南美洲:
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| 阿根廷 Argentina 首都:布宜諾斯艾利斯 國家代碼: ar |
 阿根廷簡介 國名：阿根廷共和國 Republic of Argentina 阿根廷首都是布宜諾斯艾利斯 國名由來：在西班牙語中，“阿根廷”與“拉普拉塔”兩詞意義相同，均為“白銀”。 1527年，西班牙探險傢塞瓦斯蒂安·卡沃托率領一支遠征隊到達南美大陸後，從一個寬闊的河口溯流而上，深入到內地。探險傢們發現當地印第安人佩帶着很多銀製的飾物，以為當地盛産白銀，便將這條河命名為拉普拉塔河，把這一地區稱為拉普拉塔區。西班牙殖民統治者後來又將拉普拉塔區改為省。1816年7月9日，拉普拉塔省宣佈獨立，並將國名正式定為阿根廷。阿根廷一詞源於拉丁文，不僅是指具體意義上的白銀，同時寓意“貨幣”、“財富”。這塊廣袤的土地上雖不産白銀，但有着肥沃的土壤，豐茂的草原，良好的氣候，這使阿根廷成了“世界的糧倉和肉庫”，財富滾滾而來。因此，把這個國傢稱之為“阿根廷”，真是再恰如其分不過了。 人口：3780多萬。主要民族是歐洲人和印第安人，其中白種人占97％，多屬意大利和西班牙後裔。是南美洲各國白種人比率最高的國傢。城市人口占五分之四。混血種人，印第安人及其他人種占3％。官方語言為西班牙語。居民87％信奉天主教，其餘的信奉新教及其他宗教。 首都：布宜諾斯艾利斯 Buenos Aires是拉美最繁華的都市之一，西班牙語意為“好空氣”。該市位於拉普拉塔河西岸，風景秀美，氣候宜人，有“南美巴黎”之稱。市內以街心公園、廣場和紀念碑衆多而著名。城市建築多受歐洲文化影響，至今還保留有幾個世紀前的西班牙和意大利風格的古代建築。有人口278萬（2001年），包括近郊19個區的大布宜諾斯艾利斯市共1383萬人(2001年)。 國旗：阿根廷國旗呈長方形，長與寬之比約為5：3。自上而下由淺藍、白、淺藍三個平行相等的橫長方形組成，白色長方形中間是一輪“五月的太陽”。太陽本體酷似一張人臉，是阿根廷發行的第一枚硬幣的圖案，沿太陽本體圓周等距離分佈着32根彎直相間的光芒綫。淺藍色象徵正義，白色象徵信念、純潔、正直和高尚；“五月的太陽”象徵自由和黎明。 每年6月20日為國旗日——1810年，阿根廷爆發了著名的五月革命，推翻了西班牙總督，開始了偉大的獨立戰爭。為了鼓舞士氣，指引部隊作戰，領導獨立戰爭的貝爾格拉諾將軍親自設計並指導製作了一面淺藍色和白色相間的旗幟。這兩種顔色分別象徵着純潔和虔誠。1916年9月9日，阿根廷共和國宣佈成立時，升起的就是這面旗幟。從此，它被正式確定為阿根廷國旗。 貨幣： 比索 國徽：阿根廷國徽為橢圓形。橢圓面上藍下白，為國旗色，上端有一輪“五月的太陽”，寓意同國旗。橢圓形中有兩衹緊握着的手，象徵團结；手中握有“自由之竿”，象徵權利、法令、尊嚴和主權；竿頂為紅色的“自由之帽”。橢圓形圖案由緑色的月桂樹葉環繞，緑色象徵忠誠和友誼，月桂樹葉象徵勝利和光榮。 國歌：阿根廷的《祖國進行麯》,是拉丁美洲的第一首國歌。 1813年5月11日，阿根廷國會通過决議確定由比森特·洛佩斯·伊普蘭內斯（Vicente López y Planes, 1785 - 1856）作詞、布拉斯·帕雷拉普（Blas Parera，1777-1820）譜麯的《祖國進行麯》（Marcha Patriótica）為阿根廷國歌。1900年，鬍裏奧·羅卡（Julio Argentino Roca 1843-1914。1880-1886和1898-1904年為阿根廷總統）總統頒布法令規定每逢在法定節日，學校舉行的儀式上需合唱國歌的第一和最後一小節。 歌詞大意：大地的生民！聽神聖的呼聲：自由，自由，自由！奴隸的枷鎖被打破，被打破；自由登上寶座。充滿尊榮的寶座已經建成，勝利歸南方各省聯盟！全世界自由人民齊歡呼：祝福偉大國傢阿根廷！祝福偉大國傢阿根廷！ 新生的英雄們精神抖擻，好象武神一樣雄赳赳。他們胸懷裏充滿豪情，闊步前進使大地發抖。印加人正從墳墓裏蘇醒，重新燃燒起滿腔熱情，鼓勵他們的兒女去重建往昔祖國的赫赫令名，往昔祖國的赫赫令名！ 山崖崩裂，城墻倒坍，轟隆隆地響聲震天；復仇和戰爭的呼聲四起，到處一片狂瀾。兇惡的暴君包藏着妒忌心，吐出毒液來惡臭難聞，手昊揮舞着染血的軍旗，挑起戰爭，殘酷無人性，挑起戰爭，殘酷無人性！ 阿根廷人，侵略者嚮你們挑戰，他們卑鄙而又傲慢，狂歌獰笑，踐踏我們的土地，終將失敗，註定無疑。一同慷慨地宣誓的勇士，為了自由而奔赴戰場痛打這一群嗜血的虎狼，意志堅強如鐵壁銅墻，意志堅強如鐵壁銅墻！ 勇敢的阿根廷人奔赴繮場，精神飽滿，鬥志昂揚；戰鬥的號角隨着炮聲隆隆，響徹南方的戰場上。布宜諾斯艾利斯是抗戰的先鋒，帶領著名的聯盟城市，他們將揮起強壯的手臂，絞死傲慢的伊伯利亞之獅，絞死傲慢的伊伯利亞之獅！ 勝利之神展開光輝的雙翅，庇護阿根廷勇士。暴君看見了屁滾尿流，連忙夾着尾巴逃走。他交出軍旗和武器來投降，贏得戰利品，歸功自由。人民鼓舞着光榮的彩翼，氣概豪邁，揚眉昂首，氣概豪邁，揚眉昂首！ 從南極到期北極響徹號聲，傳送赫赫聲名，它用美洲的名義嚮人們反復呼喚，生民，請聽：充滿尊榮的寶座已經建成，勝利歸南方各省聯盟！全世界自由人民齊歡呼：祝福偉大國傢阿根廷！祝福偉大國傢阿根廷！ 記住桂冠怎樣得來，讓它永遠存在！我們生得有光彩，死也要死得有光彩。 國樹：賽波樹 國花：燦若紅霞的賽波花。賽波樹屬木本豆莢科植物，主要分佈在中南美地區。在西班牙殖民統治時期，拉普拉塔地區的印第安人不斷奮起反抗。傳說，在一次戰鬥中，一位印第安部落酋長不幸陣亡，她的女兒阿娜依挺身而出，指揮戰鬥，與西班牙殖民者浴血死戰，最後她也被俘。西班牙殖民者將阿娜依綁在一棵賽波樹上，要用火燒死她。阿娜依在熊熊的大火中慷慨就義。此時，花期未到的樹上突然盛開出滿枝纍串的、如火如血的紅花。1942年，阿根廷通過一項法令，正式確定賽波花為阿根廷的國花。 國鳥： 棕竈鳥 獨立日： 7月9日（1816年） 國慶日： 5月25日（1910年） 馬島戰爭老戰士日：4月2日（1982年） 國傢政要：總統內斯托爾·卡洛斯·基什內爾（Nestor Kirchner），2003年5月任職。 2007年10月，阿根廷執政聯盟候選人、第一夫人剋裏斯蒂娜·費爾南德斯在28日的總統選舉中獲勝，順利當選為總統，她將成為阿根廷歷史上首位選舉産生的女總統。12月10日，剋裏斯蒂娜將正式接替丈夫基什內爾擔任阿根廷總統。 地理 面積278萬平方公裏，為拉美第二大國，僅次於巴西。位於南美洲東南部、東瀕大西洋，南與南極洲隔海相望，西同智利接壤，北界玻利維亞、巴拉圭，東北部與巴西和烏拉圭為鄰。地勢由西嚮東逐漸低平。西部是以脈綿延起伏、巍峨壯麗安第斯山為主體的山地，縱貫南北3，000余公裏，約占全國面積的30％；東部和中部的潘帕斯草原是著名的農牧區；北部主要是格蘭查科平原，多沼澤、森林；南部是巴塔哥尼亞高原。主要山脈有奧霍斯·德薩拉多山、梅希卡納山，海拔6964米的阿空加瓜山，為南美洲萬峰之冠。巴拉那河全長4700公裏，為南美第二大河。主要湖泊有奇基塔湖、阿根廷湖和別德馬湖。 北部屬熱帶氣候，中部屬亞熱帶氣候，南部為溫帶氣候，大部分地區年平均溫度在16-23℃之間。東北部降水豐沛，在1，000毫米左右，西北部和南部為250毫米；夏季雨水較多。巴拉那-拉普拉塔河全長5，580公裏，為南美第二大水係，主要支流有巴拉圭河、烏拉圭河等國際界河，南部安第斯山區多冰蝕湖。著名的烏馬瓦卡峽𠔌，曾是古老的印加文化傳到阿根廷的通道，被稱為“印加之路”。阿根廷礦産資源豐富，主要有石油、天然氣、煤炭、鐵和銀等。 水力資源比較豐富。森林面積占全國面積22％。沿海漁業資源豐富。 區劃 全國劃分為24個行政單位。由22個省、1個地區（火地島行政區）和聯邦首都（布宜諾斯艾利斯）組成。各省名稱如下：布宜諾斯艾利斯、聖菲、科爾多瓦、門多薩、圖庫曼、恩特雷裏奧斯、查科、科連特斯、薩爾塔、聖地亞哥德埃斯特羅、米西奧內斯、聖鬍安、鬍鬍伊、裏奧內格羅、福莫薩、丘布特、聖路易斯、內烏肯、拉潘帕、卡塔馬卡、拉裏奧哈和聖剋魯斯。 簡史 16世紀前居住着印第安人。1535年西班牙在拉普拉塔建立殖民據點。1776年西班牙設立以布宜諾斯艾利斯為首府的拉普拉塔總督區。1810年5月25日布宜諾斯艾利斯人民掀起反對西班牙統治的“五月革命”，成立了第一個政府委員會。1812年起，阿根廷人民在民族英雄聖馬丁的領導下，開展了反對西班牙殖民軍的大規模武裝鬥爭，終於在1816年7月9日宣告獨立。1853年製定第一部憲法，建立了聯邦共和國，烏爾基薩當選為第一任總統。1862年巴托洛梅·米特雷擔任總統，結束了獨立後長期的分裂和動亂。自20世紀30年代起出現軍人與文人交替執政的局面。1983年，阿方辛民選政府上臺，恢復憲製，大力推進民主化進程。 1982年4月2日阿根廷和英國因馬爾維納斯群島主權歸屬問題，爆發了馬島戰爭，同年6月14日，英軍擊敗了阿軍，繼續占領馬島。 政治 1853年製定第一部全國統一憲法。1994年8月22日，憲法經第四次修改後實施。修改後的憲法規定，阿根廷為聯邦製國傢，實行代議製民主，內閣是政府執行機構。總統、副總統由普選産生，總統是國傢元首、政府首腦和武裝部隊總司令，執掌國傢最高行政權，任期四年，可連選連任一次；副總統兼任參議院議長。憲法還規定設內閣總理一職。總理、部長和總統府各國務秘書均由總統任命。議會是國傢最高立法機構，國會分參、衆兩院，擁有聯邦立法權，參、衆議員均由直選産生，可連選連任。 經濟 阿根廷物産富饒，氣候適宜，土地肥沃,是綜合國力較強的拉美國傢。工業門類較齊全，主要有鋼鐵、電力、汽車、石油、化工、紡織、機械、食品等。工業産值占國內生産總值的1／3。核工業發展水平居拉美前列，現擁有3座核電站。鋼産量居拉美前列。機器製造業具有相當水平，其生産的飛機已打入國際市場。食品加工業較先進，主要有肉類加工、乳製品、糧食加工、水果加工和釀酒等行業。阿是世界葡萄酒主要生産國之一，年産量30億公升。礦産資源有石油、天然氣、煤炭、鐵、銀、鈾、鉛、錫、石膏、硫磺等。現已探明藴藏量：石油28．8億桶，天然氣7635億立方米，煤炭6億噸，鐵3億噸，鈾2．94萬噸。水力資源豐富。森林面積占全國總面積的1／3左右。沿海漁業資源豐富。國土面積的55％是牧場，農牧業發達，畜牧業占農牧業總産值的40％。全國牲畜的80％集中在潘帕斯大草原。阿是世界糧食和肉類重要生産國和出口國，素有“糧倉肉庫”之稱。主要種植小麥、玉米、大豆、高粱和葵花籽等。近年來，阿根廷已成為南美最大的旅遊國傢，主要旅遊點有巴裏洛切風景區、伊瓜蘇大瀑布、莫雷諾冰川等。 農牧業發達，為世界主要的農牧産品生産國和出口國之一。牧場和草原占全國土地面積的55％，耕地占12.7％。畜牧業有牛、羊、豬、馬；農産品有小麥、玉米、大豆、高粱、大麥、棉花、亞麻籽等。羊、牛的頭數和小麥、玉米、大豆的産量都居世界前列。工業産值超過農業，占國民生産總值的40％左右，工業部門齊全。有食品、紡織、皮革等農牧産品加工工業，近年來鋼鐵、汽車、化工、石油開採和提煉、電子、電力等部門發展甚速。交通發達，鐵路全長約4.4萬公裏，公路105萬公裏。出口以農牧産品為主，其中肉類、小麥、玉米、大豆、亞麻籽、羊毛等占出口總值的75-80％，近年來工業品出口亦有大幅度增長。進口多為機器設備、工業原料、化學品等。 軍事 總統為武裝部隊最高統帥，下設國防委員會和軍事委員會。國防委員會由副總統、內政部長、外交部長、國防部長和經濟部長組成。軍事委員會由國防部長、三軍聯合參謀長和陸、海、空三軍種參謀長組成。三軍聯合參謀長鬍安·卡洛斯·穆尼奧洛（Juan Carlos Mugnolo）。實行志願兵役製，服役期為一年。現總兵力為7.3萬人。2000年國防開支為34.4億美元。 文化 華麗高雅、熱烈奔放的“探戈”舞源於阿根廷，被阿根廷人視為國粹。 阿根廷探戈發源於阿根廷首都布宜諾斯艾利斯的港口地區。大批源於非洲、北美甚至歐洲的移民滯留在港口，形成了一個特殊的外來社會群體。他們大多社會地位低下，生活不穩定，在酒吧裏靠唱歌、跳舞來消磨時光.阿根廷探戈實際上是這種特殊環境下産生的一種特殊藝術形式，其舞蹈是在米隆加、哈巴涅拉、坎東貝等拉美、非洲等多種民間舞蹈基礎上演繹而成的。阿根廷探戈其實非常不同於我們看到國標舞中的探戈表演。它其實是一種唱多於跳的藝術形式。而且它的唱是清一色男性，且都是獨唱，偶爾有幾個小滑稽劇穿插。激昂的鍵盤手風琴是伴奏的主旋律，它特有的切分節奏總是給人以心靈的撞擊。 阿根廷探戈有着自己的名稱Milonga. 阿根廷探戈舞也不像國標舞中的探戈，阿根廷探戈是兩個舞伴的身體並行直立，幾乎貼在一起（就是因為這個貼身動作，在探戈被引進巴黎時曾引起軒然大波），並且快速旋轉、踢腿，非專業人士很難將這些動作連貫起來。或許正因為太過難學和麯高和寡，阿根廷人對於探戈的態度，有些類似中國人對京劇的看法——年紀大的人喜之不盡，而年輕人卻敬而遠之。 阿根廷的探戈舞演員已經不止一次地把那飄逸、灑脫、典雅、含蓄的舞蹈和以獨特切分音為鮮明特徵、節奏明快的音樂帶給我們，激起了人們的濃厚興趣。一提起探戈，人們也自然會想到在國內看到的國際標準舞的探戈，那種節奏感極強的舞步，與其他音樂不同的旋律。而國際探戈是從阿根廷融跳、唱及樂麯為一體的探戈發展演變而來的，它們之間有着必然的聯繫。但是，國際中的探戈已經規範化，而阿根廷的探戈則更加活潑、歡快，花樣迭出。阿根廷是探戈的故鄉。阿根廷人酷愛探戈。許多人都會跳探戈，平時到處都能聽到探戈舞麯。阿根廷人把探戈看作是自己國寶，是民族的驕傲。阿根廷政府宣佈探戈是阿根廷民族文化遺産不可分割的一部分。對於外國人來說，探戈衹是一種獨具魅力的舞步，而對阿根廷人來說，它已是與生活密不可分。融化在血液裏的文化。 探戈可唱可跳可演奏，它是一種集音樂、舞蹈、歌唱和詩歌於一身的綜合性藝術形式。由於它是拉普拉塔河流域文化的組成部分，所以更確切地說，探戈應該是烏拉圭的蒙得維地亞人和阿根廷的布宜諾斯人共同創造的藝術形式，是他們共同的文化財富。但因為布宜諾斯艾利斯是個港口城市，無論從地理位置、人口及在歐洲的影響等方面，都處於優勢，因此探戈後來在蒙特維特亞就逐漸衰落了。 由於布宜諾斯艾利斯當年曾是大量移民流入的門戶，所以探戈的音樂、舞蹈、詩歌、唱詞等都受到過多種外來文化的影響，尤其是歐洲文化和非洲文化的影響。 音樂方面，探戈最主要受到的是早在1850年左右西班牙水手們帶來的安達盧西亞“探吉約”歌舞的影響。其次，是非洲黑人音樂的影響，探戈音樂中使用大量節奏明快的切分音就是這一影響的表現。再就是高喬人“米隆加”音樂的影響，吉他作為演奏探戈不可缺少的樂器之一就是這一影響的標志。到了1920年前後，大量意大利、西班牙等移民的涌入使探戈音樂發生了很大變化，由早期歡快的四二拍逐漸變成了適於表達憂傷情感、節奏較慢的四四拍。 內容方面，探戈音樂和即興編出的唱詞在上世紀末本世紀初完全是歡快、開朗、風趣、詼諧的。隨着大批意大利和西班牙移民的到來，它的內容也發生了變化。移民們擔着開墾、致富的目的而來，最後衹能定居下來，無法返回故土同親人團聚，這就使探戈增添了表達移民思念故鄉和懷念親人的憂鬱、傷感、凄涼的內容。此後，由於歌詞作者大多是移民的後裔，因此無論是歌詞內容還是在歌詞中使用的大量外來俚語，都反映着外來文化的影響。 舞蹈方面，探戈的雛形源於阿根廷牧民男子粗壯有力的獨舞，在形成過程中主要是受非洲黑人舞蹈的影響。18世紀末19世紀初，貶賣黑奴在美洲很盛行。當時在拉普拉河流也出現了大量非洲黑奴。他們對探戈舞蹈中的折腰、扭擺等動作都源於非洲舞蹈的動作。此外，也有西班牙安達盧西亞的影響。 阿足球以其自由灑脫的風格而風靡世界，多次獲世界杯冠亞軍。阿根廷的烤牛肉也是聲名遠揚。 教育：教育水平較高，實行義務初等教育。2000年文教經費為33.1億美元。文盲率（10歲以上人口）為3.8％。6歲——14歲兒童入學率為99％。15歲——17歲入學率達80％。阿共有81所高等學府，其中公立大學36所，私立42所。著名大學有布宜諾斯艾利斯大學、拉普拉塔大學、科爾多瓦大學等。 新聞出版：全國發行各類報紙2062種，雜志96種，還有250種外文出版物。首都及各省重要報紙35傢。主要報紙有《民族報》，1870年創刊；《號角報》，1945年創刊；《紀事報》，1963年創刊；《新聞報》，1869年創刊。重要周刊有《市場》、《索莫斯》、《人物》等。美洲通訊社屬總統府新聞國務秘書處領導。阿根廷新聞社和報聯社均為私人通訊社。調幅電臺101傢，調頻電臺約1500傢。開放式電視臺46傢，超高頻電視臺115傢，微波電視臺61傢，有綫和閉路電視臺866傢。 外交 奉行獨立自主的對外政策，堅持不結盟立場和各國人民自决、不干涉內政，主權國傢一律平等的原則。 與中國關係： 外交關係 中華人民共和國的成立，在阿根廷和其他拉美國傢中引起較大反響。中國也很重視開展與拉美國傢的關係。20 世紀五六十年代，中阿民間往來較多，促進了兩國關係的發展。1972 年2 月19 日，中國與阿根廷正式建立外交關係。阿根廷成為拉美地區與中國較早建交的國傢之一。 20 世紀80 年代，中阿在各領域友好合作關係進一步發展。90 年代以來，兩國關係的發展又上了一個新的臺階。高層互訪不斷，加深了相互瞭解和友誼。兩國政府間建立了政治磋商機製，在許多重大國際問題上有着一致或相似的觀點和立場，在國際機構中有着良好的合作關係。兩國已就建立中阿21 世紀全面合作夥伴關係達成共識。 經貿往來 早在20世紀50 年代，中國、阿根廷之間就有經貿往來，1954 年10 月阿根廷工商界代表團訪華，1957 年6 月中國人民銀行代表團訪阿，1958年10 月中阿代表在北京簽署兩國銀行間支付合約。60年代，中國大量進口阿根廷栲膠和小麥。1972 年兩國建交後，雙方經貿合作關係有較大的發展。1977 年2 月雙方簽署中阿政府間貿易合作協定，1978 年5月簽署海運協定，1980 年6 月簽署經濟合作協定等，對兩國經貿關係的發展起了較大的推動作用。2003 年中阿貿易總額達30 億美元左右。阿根廷已成為中國在拉美地區主要貿易夥伴之一。 中阿在科學技術方面也有着良好的合作關係。1980 年6 月，雙方簽署了中阿政府間科技合作協定。合作領域包括和平利用原子能、南極考察、農牧業研究和航天科學研究及應用等。為了協調和推動合作項目的落實，還成立了科技合作混委會。 中國和阿根廷在經貿和科技合作方面有着很強的互補性，發展前景廣阔。 文化交流 阿根廷是拉美國傢中較早同新中國進行文化交流的國傢。20 世紀五六十年代，中阿間規模較大、有影響的藝術團組互訪交流有30 多起。其中1953 年12 月在阿根廷舉行的中國著名畫傢齊白石的畫展，1956 年10 月中國大型藝術團訪阿和1962 年9 月阿根廷民間藝術團訪華等，影響都比較大。 1972 年兩國建交後，雙方文化交往更加頻繁。1980 年6月7 日簽署了兩國政府間文化交流換文，1984 年8 月9 日簽署了兩國文化協定，從政府層面上保證和推動了兩國間的文化交流。 阿根廷文化中傳奇粗獷的高喬傳統、優美浪漫的探戈藝術、精湛高超的足球水平以及鮮嫩可口的阿根廷烤肉等，都為中國人所喜愛。而歷史悠久、獨具特色的中國東方文化，也受到阿根廷人民的青睞和贊美。文化交流已成為中阿人民世代友好的橋梁和紐帶。 民間友好 中華人民共和國成立後，中國、阿根廷兩國交往主要表現在民間方面。民間友好往來增進了相互瞭解和友誼，帶動了兩國間經貿和政治關係的發展。 1972 年中阿兩國建交後，民間往來更加頻繁，內容更加充實，範圍更加廣泛，涉及兩國工會、婦女、青年、文化、教育、科技、體育等各個領域，為中阿友好關係的發展奠定了堅實的基礎。 20 世紀90 年代以來，中阿雙邊友好合作關係穩步、順利發展。北京市同布宜諾斯艾利斯市、上海市與羅薩裏奧市、河北省與布宜諾斯艾利斯省、吉林省與恩特雷裏奧斯省分別簽署了友好省、市關係協議。 體育 阿根廷國傢足球隊是最成功的國傢足球隊之一，潘帕斯雄鷹們曾奪得2屆世界杯，奧運金牌。 阿根廷曾經進入過4次世界杯决賽：包括1930年2-4敗於烏拉圭，1978年以3-1擊敗荷蘭首次奪得世界杯，1986年3-2擊敗西德再登頒奬臺，但4年後再遇西德以0-1衛冕失敗。 另外阿根廷是奪得最多美洲杯冠軍的球隊，共14次奪冠，2004年擊敗巴拉圭贏得奧運金牌，而1928年及1996年得到銀牌。 其他錦標包括6次奪得世青杯冠軍（1977年、1979年、1995年、1997年、2001年、2005年及2007年），1992年奪得聯合會杯。 現任國傢隊主教練：巴西萊 飲食 阿根廷是一個移民國傢，85%以上的居民來自於意大利和西班牙的後裔，所以它的飲食文化也攙雜了歐陸西餐的成分，肉食方面主要以牛、雞、驢為主，甚少吃豬，而炭燒烤肉是當地的特色。 這裏的招牌炭烤王中王牛扒，不需要腌製，衹是灑上點????，直接用炭火烤至七八成熟，外表烤得略有點焦，肉香味飄散開來，吃起來外酥內嫩，裏面還保留着肉汁。阿根廷人對烤肉的吃法是，吃一口烤肉，再吃一口蔬菜，所以在每一份烤肉上來的時候，也會配上些新鮮的蔬菜沙拉，這樣吃起來不至於肥膩。炭烤牛肋條也是肉質甘香，配上用洋蔥、青紅椒切細的香料，不肥不膩，香嫩可口。 馬黛茶也是阿根廷的特色，據說這種茶是被阿根廷譽為“國寶”、“國茶”，在當地語言中“馬黛茶”就是“仙草”、“天賜神茶”，因為它含有多種營養成分，不僅可以清除膽固醇、降低血脂，還能促進血液循環、提神醒腦等等，所以阿根廷人認為“馬黛茶”不是一般意義上的茶，他們每人每天都在喝，從小孩到老人，從都市到鄉村，甚至有“寧可食無肉不能居無茶”這樣的說法。 原來馬黛茶的喝法還有一定的講究，不是像喝一般的茶或咖啡，是要先用特製的吸管、勺子、過濾器三合為一的工具，放進衝了水的茶裏先吹一口氣，然後再慢慢的吸，可以輕輕拌一下，但不可經常攪拌。喝起來有點像苦丁茶的味道，如果覺得苦，可以加點砂糖。吃烤肉喝馬黛茶可以消暑降火，看來這纔是真正的“鬼佬涼茶”。 旅遊 1、布宜諾斯艾利斯 布宜諾斯艾利斯位於阿根廷東部沿海的拉普拉塔河的河口右岸，全市分1個聯邦區、19個城郊區，總面積達3885平方公裏，是南美洲最大最繁榮的城市。布宜諾斯艾利斯的建築風格奇異多彩，幾乎包羅了歐洲古今建築的全部風格與造型，其中有著名的科隆大劇院，其規模居世界第三位。這裏還是南美洲最繁華的商業和工業中心，全市工業産值為全國工業産值的70％，對外貿易額為全國的45％，又是全國的交通中心及對外聯繫的海空港口。 布宜諾斯艾利斯作為西班牙殖民中心近300年之久，1816年阿根廷獨立時被定為首都。今日的布宜諾斯艾利斯已經躋身於世界特大城市之列，它集中了全國35％以上的人口，2／3的工業産值，近一半的國民生産總值。這是一座十分歐化的城市，不僅城市居民幾乎都是歐洲移民的後裔，而且城市佈局、街景以及居民的生活方式、風俗習慣、文化情趣，處處顯露出歐洲風情。 多廣場、街心花園、紀念碑和雕塑，是布宜諾斯艾利斯城的一大特色。市中心的五月廣場，中央矗立着方尖塔形紀念碑，其正面刻有“1810年5月25日”幾個醒目大字，這是阿根廷人民推翻殖民統治的起義日。許多著名的大街由廣場呈輻射狀嚮四周伸展，頗似巴黎凱旋門的街道佈局。 布宜諾斯艾利斯最繁華的佛羅裏達大街是一條步行商業街。這條商業街長不足兩千米，狹窄而又擁擠，但國內一些著名品牌的老商號全都聚集在這裏，還有倫敦、巴黎等世界上許多著名的大公司設立的分號。五光十色的商品琳琅滿目，舞廳、夜總會、飯館、影劇院等隨處可見，終日熙熙攘攘、熱鬧非凡，號稱“南美百老匯”。建於布宜諾斯艾利斯郊外的“兒童共和國”，精巧的建築和街道富有濃郁的歐洲和東南亞情調，建築內陳列着一些國傢的繪畫、木刻等工藝品。 2、世界之端烏蘇阿亞 烏蘇阿亞是坐落在火地島最南端的小城，一般阿根廷人把它稱為“世界之端”。 “邁卜”是烏蘇阿亞小城的主幹道，這裏一邊是海水，海鳥們在水邊飛翔、覓食；一邊是沿山而建的西式小屋，白墻紅瓦或白墻黑瓦，房前窗下盛開的鮮花在風中搖曳。 道路與海水之間是一片片的公園，在緑草鮮花中有各式各樣的雕塑，所有雕塑都與馬爾維納斯島有關，邁卜路的盡頭便是聞名的“世界之端”博物館，火地島的歷史就微縮在一張張圖片和古老而美麗的實物中。因為每到秋季漫山遍野如火如荼的紅葉，此地纔被喚做“火之島嶼”，火地島由此而來。 聖馬丁路是烏蘇阿亞最熱鬧的商業街，這裏沒有豪華的大商場，衹有一傢挨一傢精精緻緻的小店，傢傢都是琳琅滿目的紀念品，衹是物價有些驚人。 在烏蘇阿亞東邊12公裏處，是有名的火地島國傢公園，遊人可以在內徒步旅行、露營、燒烤、釣魚等等。在這個公園裏，最有名的是一種叫河狸的動物，為了做窩，它們生生啃倒了成片的大樹，所以，遊客可常見到成片枯樹枝幹，銀白色的一道道躺倒在緑色的山坡上。 在古老的小火車站，遊人可以坐上100年前的小火車到比阿格勒海峽邊，海峽對岸就是智利。 3、羅薩裏奧 阿根廷第二大城市，巴拉那河最大河港，位於聖菲省東南部，人口100萬。1852年始建，19世紀末20世紀初由法國投資修建港口後，這裏逐漸成為世界上重要的𠔌物港口。同時還是一個重要的工業城市，擁有先進的食品加工、製革、造紙、機械工業。該市有發達的公路及鐵路網與阿根廷各地相連。 4、科爾多瓦 阿根廷第三大城市，科爾多瓦省省會。阿根廷中部經濟中心。1783年建立，人口90萬。南美最早的大壩之一普裏梅羅河聖羅剋水壩就建在這裏，為該市的工業發展提供了充足的電力和水源。科爾多瓦為阿根廷中部地區鐵路和公路的交通樞紐，又是重要的旅遊勝地，該城內造型各異的歐洲古建築及郊外山區的瑰麗景色和宜人氣候吸引了大批外來遊客。 5、馬德普拉塔 馬德普拉塔意為“銀海”，位於布宜諾斯艾利斯以南40公裏處，是大西洋沿岸的海濱城市，阿根廷人首選的度假地。它是阿根廷惟一的一個允許賭博的城市。所以，市中心最顯眼的建築是賭場。它就建在Bristol海灘上，圍繞它的是豪華奢侈的旅館和飯店。 在馬德普拉塔，每一片沙灘都有自己的名字，有不少是私人領地，衹對個人或俱樂部成員開放。馬德普拉塔的海洋樂園是遊客們必去的地方，裏面所有的動物都與人近在咫尺。可以買一盒小魚，看海獅們在手下搶嘴吃；而企鵝們衹圈在半米高的隔段裏，簡直伸手可及；最精彩的是海豚和海獅表演，海豚們跳高、鑽圈、懸轉、頂球、與人嬉水；海獅們更絶，與訓獸員共同表演愛情故事。 馬德普拉塔的另一特色是海濱社區。那兒有百年前的古堡，也有近代新建的別墅。走在幽靜的社區街道，兩邊是一座座建築形態各異的房屋，除了偶而駛過的車外，幾乎沒有人。讓人可以仔細欣賞它們的建築風格，誘人的緑化，甚至門口一盞小小的精巧別緻的門燈。 在馬德普拉塔，海鮮的香味充盈在沿岸從高檔到低檔的各傢飯店中，這裏的海鮮做法別具風味，極受遊客歡迎。 ——景點覽勝 1、伊瓜蘇瀑布 南美洲的伊瓜蘇瀑布是世界五大瀑布之一，該瀑布位於阿根廷和巴西兩國邊境。1934年，阿根廷在伊瓜蘇瀑布區建立了670平方公裏的國傢公園。1984年，伊瓜蘇瀑布被聯合國教科文組織列為世界自然遺産。 1542年，一位西班牙傳教士在南美巴拉那河流域的熱帶雨林中，意外地發現了伊瓜蘇大瀑布：層層疊疊的瀑布環繞着一個馬蹄形峽𠔌咆哮着傾瀉而下，激起的水霧彌漫在密林上空，奔流而下的水流聲幾公裏外都能聽見。 “伊瓜蘇”在南美洲土著居民瓜拉尼人的語言中，是“大水”的意思。發源於巴西境內的伊瓜蘇河在匯入巴拉那河之前，水流漸緩，在阿根廷與巴西邊境，河寬1500米，像一個湖泊。水往前流陡然遇到一個峽𠔌，河水順着倒U形峽𠔌的頂部和兩邊嚮下直瀉，凸出的岩石將奔騰而下的河水切割成大大小小270多個瀑布，形成一個景象壯觀的半環形瀑布群，總寬度3000米至4000米，平均落差80米。 伊瓜蘇瀑布與衆不同之處在於觀賞點多。從不同地點、不同方向、不同高度，看到的景象不同。峽𠔌頂部是瀑布的中心，水流最大最猛，人稱“魔鬼喉”。 瀑布分佈於峽𠔌兩邊，阿根廷與巴西就以此峽𠔌為界，在阿根廷和巴西觀賞到的瀑布景色截然不同。阿根廷這邊分上下兩條遊覽路綫，下路蜿蜒貫穿在密林之中，可自下而上領略每一段瀑布的宏偉或嫵媚，可說是10步一景；上路是自上而下感受瀑布翻滾而下的氣勢。在巴西那邊能夠欣賞到阿根廷這邊主要瀑布的全景。伊瓜蘇瀑布氣勢最宏偉的“魔鬼喉”，在阿根廷這邊是從上往下看，9股水流咆哮而下，驚心動魄，同時還可以望見環形瀑布群的全景；在巴西那邊是從下往上看，水幕自天而降，另有一番感受。 以前，遊人可免費參觀伊瓜蘇瀑布。幾年前，伊瓜蘇瀑布旅遊區由一傢私人企業經營，這傢企業投入了大量資金，修建了約20公裏長的遊覽棧道，鋪設了電氣鐵路，旅遊設施煥然一新。遊人買門票進入公園區後，可以乘坐小列車前往各個景點，還可以乘坐橡皮艇衝進瀑布下面探險。 伊瓜蘇瀑布地處亞熱帶，全年水量變化不大，最佳參觀季節是1－3月。 2、阿根廷湖 這是一個坐落於阿根廷南部聖剋魯斯省的冰川湖，面積1414平方公裏，這裏以著名冰塊堆積景觀而聞名於世。該湖接納來自周圍150多條冰河的冰流和冰塊。巨大的冰塊互相撞擊，緩緩嚮前移動，有時形成造型奇特的冰墻，高達80米。最後全部匯集到阿根廷湖，組成了潔白玉立的冰山雕塑。湖畔雪峰環繞，山下林木茂盛，景色迷人，為阿根廷最引人入勝的旅遊景點。 3、卡特德拉爾山 阿根廷著名的滑雪中心，位於裏奧內格羅省西部的納韋爾瓦皮國傢公園中，每年6月至9月，正當歐美處於盛夏之際，這裏大雪紛飛，銀裝素裹，成為天然的滑雪聖地，大批歐美滑雪愛好者蜂擁而至。為方便滑雪愛好者，這裏修有完好的旅店飯店設施，並建有空中纜車，直接把遊人載到山頂。 4、科隆大劇院 這是世界上最大而且繁忙的歌劇院演出廳之一。在布宜諾斯艾利斯的7月9曰大街廣場上，屹立着科隆大劇院。這是一座典型的文藝復興式的龐然大物。大理石走廊裏有無數根圓柱和一尊尊雕像。一排排晶瑩透亮的棱形吊燈，把屋子映照得一片輝煌。巨大的禮堂，四壁金光燦燦，腳下鋪着紅色天鵝絨地毯，透出一派奢華。在2500個觀衆席外，還能容納1000位站着的觀衆。單是正廳前排就有632個座位，座位之間寬敞舒適。 5 阿根廷火地島國傢公園 烏斯懷亞 (Ushuaia)，是一個小城，也是一個海港，如果你打開世界地圖或旋轉地球儀要想找到它的所在可能要費一番周折，可我要說出：除南極之外，離我們最遠的普通人可以正常生活和居住的地方。你會毫不猶豫地發現它的準確位置——南美大陸的最南端，位於麥哲倫海峽與合恩角之間的火地島（西語：terra del fuego）上的一個小城，被稱為“世界盡頭”。烏斯懷亞在印第安語中是“觀賞落日的海灣”之意。 火地島原為印第安人奧那族、揚甘族和阿拉卡盧夫族居住地。1520年10月，航海傢麥哲倫發現了並以他的名字命名的麥哲倫海峽時，首先看到的是當地土著居民在島上燃起的堆堆篝火，遂將此島命名為“火地島”。1832—1836年間，自從英國生物學家查理?達爾文考察了火地島後，該島便名聲大振。 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. 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. Buenos Aires in 1536.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 and prominence while emerging as one of the 10 richest countries in the world, benefiting from 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. President Juan Perón (1946).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 The Casa Rosada, seat of executive powerArgentina'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 block, 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. Current president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, elected in December 2007Argentina 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 Argentina is divided into twenty-three provinces (provincias; singular provincia), and one autonomous city (commonly known as the capital federal, but officially Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires): 1. Buenos Aires (autonomous city) 2. Buenos Aires (province) 3. Catamarca 4. Chaco 5. Chubut 6. Córdoba 7. Corrientes 8. Entre Ríos 9. Formosa 10. Jujuy 11. La Pampa 12. La Rioja 13. Mendoza 14. Misiones 15. Neuquén 16. Río Negro 17. Salta 18. San Juan 19. San Luis 20. Santa Cruz 21. Santa Fe 22. Santiago del Estero 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 about 3,330 km (about 2,070 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 Source: CIA Political map of Argentina showing the area it controls. The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are controlled by the United Kingdom but are claimed by Argentina.The country is traditionally divided into several major geographically distinct regions: Pampas The plains west and south from Buenos Aires. Called the Humid Pampa, they cover most of the provinces of Buenos Aires and Córdoba, and big portions of the provinces of Santa Fe and La Pampa. The western part of La Pampa and the province San Luis also have plains (the Dry Pampa), but they are drier and used mainly for grazing. The Sierra de Córdoba in the homonymous province (extending into San Luis), is the most important geographical feature of the pampas. Gran Chaco The Gran Chaco region in the north of the country is seasonal dry/wet, mainly cotton growing and livestock raising. It covers the provinces of Chaco and Formosa. It is dotted with subtropical forests, scrubland, and some wetlands, home to a large number of plant and animal species. The province of Santiago del Estero lies in the drier region of the Gran Chaco. Mesopotamia The land between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers is called Mesopotamia and it is shared by the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos. It features flatland apt for grazing and plant growing, and the Iberá Wetlands in central Corrientes. Misiones province is more tropical and belongs within the Brazilian Highlands geographic feature. It features subtropical rainforests and the Iguazú Falls. Patagonia The steppes of Patagonia, in the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, are of Tertiary origin. Most of the region is semiarid in the north to cold and arid in the far south, but forests grow in its western fringes which are dotted with several large lakes. Tierra del Fuego is cool and wet, moderated by oceanic influences. Northern Patagonia (roughly Río Negro south of the homonymous river, and Neuquén) can also be referred as the Comahue region. Cuyo West-central Argentina is dominated by the imposing Andes Mountains. To their east is the arid region known as Cuyo. Melting waters from high in the mountains form the backbone of irrigated lowland oasis, at the center of a rich fruit and wine growing region in Mendoza and San Juan provinces. Further north the region gets hotter and drier with more geographical accidents in La Rioja province. NOA or Northwest This region is the highest in average elevation. Several parallel mountain ranges, several of which have peaks higher than 20,000 feet (6,000 m), dominate the area. These ranges grow wider in geographic extent towards the north. They are cut by fertile river valleys, the most important being the Calchaquí Valleys in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán, and Salta. Farther north the province of Jujuy near Bolivia lies mainly within the Altiplano plateau of the Central Andes. The Tropic of Capricorn goes through the far north of the region. 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 89 °C and 65 °C. Coastal areas and seas Argentina has 4,665 km (2,899 mi) 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 Rural areas cover the region of Las Pampas. The Andean range over the southern province of Chubut.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 49.1 °C (120.4 °F), was recorded at Villa de María, Córdoba on January 2, 1920. The lowest temperature recorded was −39 °C (−38.2 °F) 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 (26°15′S, 53°38′W), the westernmost in the Mariano Moreno Range in Santa Cruz (49°33′S, 73°35′W). The northernmost point is located at the confluence of the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete rivers, Jujuy (21°46′S, 66°13′W), and the southernmost is Cape San Pío in Tierra del Fuego (55°03′S, 66°31′W). Enclaves and exclaves There is one Argentine exclave, the Martín García Island (co-ordinates 34°11′S, 58°15′W). 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. The ceibo is Argentina's national flower.In central Argentina the humid pampas are a true tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The original pampa had virtually no trees; today along roads or in towns and country estates (estancias), some imported species like the American sycamore or eucalyptus are present. The only tree-like plant native to the pampa is the ombú, an evergreen. The surface soils of the pampa are a deep black color, primarily humus, known commonly as compost. It is this which makes the region one of the most agriculturaly productive on Earth. However, this is also responsible for decimating much of the original ecosystem, to make way for commercial agriculture. The western pampas receive less rainfall, this dry pampa is a plain of short grasses or steppe.[citation needed] Most of Patagonia in the south lies within the rain shadow of the Andes. The flora, shrubby bushes and plants, is well suited to withstand dry conditions. The soil is hard and rocky, making large-scale farming impossible except along river valleys. Coniferous forests grow in far western Patagonia and on the island of Tierra del Fuego. Conifers native to the region include alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides), ciprés de la cordillera (Austrocedrus chilensis), ciprés de las guaitecas (Pilgerodendron uviferum), huililahuán (Podocarpus nubigenus), lleuque (Prumnopitys andina), mañío hembra (Saxegothaea conspicua), and pehuén (Araucaria araucana), while native broadleaf trees include several species of Nothofagus including coigüe or coihue, lenga (Nothofagus pumilio), ñire (Nothofagus Antarctica). Other introduced trees present in forestry plantations include spruce, cypress, and pine. Common plants are the copihue and colihue (Chusquea culeou). In Cuyo, semiarid thorny bushes and other xerophile plants abound. Along the many river oasis, grasses and trees grow in significant numbers. The area presents optimal conditions for the large scale growth of grape vines. In the northwest of Argentina there are many species of cacti. In the highest elevations (often above 4,000mts), no vegetation grows because of the extreme altitude, and the soils are virtually devoid of any plant life. The ceibo flower, of the tree Erythrina crista-galli, is the national flower of Argentina. Fauna The puma inhabits the northeast of the country.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 hornero is one of the national emblems of Argentina.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, tinamous (Argentine "partridges" or "perdiz") 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. The coast of Patagonia is rich in animal life: elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions, and species of penguin. The far south is populated by cormorant birds. The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such as dolphins, orcas, and whales like the southern right whale, a major tourist draw for naturalists. Sea fish include sardines, argentine hakes, dolphinfish, salmon, and sharks; also present are squid and spider crab (centolla) in Tierra del Fuego. Rivers and streams in Argentina have many species of trout and the South American dorado fish. 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'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 Argentina is one of the world's major agricultural producers, ranking third worldwide in production of soybeans, fifth in maize, and eleventh in wheat. 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. Sheep and wool industries are important in Patagonia, pigs and caprines elsewhere. Fruits and vegetables made up 4% of exports: apples and pears in the Río Negro valley; oranges and other citrus in the northwest and Mesopotamia; grapes and strawberries in Cuyo, and berries in the far south. Cotton and yerba mate are major crops in the Gran Chaco, sugarcane and tobacco in the northwest, and olives and garlic in Cuyo. Bananas (Formosa), tomatoes (Salta), and peaches (Mendoza) are grown for domestic consumption. Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer, and fine wine production has taken major leaps in quality. A growing export, total viticulture potential is far from met. Mendoza is the largest wine region, followed by San Juan. 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. The Yacyretá Dam hydroelectric complex is the second largest in the world.Manufacturing is the nation's leading single sector in GDP output, with 35% of the share. Leading sectors are motor vehicles, auto parts, and transportation and farming equipment (7% of exports), iron and steel (3%), foodstuffs and textiles (2%). Other manufactures include cement, industrial chemicals, home appliances, and processed wood. The biggest industrial centers are Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba. The telecommunication sector has been growing at a fast pace, with an important penetration of mobile telephony (More than 75% of the population)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.[citation needed] Argentines are traveling more within their borders, and foreigners are flocking to a country seen as affordable, safe, and incredibly diverse:[citation needed] 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 A cargo ship in front of the Rosario-Victoria Bridge. Light rail in Buenos AiresArgentina'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 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: Cordoba city centre Puerto Madero Docklands, Buenos Aires Monument to the Argentine flag in RosarioRank City Province Population Region 1 Buenos Aires City + 24 partidos in Buenos Aires Province 11,453,725 Pampean 2 Córdoba Córdoba 1,513,200 Pampean 3 Rosario Santa Fe 1,295,100 Pampean 4 Mendoza Mendoza 1,009,100 Cuyo 5 La Plata Buenos Aires 857,800 Pampean 6 San Miguel de Tucumán Tucumán 833,100 NOA (northwest) 7 Mar del Plata Buenos Aires 699,600 Pampean 8 Salta Salta 530,400 NOA (northwest) 9 Santa Fe Santa Fe 525,300 Pampean 10 San Juan San Juan 456,400 Cuyo 11 San Salvador Jujuy 400,000 NOA (northwest) 12 Resistencia Chaco 399,800 Gran Chaco 13 Neuquén Neuquén 391,600 Patagonian 14 Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero 389,200 Gran Chaco 15 Corrientes Corrientes 332,400 Mesopotamia 16 Bahía Blanca Buenos Aires 310,200 Pampean 17 Río Cuarto Cordoba 144,021 Pampean 18 Comodoro Rivadavia Chubut 140,628 Patagonia 19 Santa Rosa La Pampa 110,640 Pampean 20 Zárate Buenos Aires 101,271 Pampean 21 Tandil Buenos Aires 101,010 Pampean 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, showed a similar figure, in that only 2% of the population identified as Argentine Amerindian or a first-generation Mestizo. Nonetheless, a genetic 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, on a study conducted by the University of Buenos Aires, the Amerindian admixture, though not fully visible in physical appearance, was estimated to be present in a high percentage of the Argentine population, close to 56%, on either paternal or maternal lineages, and 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).[citation needed] 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 Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania and from Central Europe (Croatia (ex. President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner is of Croatian descent), Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Romania), as well as Balkan countries (Serbia and Montenegro, particularly in Chaco)[citation needed]. There is a large Armenian community, and the Patagonian Chubut Valley has a significant Welsh-descended population! Minorities An Argentine gaucho.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.[citation needed] 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. Urbanization 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. Largest metropolitan areas of Argentina view • talk • edit Core City Province Population Core City Province Population 1 Buenos Aires Buenos Aires 15,052,177 Buenos Aires Córdoba 7 Mar del Plata Buenos Aires 452,800 2 Córdoba Córdoba 1,613,211 8 Salta Salta 556,400 3 Rosario Tucumán 1,325,090 9 Santa Fe Santa Fe 534,300 4 Mendoza Mendoza 1,109,104 10 San Juan San Juan 498,400 5 La Plata Buenos Aires 957,800 11 Resistencia Chaco 452,800 6 Tucumán Tucumán 903,100 12 Neuquén Neuquén 400,600 Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Censos (Estimates for 2006) 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 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. AsadoThe 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 the 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 Ignacio Corleto of Los Pumas on his way to score a try against France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They beat France 34 - 10. Argentina reached third place in the tournamentFootball (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 development. 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. Approximately 12% of Argentines can be considered agnostic, and 4% are atheists. Language 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, but these numbers are probably no longer current, as the newer generations mostly switch to Spanish and do not speak the ancestral language in the home. The same phenomenon applies to the Galician language that was used by many Spanish immigrants, Yiddish, and Japanese. The usage of these languages is in decline, as the respective immigration waves ended in the first half of the 20th century. Some indigenous communities have retained their original languages. Guaraní is spoken by some in the northeast, especially in Corrientes (where it enjoys official status) and Misiones. Quechua is spoken by some in the northwest, and has a local variant in Santiago del Estero. Aymara is spoken by members of the Bolivian community who migrated to Argentina from Bolivia. In Patagonia there are several Welsh-speaking communities. More recent immigrants have brought Chinese and Korean, mostly to Buenos Aires. English, Brazilian Portuguese and French are also spoken. English is commonly taught at schools, with Portuguese and French behind. Education After independence, Argentina constructed a national public education system in comparison to other nations, placing the country high up in the global rankings of literacy. Today the country has a literacy rate of 97% (2003 Est.) The ubiquitous white uniform of Argentine school children; it is a national symbol of learning.School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 17. The Argentine school system consists of a primary or lower school level lasting six or seven years, and a secondary or high school level lasting between five to six years. In the 1990s, the system was split into different types of high school instruction, called Educacion Secundaria and the Polimodal. Some provinces adopted the Polimodal while others did not. A project in the Executive to repeal this measure and return to a more traditional secondary level system was approved in 2006. 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,[citation needed] is now often perceived to be bad and in continuous decline because of lack of funding.[citation needed] 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), and sovereignty Day (former Malvinas Day) (2 April). Science and technology Argentina has contributed many distinguished doctors, scientists, and inventors to the world, including three Nobel Prize laureates in sciences. Luis Federico Leloir won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1970.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 printed media in Argentina is highly developed and independent. There are over two hundred newspapers in the country, influential in their home cities and regions. The major national newspapers are from Buenos Aires, including the centrist Clarín, one of the best selling daily in the Spanish speaking world.[citation needed] Other national papers are La Nación (center-right) in the streets since 1870, Página/12 (left), Ámbito Financiero (business conservative), Argentinisches Tageblatt in German, Le Monde Diplomatique in Spanish and French and Crónica (populist). Regional papers of importance include La Capital (Rosario), Los Andes (Mendoza), La Voz del Interior (Córdoba), and El Tribuno (Salta). The Buenos Aires Herald is a well-respected English language daily. 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.[citation needed] 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. International rankings Organization Survey Ranking Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom 107 out of 157 The Economist Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005 40 out of 111 Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 76 out of 167 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 105 out of 163 United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 38 out of 177 |
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