About Argentina
Argentina, officially known as the Argentine Republic, is a Spanish speaking country located in South America. It consists of 23 provinces and is the eighth largest country in the world. The country has the highest Human Development Index level and the third highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in Latin America.
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History
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Argentina was first explored by Juan Díaz de Solis in 1516. Slowly, the country developed under Spanish colonial rule. In 1580, Buenos Aires was settled. A thriving cattle industry had emerged by the early 1600s. Independence was declared by the people of Argentina in 1816, after establishing their own government in 1810.
After remaining neutral in World War I and most of World War II, Argentina declared war on Germany and Japan in the ending phase of World War II. This led to the election of Juan Peron as president in 1946. His wife, Eva Peron, also known as Lady Evita, contributed to his success with the working classes of Argentina. She established several charity organizations to aid the poor citizens of the country.
After Evita's death in 1952, Peron ruled for three more years before being exiled by an armed military coup. Free elections were permitted in 1973, which led to the end of Peron's exile. He won the election and ruled for one year before passing away in 1974. Argentina was then subject to long periods of military dictatorship with some brief intervals of constitutional government.
In 2007, the first female president of Argentina, Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was elected. Financial growth and the easing of inflation accompanied her reign. She has since shown interest in improving relations between Argentina and the United States and European countries.
Geography
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Argentina stretches from the Atlantic to the Chilean border. The country is also bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia to the North, and Brazil and Uruguay to the east. Argentina is divided into six major geographical regions: the Pampas, Gran Chaco, Mesopotamia, Patagonia, Cuyo and Northwest.
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Features
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The fertile plains west and south of Buenos Aires are known as the Pampas. This area encompasses most of Buenos Aires province, Cordoba and Santa Fe and La Pampa.
The dry/wet climactic region in the north of the country is known as Gran Chaco. It is used primarily for cotton and livestock farming. Mesopotamia is the name for the area between the Parana and Uruguay rivers. It is mostly flatland used for grazing and farming.
The semiarid to arid area in the provinces of Rio Negro and Santa Cruz are known as Patagonia. The region in west-central Argentina, known as Cuyo, is dominated by the Andes Mountains. The Northwest region of the country is highest in elevation and features several different mountain ranges.
Size
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Argentina is the second largest country in South America, in size and population. The total surface area of the country is 2,766,891 km². It is approximately 3900 km long from north to south and 1400 km long from east to west. It also boasts a population of 40,677,348.
Effects
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Argentina has a rich and diverse culture, with European influences found in local art, food, music, sports and lifestyle. The Argentine cinema has been given international praise and is used as an outlet for expressing outrage of previous political regimes. Argentina is also known for producing the Tango, which is the country's musical symbol around the world.
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Resources
- Photo Credit sxc.hu/mds2k01, sxc.hu/zd, sxc.hu/smasquelet, sxc.hu/blana
