Assignment 1

The Nation Report

Argentina

Arash Saysan

Geography 1:

• 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

• 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.

Geography 2:

• The major rivers are the Paraná (the largest), the Pilcomayo, Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado, Río Negro, Salado and the Uruguay.

• 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.

• The highest point above sea level is in Mendoza province at Cerro Aconcagua (6,962 m (22,841 ft))

• The lowest point is Laguna del Carbón in Santa Cruz province, -105 m (−344 ft) below sea level, the lowest point in South America.

People 1:

• 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,[34] Argentina is the only nation in Latin America with a net positive migration rate: about 4 net immigrants per 10,000 locals, yearly.

People 2:

• Argentina is considered a country of immigrants.

• 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 An estimated 8% of the

population is mestizo. A further 4% of Argentines were

of Arab or East Asian heritage. In the last national

census, based on self-identification, 600,000

Argentines (1.6%) declared to be Amerindians.

• The majority of these European immigrants came from

Italy and Spain.

• 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.

Culture 1:

• 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.

• Numerous Argentine architects have enriched their own country's cityscapes and, in recent decades, those around the world.

• 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.

• Combination of Art Nouveau with Italianate styles.

Culture 2:

• 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.

• The official national sport of Argentina is pato, played with a six-handle ball on horseback, but the most popular sport is association football. The national football team has won 25 major international titles including two FIFA World Cups, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen Copa Américas. Over one thousand Argentine players play abroad, the majority of them in European football leagues. There are 331,811 registered football players, with increasing numbers of girls and women, who have organized their own national championships since 1991 and were South American champions in 2006.

History 1:

• 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.

History 2:

• 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. Some contemporary sources indicate that it was campaign of genocide by the Argentine government.

• In 1946, General Juan Perón was elected president, creating a political movement referred to as "Peronism".

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina