Within Latin America the nation of Argentina is second in area only to Brazil and fourth in population only to Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. This large land covers more than 1 million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers), in the southern part of South America east of the Andes Mountains. It extends from the Tropic of Capricorn south to the tip of the continent within about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) of Antarctica. Argentina claims a portion of that continent as well as the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and several other islands of the South Atlantic Ocean. The country is bounded by Chile on the west and south, Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The official language of Argentina is Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population is Roman Catholic. The country was settled from the 16th through the 18th centuries by colonists from Spain and other parts of South America. Emmigrants from many European countries, including Italy and Germany, settled in the central plains and south during the 19th century. Agriculture, based on grain and livestock, became the dominant factor in the Argentine economy and accounts for most of its exports. Industry in general has not kept pace with the country's population growth. A United States-style constitution was adopted in 1853, but military government and political instability have been the norm. The Land
Eastward from the northern Andes lies an arid plateau called the Gran Chaco. It is a region of scrub woodland mixed with grassy savannas. Farther to the east, between the Parana and Uruguay rivers, is the region called Mesopotamia. It has extensive subtropical pine forests and fertile plains on which are grown rice, oranges, and flax. Gran Chaco and Mesopotamia together form the Northeast region of the Argentine Republic. The next region to the south is the Pampa, a low, flat plain interrupted only by low hills or sierras. Over millions of years the Pampa has been covered by a fertile wind-borne soil known as loess, and by waterborne alluvium eroded from the Andes. The pampas, or plains, are the homeland of the famous Argentine gaucho, or cowboy. South of the Colorado River is Patagonia, the largest region of Argentina. It extends from the Pampa to Tierra del Fuego and was named in 1520 by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, while sailing for Spain, on his trip around the world. The landscape is dominated by the Andes in the west and plateaus that stretch eastward to the Atlantic, forming cliffs along much of the shoreline. The climate is dry and windy. Sizable rivers flow across Argentina. The Northeast is drained by the Paraguay and Parana rivers, which originate in the Central Plateau of Brazil. The Upper Parana is the site of the famous Iguazu (Iguacu) Falls, where the river plunges over the plateau edge. Also in the Northeast is the Uruguay River, which forms Argentina's border with both Uruguay and Brazil. These three north-south flowing rivers and their Andean tributaries, such as the Pilcomayo, the Bermejo, and the Salado, empty into the so-called Rio de la Plata, an estuary between Argentina and Uruguay. The most important rivers of central and southern Argentina are the Colorado, Negro, Chubut, Deseado, Chico, and Santa Cruz. They all originate high in the Andes. Climate, Soil, and Vegetation Argentina's very great north-south distance covering 33 degrees of latitude also influences the climate of the country. In the Northwest, for example, only the Andean peaks that rise above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) high are covered by snow, whereas at the southern tip of the nation the snow line is below 1,500 feet (500 meters). Glaciers can be found in mountain lake valleys, such as that of Lago Argentino, as far to the north as 50 S. latitude. Moist mid-latitude winds rise from the Pacific Ocean to bring rain and snow to the higher slopes of the Andes. Winter snow cover has made the area near San Carlos de Bariloche a world famous ski resort known as the Argentine Switzerland. As the prevailing westerly winds descend the eastern slopes of the Andes, they become warmer and increase their capacity to absorb moisture. Consequently, few clouds form and precipitation is minimal throughout the western plateau of Argentina. Locally these drying winds are called the zondas. In addition to the presence of the zondas a cold offshore ocean current in the Atlantic contributes to the dryness of the climate. Moist air over the Atlantic cools over the frigid waters of the current and loses its moisture as fog or rain before it can move inland. The two conditions described combine to keep most of Patagonia dry. There, precipitation of less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) falls per year. More than two thirds of Argentina does not receive soil moisture sufficient for nonirrigated agriculture. As is typical of such regions occasional short-lived heavy rains produce flash floods. At other times dust storms cover extensive areas. In central north Argentina the precipitation is not sufficient to sustain the flow of rivers, especially during the warm summers when evaporation is highest. Many end in salt lakes, like the Mar Chiquita, or in large saltwater swamps. Storms moving in the westerly wind belt across Patagonia occasionally become diverted to the northeast and may bring frost and even light snow to Buenos Aires. Such storms are usually accompanied by strong south winds and are called pamperos. They occur several times a century and cause crop damage in the Gran Chaco and Misiones. In the extreme south of Patagonia precipitation once again increases because the Andes are lower. There the climate is cool and moist throughout the year and much of the land is forested. In Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city, winter snows are sometimes heavy, and, because of the high latitude of nearly 55 S., the sun in June and July barely rises above the mountainous horizon even at noon. Another notable weather condition is caused by an Atlantic storm called the sudestada that passes over northeastern Argentina. This storm produces heavy rains that cause the sudden flooding of rivers. The Pampa can be divided into two climatic zones, the coastal humid pampa, or pampa humeda, and the dry pampa, or pampa seca. The pampa humeda receives abundant precipitation and is Argentina's major grain and livestock region. In the pampa seca, precipitation is less abundant and crops grown there must be irrigated. The soils of Argentina's two main agricultural zones, the Pampa and the Northeast, differ greatly. In the Pampa sufficient moisture and grass cover have combined with sedimentary and windblown material to form brown-black phaeozems, which have considerable organic matter at the surface, and deep, fertile prairie soil sometimes called chernozem. In certain areas alfalfa roots penetrate 15 feet (4.5 meters) into this soft, easily crumbled soil. In northeastern Argentina deep red soils that are derived from basaltic (volcanic) rocks of the Parana plateau extend over most of Misiones Province. These red soils are unlike many similar-looking ones that are found elsewhere in the tropics and the subtropics in that they are only slightly acidic, possess some plant nutrients, and are well-drained. Consequently, such crops as citrus fruits, sugarcane, and mate can be grown well in them, especially when fertilizers are used. Relatively intensive settlement in the most habitable parts of Argentina has decimated the formerly abundant animal life. The two most notable remaining forms are members of the wildcat family in Misiones Province, and the rhea, the American three-toed ostrichlike bird of the pampas. Some ranches feature rides for children on the backs of rheas. The People Modern Argentina is inhabited by many people of European descent and by a few American Indians. Although various estimates have been made for the Indian population before the Spanish conquest, a conservative number might be 300,000 for the present national area. After the various phases of discovery, exploration, and settlement, the Indian population had been drastically cut. About 40,000 live in Argentina today, primarily in remote Andean valleys and in the Gran Chaco. However, their physical features are sometimes apparent in many gauchos the Pampa cowboys descended from Spanish fathers and Indian mothers and who are, therefore, mestizos. It should be noted that African slaves were never important in Argentina because neither mining nor plantation agriculture played a significant role in the colonial economy. Consequently, as European settlers arrived, a white population soon became dominant. By the time Argentina achieved its independence in 1824, the vast majority of the populace had been born in South America. After independence was gained, political chaos prevented unification of the country. However, the idea of planned pioneer settlement for the purpose of inhabiting the country's vast empty spaces was carried forward from time to time. In 1856, for example, Swiss and German settlers were invited to found new colonies in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe. Other small European groups went to Misiones Territory far to the northeast on the Brazilian border. Then a great wave of foreign immigration began in the early 1880s and lasted for a decade. At that time Italians along with some Spaniards arrived to open the pampas. This marked the beginning of change in the Argentine economy, as European demand for wool, tallow, mutton, and hides increased rapidly until the end of the century. Domestic sheep flocks replaced wild cattle on the plains, and cattle breeding from new European stock began. Another immigration wave occurred from 1904 to 1913. Prosperity brought about the construction of a railroad network, which began to stretch across the pampas, and the blossoming of the city of Buenos Aires with its international port. Everything was paid for by the productivity of agriculture on the rich soils of the immediate hinterland. By the time World War I began 30 percent of the Argentine population was foreign-born. Another period of immigration between the two world wars marked the onset of the modern development of Misiones Territory by many groups from Europe, especially Germans. A more recent immigration between 1947 and 1955 brought tens of thousands of Italians and Spaniards to the country. Thereafter, immigration from Europe ceased because of the improved economic conditions there. Moreover, the Argentine economy began to falter seriously at the same time. Though immigration from Europe stopped in recent years, Argentina at this time began to attract migrants from other South American countries. This resulted in such oddities as the largest population of urban Paraguayans not being in Asuncion, Paraguay, but in Buenos Aires. In northwestern Argentina Bolivians cross the border in sizable and growing numbers, and a small but steady migration from Chile has influenced the population in Patagonia since the early 1900s. In addition to immigration there is also a seasonal movement of foreign labor into various parts of Argentina. This is due largely to the lack of mechanization for harvesting crops in much of the nation. For instance, thousands of Paraguayans cross the border to work during the mate harvests in Misiones between December and March. Others come from Bolivia and Chile to help with grape picking in Cuyo and Mendoza from April to July and following that for the sugarcane, cotton, and tobacco harvests in the northern sections of Argentina. In the early 1900s the Argentine population structure reflected a growing rural element with the majority of the people less than 20 years of age. In more recent years, especially in the cities, the 30- to 50-year olds have emerged as the dominant group. These data reflect the composition of the capital city of Buenos Aires, in which more than 10 million people live more than one third of the country's population. By the early 1980s there were 17 other cities in the country of more than 100,000, reflecting a trend that shows the nonurban population of Argentina steadily declining. (See also Buenos Aires.) The Economy Agriculture and livestock. Cotton is raised in the Chaco for use in the nation's textile factories. Near Tucuman, in the Northwest, stretch Argentina's principal sugarcane fields. Vineyards and fruit orchards thrive farther south around Mendoza and San Juan. The country has vast pasturelands to match its grainfields. The first cattle, horses, and sheep were introduced by the early Spanish settlers. The cattle were stringy animals used chiefly for hides and jerked beef. After the 1880s fields were fenced and high-grade breeds were introduced. The construction of railways by foreign, mainly English, investors made it possible to ship stock and crops to markets and ports. Refrigerating plants and refrigerator ships permitted the meat to be exported. Today Argentina is a world leader in the raising of livestock. Animal products such as fresh and canned meat, wool, and hides rank high among the country's exports. Mining and lumbering. Lumbering is limited mostly to the quebracho forests of the Gran Chaco and the pine and broadleaf forests of northern Mesopotamia and, especially, Misiones Province. One variety of quebracho is cut for telephone poles, railway ties, and fence posts. Another is a source of tannin, used in making leather. Manufacturing. Food processing, however, is the leading industry. Meat-packing, flour milling, sugar refining, and vegetable and fruit canning are principal activities. The processing of linseed oil and the production of wine, beer, and soft drinks are also extensive. Other manufactures include textiles, metal goods (excluding machinery), chemicals, drugs, vehicles and machinery, wood and lumber, clay, glass, and stone products. The publishing business is also significant. In recent decades the Argentine government has played a strong role in the development of industry. It has assisted with the production of aircraft at Cordoba, steel at San Nicolas, and petroleum-based industry at Comodoro Rivadavia. Trade. The largest quantity of imports comes from the United States. Germany, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Brazil are other major suppliers. The chief imports are iron and steel products, fuels, chemicals, nonferrous metal products, lumber, and paper. Transportation and communication. Architecture and the Arts Melancholy songs sung to the accompaniment of a guitar formed the basis of Argentine folk music. This music figured prominently in the rise of Argentina's major contribution to popular music, the tango. In 19th-century literature the gaucho's decline is mourned in the popular gaucho poem 'Martin Fierro' by Jose Hernandez. (See also Latin American Literature.) French, Spanish, and Italian influences have been strong in art, music, and literature. Argentina has about 100 art museums, many with schools. Numerous painters and sculptors reside in the picturesque La Boca district on the waterfront of Buenos Aires. The large Italian population helps account for the strong support of grand opera. There are symphony orchestras in many of the country's cities. The Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires is one of the world's largest performing arts centers and attracts many famous artists during its regular June to August season. It is also the headquarters of the national ballet and national symphony. Education The first university in the country was established at Cordoba in 1613. Other national universities were founded in Buenos Aires (1821), La Plata (1884), San Miguel de Tucuman (1914), Santa Fe (1919), Mendoza (1939), Bahia Blanca (1956), Corrientes (1957), and Santa Rosa (1959). The Government According to the constitution the legislature the Argentine National Congress is to consist of two houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is to be composed of a minimum of two members from each of Argentina's provinces and from the Federal District. Provincial senators must be 30 years of age and are elected by their local legislatures for nine-year terms. Members of the Chamber of Deputies must be at least 25 years old and are elected directly by the people for four-year terms. The number of deputies is based on population. Voting is compulsory for all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 with exceptions based on such conditions as health and distance from a polling place. Some people have also been deprived of the right to vote for legal reasons. The judiciary consists of a Supreme Court and a series of lower courts. The nine justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life by the president with the consent of the Senate. Federal court jurisdiction includes those cases that involve the constitution and laws and treaties of the nation. In 1976 the elected civilian government was deposed by the armed forces, an event that has often occurred in Argentine history. A military junta then took control of Argentina under a revised constitution that called for the president to be a retired army officer in addition to the other requirements. All activity by political parties was suspended by the regime established by the junta. With the return to civilian rule in 1983, the constitution of 1853 was restored. In international affairs Argentina is a member of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade. To participate in regional matters it belongs to the Organization of American States. History Initial attempts by the Spaniards, the first Europeans to arrive, in 1516, in Argentina, to found settlements on the south bank of the Rio de la Plata as well as on the Parana River failed because of Indian attacks. The original colony of Buenos Aires, which was founded in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza, was abandoned four years later, and a new settlement was established in safer territory far upstream at Asuncion. The Spaniards first succeeded at Asuncion because the more sedentary Guarani Indians living there were friendlier than the nomadic types farther south. Finally, working downstream from Asuncion, the Spaniards founded Santa Fe in 1573. They resettled Buenos Aires in 1580, and this time it became a permanent settlement. The Spaniards hoped to establish an inland trade route leading from Buenos Aires to the silver mines located at Potosi, Bolivia. Transport of silver and supplies over this route never succeeded because of flooding during the wet season and low water in the Pilcomayo River region of the Gran Chaco during the dry season. As a result of their interest in the silver trade and also because of hostile Indians to the south the Spaniards did not settle the fertile pampas until the 19th century. Before the Spaniards tried to open the northwest trade route to Bolivia, other conquistadores had crossed the Andes in Chile and Peru and founded a line of cities stretching from north to south along the east side of the mountains. Their purpose was to supply the Bolivian mining region with food and mules for transport and to secure the region for trade. The latter was important to Buenos Aires, which received supplies from Spain via Panama, the Pacific Ocean, and Chile rather than directly across the Atlantic. The whole La Plata region was a subdivision of the viceroyalty of Peru and did not carry on direct trade with Spain until after 1776, when it was made a separate viceroyalty. Because of this enforced isolation the inhabitants of what is now Argentina had to develop their own production. For example, escaped horses that roamed wild on the pampas were periodically hunted for their hides and tallow and were also used in the transport of cargo and for riding. There quickly arose a gaucho tradition much like the cowboy tradition once found in the western United States. Indians who captured wild horses became formidable enemies who were not conquered easily. They were the basic reason that forts had to be built near Buenos Aires and that horses were obtained from hunting expeditions rather than raised by breeding ranches, or estancias. These horse ranches were not even developed until after the Indian threat had ended. As local agriculture and industry grew in the La Plata region, surplus products such as hides, vicuna (a small llama-like animal) wool, and silver were used to trade for smuggled European goods. The long Pacific trade route with Spain was time-consuming and expensive, and so Spanish settlers bargained with the Portuguese who sold merchandise in Colonia, a town they had built on the left bank of the Rio de la Plata opposite Buenos Aires. However, after the creation of the Rio de la Plata viceroyalty in 1776 Buenos Aires traded directly with Spain. Hides and meat preserved by salting were shipped to Spain and became the most important trade items. The interior Andean towns declined in importance after the center of trade became focused on the Atlantic coast. In 1806 British troops occupied Buenos Aires. Deserted by the Spanish viceroy, the people (portenos) ousted the British by themselves. After Napoleon I conquered Spain, colonial resistance to Spanish rule spread in Latin America. The portenos set up a revolutionary government on May 25, 1810. The formal independence of the new United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata was declared on July 9, 1816. Several years of fighting followed before the Spanish royalists were finally defeated. The hero of the war was Gen. Jose de San Martin (see San Martin). Rival parties sought control of the new government. The resulting chaos permitted Juan Manuel de Rosas to seize power in 1829. He maintained a cruel and repressive dictatorship until it was overthrown in 1852. In 1853 Argentina became a federal republic. During the next several decades the nation's economy expanded. As Indian tribes were defeated on the pampas, tracts of their land were given away by the government. In 1880 Gen. Julio Roca, hero of the Indian wars, became president. Other presidents of that era were Bartolome Mitre (1862-68) and Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (1868-74), who fostered educational reforms. Roque Saenz Pena (1910-14) established the secret ballot and allowed adult males to vote. Hipolito Irigoyen (1916-22 and 1928-30) instituted advanced labor laws. Argentina remained neutral during World War I. The postwar economic depression and growing corruption in government led in 1930 to a military coup, after which Gen. Jose Felix Uriburu was installed as president. A gradual return to democratic government in the 1930s was countered by a strong dictatorial trend. Argentina remained neutral in World War II until 1945, when it finally declared war on Germany. Colonel Juan Peron emerged after the war as Argentina's new strongman. Promising a better living for the urban workers, Peron was elected president in 1946. He repressed demands for democratic government, but, aided by his popular actress-wife, Eva, was reelected by an overwhelming majority in 1951. He was determined to make Argentina industrially self-sufficient. Supported by constitutional reforms adopted in 1949, he nationalized railways, utilities, and other foreign-owned properties. Peron's downfall came when students, bankers, industrialists, and other groups turned against him. In 1952 the death of his wife, who had her own political following, also weakened his support. In September 1955 the armed forces rebelled, and Peron fled the country. After Peron's ouster, the country suffered from high unemployment, high inflation, and a series of military dictatorships. Political unrest brought Peron back to leadership for a short time. He died in 1974, and he was succeeded by his third wife, Maria Estela (Isabel) Martinez de Peron, the first woman head of state in South America. In 1976 she was forced by the military to resign because she was unable to curb the extreme inflation rate. The military took over, and Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla assumed the presidency. During the so-called dirty war that followed, thousands of leftists and other political opponents were killed or imprisoned or simply disappeared. The Argentine government, maintaining that it was fighting a civil war, was subject to much criticism at home and abroad for civil rights violations. (See also Peron.) In 1982 a military conflict took place between Argentina and Great Britain over control of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas. Although the islands lie about 300 miles (480 kilometers) off the east coast of Argentina, they have been controlled by Britain since 1833. Argentina also claimed the Falklands, and in 1982 Argentine troops invaded East Falkland. A British naval force counterattacked soon after the Argentine occupation, and the British quickly regained control over the islands. (See also Falkland Islands.) The defeat caused Lieut. Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri to resign as president of Argentina; his successor, Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Bignone, promised a return to civilian rule. In October 1983 a lawyer, Raul Alfonsin of the centrist Radical Civic Union, was elected president. His victory ended the military regime and the domination the Peronist party had held since the 1940s. In 1987 and 1988 there were uprisings by military officers who opposed Alfonsin's government. In 1989 the country faced its worst energy crisis in 40 years and continued to be plagued by severe inflation. In May 1989 Carlos Saul Menem of the Peronist party was elected president. Alfonsin resigned at the end of June, and Menem was inaugurated on July 8, five months ahead of schedule, so he could tackle the huge economic problems of the country. Menem reversed five decades of state control of the economy by planning a free-market economy, with lower tariffs based on wage-price pacts between labor, business, and government, and by declaring that all major state-owned industries would be privatized by 1993. He also sought to quell the military's discontent by pardoning those involved in the dirty war of the 1970s, a move for which he was strongly criticized. (See also South America.) Robert C. Eidt Argentina Fact Summary Official Name. Argentine Republic. Capital. Buenos Aires. Argentina. From Latin Argentum, meaning "silver." Coat of Arms. Adopted 1813. Cap is symbol of liberty; hands clasping each other symbolize brotherhood and unity. Anthem. 'Oid, mortales, el grito sagrado Libertad!' (Hear mortals, the sacred cry of Liberty!) NATURAL FEATURES Mountain Range. Andes. Highest Peaks. Aconcagua, 22,831 feet (6,959 meters); Bonete, 22,546 feet (6,872 meters); Mercedario, 22,211 feet (6,770 meters). Largest Lake. Mar Chiquita. Major Rivers. Bermejo, Carcarana, Paraguay, Parana, Pilcomayo, Rio de la Plata, Salado, Uruguay. Natural Regions. Pampa: vast fertile plain covering about one quarter of the country. Northeast: including the warm, moist plains of the Chaco and an area between the Parana and Uruguay rivers called Mesopotamia. Northwest: Andean highlands, including Cuyo and Pampean Sierras. Patagonia: semiarid plateau. Climate. Mostly temperate; great variations because of latitudinal extension and varying altitudes. Extreme heat in Chaco region; mild climate in central Pampa; mild to cold in southern Patagonia. Seasons the reverse of those in Northern Hemisphere. PEOPLE Population (1993 estimate). 33,502,000; 31.2 persons per square mile (12.1 persons per square kilometer); 86.2 percent urban, 13.8 percent rural. Major Religion. Roman Catholicism (official). Major Language. Spanish (official). Literacy. 95 percent. Major Cities (1980 census). Buenos Aires (city, 2,960,976; metropolitan area, 9,967,826). Capital of Argentina; chief port; industrial, commercial, railroad, and cultural center. Cordoba (1,179,067). Processing and commercial center; auto manufacturing; resort; railway and highway hub. Rosario (1,078,374). Modern river port; railroad hub; industrial city. La Plata (542,567). Deepwater port; heavy industry. Leading Universities. National Universities at Bahia Blanca, Cordoba, Corrientes, La Plata, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, San Miguel de Tucuman; University of Buenos Aires. GOVERNMENT Form of Government. Federal republic. Chief of State and Head of Government. President. Legislature. National Congress. Voting Qualifications. Compulsory over 18 years of age except for clergymen, army personnel, and those deprived for legal reasons. Political Divisions. 22 Provinces: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman. 1 National Territory: Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic and the South Atlantic Islands. 1 Federal District: Buenos Aires. ECONOMY Chief Agricultural Products. Crops sugarcane, wheat, soybeans, corn (maize), sunflower seeds, grapes, potatoes, sorghum, tomatoes. Livestock cattle, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, sheep. Chief Mined Products. Barites, beryllium, coal, copper, crude petroleum, gold, iron ore, lead, limestone, manganese, mica, natural gas, silver, tin, tungsten, uranium, zinc. Chief Manufactured Products. Automobiles, beer, cattle and buffalo hides, cement, commercial vehicles, cotton yarn, crude steel, lumber, man-made fibers, merchant vessels, paper, petroleum products, plastics and resins, refined sugar, steel tubes, sulfuric acid, synthetic rubber, textiles, wine, wheat flour, wood pulp. Monetary Unit. 1 peso = 100 centavos. PLACES OF INTEREST Aconcagua. Peak in Andes Mountains; highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. Christ of the Andes. Statue in Uspallata Pass commemorating boundary settlement between Chile and Argentina; dedicated in 1904. Iguazu (Iguacu) National Park. Includes Iguazu Falls, 269 feet (82 meters) high, more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) wide. Nahuel Huapi National Park. In the Andes; lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, rapids, forests, resorts, skiing, and cable cars. Santiago del Estero. Oldest city on Argentine soil; founded 1553; parks; colonial buildings; convent and Church of Santo Domingo dating from 1590; warm springs at nearby Rio Hondo. Tierra del Fuego. Isolated island group forming the southern tip of South America. Geography People Government Economy GDP real growth rate: -4.4% Transportation Communications Defense |
More about Argentina
