and compulsory from ages 6 to 14. In 1996, 5.3 million pupils attended primary schools 2.6 million attended secondary and vocational schools. Enrollment in higher education institutions was 1.1 million in 19 94. Argentinas literacy rate of 96 percent is one of the highest in Latin America. Argentina has rich literary and melodious traditions. The tango, a widely popular ballroom dance, originated here.Economy Argentina ranks among foundation leaders in the production of grain and cattle. Wheat is the most important crop, and wool is a major export. Coal and petroleum production, once comparatively small-scale, has increased significantly in recent years. The unit of currency is the nuevo peso argentino (1 peso equals U.S.$1 1996).Government Executive power is held by a president elected to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. The home(a) Congress consists of the 257-member House of Deputies and the 72-member Senate. Deputies are elected directly to four-year terms, and each of the countrys 23 provinces elects three senators to six-year terms. In each province, the largest nongoverning party chooses one of the three senators. account statement along with numerous nomadic trib es mass, two main indigenous groups existed in Argentina before the European arrival. In the northwest, near Bolivia and the Andes, was a people known as the Diaguita, while further south and to the east were the Guarani. together the Diaguita and the Guarani constitute the origins of permanent agricultural civilization in Argentina, both growing the cultivation of maize. The Diaguita are also remembered for having successfully prevented the powerful Inca from expanding their empire into Argentina from what is now Bolivia.It was perhaps a legacy of this successful resistance that enabled the internal peoples of Argentina to carry on a prolonged campaign against settlement and rule by the Spanish. The first Spaniard to land in Argentina, Juan de Solis, was killed in 1516, and several(prenominal) attempts to found Buenos Aires were stymied by the local anesthetic inhabitants. Inland cities were more successful, and it wasnt until the late sixteenth century that Buenos Aires was se curely established.Despite its military success, indigenous resistance was inexorably weakened by the introduction of diseases from Europe. Even after the native menace became minimal, however, Argentina was still mostly neglected by Spain, which was more raise in developing Lima and the riches of Peru. Buenos Aires was forbidden to trade with irrelevant countries, and the city became a smugglers haunt. The restrictive trade policy probably did fiddling to endear Spain to the colonists. The British attacked Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807, as Spains had come under the ascertain of Napoleonic France. The colony managed to repulse Britains attacks without any assistance from their mother country, an act of strength that no doubt helped to foster the regions growing sense of independence.When the French captured Spains King Ferdinand VII, Argentina fell completely under the rule of the local viceroyalty, which was highly unpopular. The locals rebelled against the viceroyalty and dec lared their allegiance to the captive king. By 1816, the deep divergence between Argentina and its mother country had become quite apparent, and a party of separatists decided to declare the countrys independence. One of the new patriots, Jose de San Martin, crossed the Andes and captured Lima. Along with Simon Bolivar, Martin is credited with breaking the shackle of Spanish rule in South America.Early independence in Argentina was marked by an frequently bitter struggle between two political groups the Unitarists and the Federalists. The Unitarists wanted a strong central government, while the Federalists wanted local control.