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Argentina

Argentina

Continent

South America

Best States to Visit

  • Greater Buenos Aires
  • Wine Country
  • Iguazú
  • The Northwest
  • The Lakes Region

Best Cities to Visit

  • Buenos Aires
  • Mendoza
  • Ushuaia
  • Córdoba
  • Rosario

Size

2,780,400 KM2

Population

44,938,712

GDP

$1,033,000,000,000

Spending Budget

$205 - $1,458

Famous For

  • Tango

Best Time to Visit

  • January
  • February
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • October
  • November
  • December

History

The earliest traces of human life in the area now known as Argentina are dated from the Paleolithic period, with further traces in the Mesolithic and Neolithic. Until the period of European colonization, Argentina was relatively sparsely populated by many diverse cultures with different social organizations, which can be divided into three main groups. The first groups are basic hunters and food gatherers without the development of pottery, such as the Selknam and Yaghan in the extreme south. The second groups are advanced hunters and food gatherers, including the Puelche, Querandí, and Serranos in the center-east; and the Tehuelche in the south—all conquered by the Mapuche spreading from Chile—and the Kom and Wichi in the north. The last group are farmers with pottery, like the Charrúa, Minuane, and Guaraní in the northeast, with slash and burn semisedentary existence; the advanced Diaguita sedentary trading culture in the northwest, which was conquered by the Inca Empire around 1480; the Toconoté and Hênîa and Kâmîare in the country's center, and the Harpe in the center-west, a culture that raised llama cattle and was strongly influenced by the Incas. Europeans first arrived in the region with the 1502 voyage of Amerigo Vespucci. The Spanish navigators Juan Díaz de Solís and Sebastian Cabot visited the territory that is now Argentina in 1516 and 1526, respectively. In 1536 Pedro de Mendoza founded the small settlement of Buenos Aires, which was abandoned in 1541. Further colonization efforts came from Paraguay—establishing the Governorate of the Río de la Plata—Peru and Chile. Francisco de Aguirre founded Santiago del Estero in 1553. Londres was founded in 1558; Mendoza, in 1561; San Juan, in 1562; San Miguel de Tucumán, in 1565. Juan de Garay founded Santa Fe in 1573 and the same year Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera set up Córdoba. Garay went further south to re-found Buenos Aires in 1580. San Luis was established in 1596.

Present Day

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. It shares the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, and is bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. Argentina covers 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi) and is the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world. It is the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, the federal capital and largest city of Buenos Aires. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times. The country has its roots in the Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century. Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) were followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country's reorganization as a federation. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration, mainly Italians and Spaniards, radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry, and the Argentine culture has significant connections to the Italian culture.

Future

Is Argentina really on track to become the next Venezuela? The argument, which has repeated since at least Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's second term in office, has taken on renewed vigor lately, given a string of actions by the Alberto Fernández administration some have taken in the opposition as an encroachment into individual freedoms and constitutional rights. Mauricio Macri has hinted at this in recent columns and social media posts, while his handpicked president for his PRO party, Patricia Bullrich, hasn't stopped chanting the refrain. Within the ruling Frente de Todos coalition, there hasn't been a direct response to this line of criticism, despite ample media participation by several high-ranking officials in the government, including the president and his Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero, who consistently attempt to rebuke the opposition with irony, satire, and a little maliciousness as well. The suggestion that we are turning into Venezuela is part of a cultural war that had pitted Kirchnerites and anti-Peronists against each other since 2008 when a large section of society broke with the political model championed by Néstor Kirchner, which had expired. Up until then, the Kirchners had counted on the support of ample sectors of society who had seen Argentina recover from its 2001 implosion, effectively growing at "Chinese rates" while enjoying fiscal and commercial surpluses. Clarín, the largest and strongest media group in the country, smiled upon Néstor as he approved the fusion of Cablevisión and Multicanal, giving the company run by Héctor Magnetto essentially a monopoly, as well as the capacity to become immensely rich. That year, 2008, was also when soy prices peaked. The global financial crisis that began with the collapse of Lehman Brothers (it was actually Bear Sterns that started it all) began to send shockwaves throughout the global economy.
Must Visit Places ------------

Casa Rosada

The Casa Rosada is the office of the President of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as Casa de Gobierno ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the President lives at the Quinta de Olivos, the official residence of the President of Argentina, which is located in Olivos, Greater Buenos Aires. The characteristic color of the Casa Rosada is baby pink and is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires. The building also houses a museum, which contains objects relating to former presidents of Argentina. It has been declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina. The Casa Rosada sits at the eastern end of the Plaza de Mayo, a large square since the 1580 foundation of Buenos Aires has been surrounded by many of the most important political institutions of the city and Argentina. Originally at the shoreline of the Río de la Plata, the site was first occupied by the "Fort of Juan Baltazar of Austria," a structure built on the orders of the founder of Buenos Aires Captain Juan de Garay, in 1594. Its 1713 replacement by a masonry structure (the "Castle of San Miguel") complete with turrets made the spot the effective nerve center of colonial government. Following independence, President Bernardino Rivadavia had a Neoclassical portico built at the entrance in 1825. The building remained unchanged until, in 1857, the fort was demolished in favor of a new customs building. Under the direction of British Argentine architect Edward Taylor, the Italianate structure functioned as Buenos Aires' largest building from 1859 until the 1890s.

Valle de la Luna

El Valle de la Luna is located 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of San Pedro de Atacama, in the north of Chile in the Cordillera de la Sal, in the Atacama desert. It has various stone and sand formations which have been carved by wind and water. It has an impressive range of color and texture, looking somewhat similar to the moon's surface. There are also dry lakes where the composition of salt makes a white covering layer of the area. It presents diverse saline outcrops which appear like artificial sculptures. There are also a great variety of caverns. When the sun sinks, it defines the landscape while the wind blows among the rocks, and the sky passes from a pink color to purple and finally black. Valle de la Luna is a part of the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos and was declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982 for its natural environment and strange lunar landscape, from which its name is derived. The Atacama desert is also considered one of the driest places on earth, as some areas have not received a single drop of rain in hundreds of years. A prototype for a Mars rover was tested there by scientists because of the valley's dry and forbidding terrains.

Cerro Aconcagua

Aconcagua is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in Southern and the Western Hemispheres, with a summit elevation of 6,961 meters (22,838 ft). It lies 112 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, the city of Mendoza, about five kilometers (three miles) from San Juan Province, and 15 km (9 mi) from Argentina's border with neighboring Chile. The mountain is one of the so-called Seven Summits of the seven continents. Aconcagua is bounded by the Valle de las Vacas to the north and east and the Valle de los Horcones Inferior to the west and south. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park. The mountain has several glaciers. The largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones, Inferior at about 10 km (6 mi) long, descending from the south face to about 3,600 m (11,800 ft) in altitude near the Confluencia camp. Two other large glacier systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system at about 5 km (3 mi) long. The most well-known is the north-eastern or Polish Glacier, as it is a common route of ascent.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina, and the southernmost city of the country. Ushuaia claims the title of the world's southernmost city. Ushuaia is located in a wide bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, bounded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel. It is the only municipality in the Department of Ushuaia, with 9,390 km2 (3,625 sq mi). It was founded on October 12, 1884, by Augusto Lasserre and is located on the shores of the Beagle Channel surrounded by the mountain range of the Martial Glacier in the Bay of Ushuaia. Besides being an administrative center, it is a light industrial port and tourist hub. Ushuaia is located roughly 1,100 kilometers (680 mi) from the coast of Antarctica. The word Ushuaia comes from the Yaghan language: ush and wait ("bay" or "cove") and means "deep bay" or "bay to the background." Creating the subprefecture in 1884 cites the name "Oshovia," one of the many orthographic variations of the word. Its demonym is "Ushuaiense".

San Rafael

San Rafael is a city in the southern region of the Mendoza Province, Argentina. With more than 118,000 inhabitants (2010 census [INDEC]), it is the largest city in and the seat of the San Rafael Department. The city is located 240 km from the provincial capital and 990 km from the federal capital. Natural attractions in the area include the Diamante River, which flows through the city, the rapids-strewn Atuel River just s south, and Lake Los Reyunos, 20 km (12 mi) west of San Rafael. Spanish expeditions led by Francisco de Villagra from what today is Chile first surveyed the area. Findingding a well-established agricultural Coquimbo and Diaguita cultures, they rapidly subdued the existing people expropriated the, however, displaced Pehuenches revoltedever, and repeated attacks led to an 1804 treaty signed by Viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte whereby the Pehuenches ceded land to colonial authorities. The construction of Fort San Rafael del Diamante and its completion on 2 April 1805 marked the formal establishment of San Rafael.

Quebrada de Humahuaca

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, 1,649 km (1,025 mi) north of Buenos Aires (23°11′59″S 65°20′56″W). It is about 155 km (96 mi) long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys (Valles Templates) in the south. The name Quebrada (literally "broken") translates as a deep valley or ravine. It receives its name from Humahuaca, a small city of 11,000 inhabitants. The Grande River (Río Grande), which is dry in winter, flows copiously through the Quebrada in the summer. The region has always been a crossroads for economic, social, and cultural communication. It has been populated for at least 10,000 years since the settlement of the first hunter-gatherers, which is evidenced by substantial prehistoric remains. In particular, many stone-walled agricultural terraces, thought to originate more than 1500 years ago, are found throughout the region and are still in use today. The field system links a series of fortified towns called paras. The valley was later a caravan road for the Inca Empire in the 15th century, then an important link between the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and the Viceroyalty of Peru and a stage for many battles of the Spanish War of Independence.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in Argentinian Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world's third-largest reserve of freshwater. The Perito Moreno Glacier, located 78 kilometers (48 mi) from El Calafate, was named after the explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 19th century and played a major role in defending the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile. Despite most of the innumerable glaciers worldwide retreating, one of the few unusual glaciers that maintain a state of equilibrium is the Perito Moreno Glacier because it accumulates mass at a rate similar to that of its loss. The reason remains debated by glaciologists. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, with an average height of 74 m (240 ft) above the surface of the water of Argentino Lake, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 meters (558 ft).

San Ignacio Miní

San Ignacio Miní was one of the many missions founded in 1610 in Argentina by the Jesuits in what the colonial Spaniards called the Province of Paraguay of the Americas during the Spanish colonial period. It is located near present-day San Ignacio valley, some 60 km north of Posadas, Misiones Province, Argentina. In 1984 it was one of four reducciones in Argentina designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The original mission was erected near the year 1610 by Jesuit priests José Cataldino and Simón Maceta in the region called Guayrá by the natives and La Pinería by the Spanish conquistadores in present Paraná State, Brazil. Because of the constant attacks of the Portuguese Bandeirantes, the mission moved in 1632 and did not settle in its current location until 1696. It was called San Ignacio Miní (minor in Guaraní) to distinguish it from the larger mission, San Ignacio Guazú (great). In the 18th century, the mission had a population of around 3000 people, mostly indigenous peoples. They produced rich cultural and handicraft products, which the Spanish commercialized by trade via the nearby Paraná River. After the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1767, the Jesuits left the mission a year later. Luso-Brazilian forces destroyed the mission in 1817 and other missions in the war against the independent movement in the Banda Oriental.