Argentina occupies the southeastern part of the mainland of South America, the eastern part of the island of Tierra del Fuego and the nearby islands of Estados, etc.

At the same time, the geological knowledge of the territory as a whole is low. But one of the main problems in the development of Argentina's industries lies not so much in the absence of certain types of raw materials (although there is a shortage of coking coal, bauxite, potash salts, etc.), but in their extremely unfavorable location (mainly in outlying, sparsely populated areas). So, for example, in Patagonia (30% of the country's territory) there is a combination of sources of mineral raw materials and fuel, water and forest resources. This area already accounts for half of the mining industry. However, only 3% of the country's population lives in this area.

The natural basis for economic development was, first of all, the rich land resources of Argentina. In the structure of the land fund, agricultural land occupies about 70% (but pastures predominate). A significant part of the territory of the Pampas has been plowed up. A favorable combination of agro-climatic resources determined the country's specialization in MRT in grain farming and animal husbandry on natural pastures.

Among the water resources of Argentina, the main role belongs to the rivers. The river network is better developed in the northeast, where two high-water rivers merge at the common mouth of La Plata. Parana is the second (after the Amazon) river in South America in terms of length and basin area. The largest rivers of Argentina have a rain type of food. The main economic hydropower potential belongs to the rivers of Patagonia, originating in the mountains, as well as the rivers of the Paraná and Uruguay basins. But only a small part of this potential is used.

Flora

The vegetation of Argentina is very diverse: from tropical forests to semi-deserts in Patagonia and Pune. In the northern Mesopotamia, subtropical forests grow with a diverse species composition. Here you can find araucaria, cedro, lapacho with valuable wood. To the south, shrub vegetation predominates; swampy areas are covered with reeds, reeds, water lilies, and elevated and dry areas are covered with meadows with a rich grass cover. There are sparse forests of acacias, mimosas, ostrich trees, along the banks of rivers - palm groves.

Towards the south, there are more open grassy areas, the southern part of the province of Entre Rios is a cereal prairie and already represents a transitional area to the Pampas. Pampa, translated from the Quechua Indian language, means "devoid of tree vegetation." The boundless steppe expanses of the Humid Pampa were once covered with perennial grasses - feather grass, pearl barley, wild millet and variegated colorful herbs. However, there is little natural vegetation left here, a significant part of the territory has been plowed up, and the grassy cover that once covered it, which served as an excellent natural forage base for livestock, as a result of long-term grazing, was littered with weeds and lost its original appearance.

Dry Pampa is characterized by xerophilic vegetation - stunted trees, thorny shrubs, hard grasses. Similar vegetation is common in the arid west, in intermountain basins, where bunches of hard grasses and xerophilous shrubs alternate with cacti.

Forests in Argentina occupy 12% of the land fund. The most valuable are the coniferous forests of Mesopotamia and the humid Andes, as well as the quebracho forests in the Chaco. Their operation is hampered by the fact that they are located in remote areas, therefore, attempts are being made to artificial forest plantations in the most inhabited area - Pampa.

The Chaco forest resources are the most developed, but here, as a result of long-term predatory exploitation, the issue of their serious protection and restoration is acute.

The national flower of Argentina is es:Erythrina crista-galli or Erythrina.

Fauna

Pechnik, one of the national symbols of Argentina.

The fauna of Argentina, although not as rich and diverse as in other Latin American countries, has many endemic species. These include pampas deer, pampas cat, magellanic dog. Almost all of these animals live in the Andes and their foothills, as well as in the sparsely populated region of Patagonia. A relic spectacled bear is found in Pune.

In the open semi-desert spaces of Patagonia and in the Chaco savannas, a puma is common. In the Andes, there are still vicuñas, which have soft wool, and chinchillas (chinchillas) with delicate silver fur. However, both of them were subjected to almost complete extermination. Lots of rodents, armadillos. In the Chaco, Mesopotamia, Patagonia, nutrias and otters are widespread.

Swamps and lakes are inhabited everywhere by waterfowl, many of which stand out for their bright colors. On the banks of the reservoirs you can see flamingos, herons. In the forests there are hummingbirds, among which there are endemic species, for example, the so-called fluttering emerald in the Patagonian Andes. The stove-maker living in Argentina became in 1928 one of the national symbols of the country.

Economy

The location of industry is characterized by a high territorial concentration: a significant part of the industrial enterprises of heavy industry is concentrated in the lower reaches of the Parana, in the industrial belt between Buenos Aires and Rosario; more than half of industrial output is produced in Greater Buenos Aires.

In terms of oil production, the country ranks fourth (after Venezuela, Ecuador and Brazil) in Latin America. Production fully meets the needs of the country, and the state does not export oil.

Argentina is among the top ten countries in terms of uranium reserves. The country is known for its scientific developments in the field of nuclear energy and the uranium industry.

The country's ferrous metallurgy is the oldest on the continent, but it is developing rather slowly, with a large load on capacities due to a lack of raw materials. Most raw materials have to be imported.

Of the non-ferrous metallurgy industries, the following are developed: the production of lead, zinc, copper, and aluminum based on domestic and imported raw materials.

Mechanical engineering occupies a leading position in terms of the cost of production in heavy industry. The most developed are transport engineering (Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Peugeot, etc. have their own factories in Argentina), agricultural engineering, production of equipment for the food industry, and electrical engineering (IBM, Siemens factories). In transport engineering, the automotive industry (Buenos Aires, Cordoba) is the leader, shipbuilding and ship repair (Buenos Aires, Ensenada), aircraft building and the production of helicopters (Cordoba) are developed.

Among the export industries, a special place is occupied by the meat-packing industry - a traditional and country-specific industry. Argentina is one of the most significant producers of meat, mainly beef, and its exporters. Of other branches of the food industry, the production of vegetable oils, in recent years - soybean, as well as the flour-grinding, oil-pressing industries and wine-making have been of export importance. Fruit and vegetable, canning, sugar industries, and beverage production are oriented to the domestic market.

A distinctive feature of Argentina's agriculture compared to other Latin American countries is the fact that it not only fully provides itself with food, but also exports it (while only 2% of workers are employed in agriculture). In terms of per capita food consumption, the country outperforms other countries in the region (1st place). Agricultural and livestock products provide over 50% of export earnings. In terms of cattle, Argentina ranks sixth in the world, fifth in meat production per capita, and first in meat consumption. Meat is the national food of the Argentines.

In crop production, the main place is traditionally occupied by grain and oilseeds of export importance. In terms of wheat harvesting, Argentina is one of the leading countries in the world. In addition, Argentina is the most important exporter of eggs, milk and barley.

International trade

Export - 70.0 billion dollars in 2008 - soybeans, oil and gas, cars, corn, wheat, meat.

The main buyers are Brazil 18.9%, China 9.1%, USA 7.9%, Chile 6.7%, Netherlands 4.2%.

Import - 54.6 billion dollars in 2008 - industrial products, organic chemicals, plastics.

The main suppliers are Brazil 31.3%, China 12.4%, USA 12.2%, Germany 4.4%.

Transport

The transport infrastructure of Argentina is relatively developed. The length of roads is 230,000 km (excluding private rural roads), of which 72,000 km are paved and 1,575 km are expressways, many of which are privatized toll roads. In recent years, the length of multi-lane express roads has doubled. Now they connect several large cities with each other. More such roads are under construction. However, they are still not enough to organize the normal movement of 9.5 million cars registered in the country as of 2009 (240 per 1,000 people) .

Argentina has about 11,000 km of inland waterways, which carry more goods than rail. This includes an extensive network of canals, although Argentina also has a fair number of natural waterways, the most significant of which are the Rio de la Plata, Parana, Uruguay, Rio Negro and Paraguay.

Aerolineas Argentinas is the main airline of the country, providing both domestic and international flights. Austral Lineas Aereas is a subsidiary Aerolineas Argentinas with a route network covering almost the entire territory of the country. LADE- an airline operated by the air force, serves a wide network of domestic routes.

Population

As of 2001, the population of the country was 36,260,130 people, as of July 2010 - 40,412,000 people. Today, according to this indicator, Argentina is 3rd in South America and 33rd in the world. The average population density was 13.3 people per square kilometer. Population growth in 2010 was 0.87%, the birth rate was 18.7/1000 people, and the death rate was 7.9/1000 people.

The population under the age of 15 is 24.9%, over 65 - 10.6% of the total population. Urbanization in Argentina is the highest in Latin America after Uruguay.

The small Indian population was almost completely exterminated during the Spanish colonization in the 16th century, and subsequent seizures of the lands of Pampa and Patagonia until the end of the 19th century. The Argentine nation was formed in the XIX-XX centuries by numerous European immigrants. More than 85% of Argentines belong to the white race. The Indian population (Mapuche, Colla, Toba and others) is 1.5% of the population, the rest are mostly mestizos, as well as mulattoes and Asians. The national composition of immigrants was very diverse: immigrants from Spain (mainly Basques and Galicians) and Italy (the descendants of the latter now make up about 1/3 of the country's population), a lot of French, Germans, British (mostly Irish), Poles, Czechs, Croats , Ukrainians, Jews, Swiss, Danes, Dutch, Arabs (from 1.3 to 3 million people), Lithuanians, Greeks, Armenians. Since the end of the 20th century, immigration from Europe has practically ceased (with the exception of Romania and Ukraine). Most immigrants come to the country from South America: Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Chile. According to the 2010 census, 1806 thousand natives of other countries lived in Argentina (4.5% of the country's population), incl. 81.5% - from South America and only 16.5% from Europe.

A significant number of descendants of immigrants from pre-revolutionary Russia live in Argentina, mainly Ukrainians, Volga Germans, Belarusians, Russians, Jews, Lithuanians. There is no organized Russian community, as such, in Argentina, despite a significant number (according to various estimates - from 100 to 250 thousand people, mainly in Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Cordoba, in the province of Misiones). These are the descendants of several waves of emigration from Russia and the USSR, including peasants from the western provinces, White Guards, displaced persons, Old Believers. Over the past 20 years, several thousand Russians, mostly qualified specialists, have moved to Argentina. However, immigration from Russia to Argentina is not massive. So, from 2004 to 2010, only 873 people received the status of permanent residence. From Russia. Argentina has absorbed the traditions of many countries and peoples, which left an imprint on its culture, life and customs of the Argentines. State policy contributed to the rapid assimilation of immigrants. Unlike the United States and Canada, Argentina does not have ethnically dense areas, and the country of origin is not included in the census. According to the law existing in the country, everyone born in its territory is considered an Argentinean. Today in Argentina, the dynamics of the population is determined by natural growth: its rate - 0.91% in the mid-1990s - is the lowest in Latin America and tends to decrease (the country is experiencing a protracted demographic crisis). This is also reflected in the dynamics of the age structure of the population, which is changing towards a decrease in the proportion of young ages (under 15 years old) and an increase in older ones (over 65 years old).

In terms of socio-economic indicators of life, Argentina is ahead of many countries in Latin America (slightly behind Chile in terms of living standards). The average life expectancy in the country is 77 years (73.5 for men, 80 for women). The proportion of HIV-infected people among the adult (from 15 to 49 years old) population is 0.5%. More than 87% of the total population lives in the country's cities today, and more than 2/5 of the urban population is in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, with about 12 million inhabitants, is one of the 10 largest agglomerations in the world. Other major cities are Cordoba (1.4 million inhabitants), Rosario (1.2 million), Mendoza (approx. 0.9 million), Tucumán (0.8 million).

Religion: Christianity 92% (Catholics - 77%, Protestants 9%). Jews - about 300 thousand, Muslims - about 500 thousand people.

Cities

20 largest cities in Argentina (2007, INDEC estimates)
Place	Name	Provinces	Population	Place	Name	Provinces	Population
1		(autonomous city)	3 050 728	11	resistance	CHA	377 564
2		CBA	1 346 092	12	Santiago del Estero	SGO	327 974
3	Rosario	SFE	1 249 594	13	Corrientes	CTS	328 689
4	Mendoza	MZA	885 434	14	Neuquen	RNO/NQN	327 534
5	San Miguel de Tucuman	TMN	789 504	15	bahia blanca	BUE	310 657
6	La Plata	BUE	732 503	16	Posadas	MNS	279 961
7	Mar del Plata	BUE	604 563	17	Paraná	ERS	270 968
8	Santa Fe	SFE	493 547	18	San Salvador de Jujuy	JUJ	231 229
9	Salta	STA	464 678	19	San Luis	SLS	162 011
10	San Juan	SJN	453 229	20	Rio Cuarto	CBA	149 303

Political structure

According to the Constitution of 1853, the country has a separation of powers into the executive, legislative and judicial, both at the national and local levels. Argentina is a federal republic divided into 23 provinces and 1 federal capital district.

Rosas' dictatorial regime was overthrown in 1852 by a group led by General Justo Urquis, who had previously been governor of Entre Ríos. The victory was achieved thanks to the help received by the general from Uruguay and Brazil. In 1853, the Argentine Constitution was adopted, and Urquiza became the first President of the Republic of Argentina. The province of Buenos Aires did not accede to the constitution and declared independence in 1854. The mutual enmity of the two states led to war in 1859. The Argentine Republic quickly won, and in October of that year the province of Buenos Aires acceded to the Constitution. But it soon became the center of a new rebellion against the federal government that broke out in 1861. Under the command of General Bartolome Miter, the rebels defeated the national army in September of that year. On November 5, the President of the Republic announced his resignation. In May of the following year, Mitre was elected by Congress to the presidency, and Buenos Aires became the capital of Argentina.

The next decade was marked by the conquest of Las Pampas, now known as the province of Río Negro, during which the threat from the natives was eliminated. This so-called Desert War (-) under the leadership of General Julio Roca opened the way to vast territories favorable for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. In 1880, Roca, an opponent of the rise of Buenos Aires, was elected president. In the years following his victory, Buenos Aires was separated from the province and established as the capital of Argentina and a federal district. In the 50 years that followed 1880, Argentina made significant economic and social progress. At the beginning of the 20th century, Argentina became one of the richest countries in the world. The popularity of Argentina has increased with the arrival of millions of Europeans in the country.

The social situation in Argentina remained stable until 1930, when a military coup broke out. In 1946, Perón was elected president of Argentina. Peron and his wife Eva (Evita), who led the implementation of social programs, were very popular among the masses. A little-known colonel with a minor post in the Ministry of Labor, Peron became president twice: in 1946 and in 1952. Together with his popular and strong-willed wife, Eva, he introduced drastic economic reform. The program placed greater emphasis on Argentine industrialization and self-determination, and was favored by conservative nationalist and labor factions. Perón's attempts to secularize the state led to conflict with the Catholic Church. The Perón regime was overthrown in 1955.

As a result of a series of military governments, Perón returned to power in 1973, but died in 1974, leaving his second wife, Isabel, who had no political experience. During her reign, the Marxist revolutionaries Montoneros unleashed terrorism, which served as a justification for the military coup that occurred in 1976. Then the army unleashed its own "dirty war" against all those whom the military considered "subversive elements": thousands of Argentines were killed and declared missing. In 1981, instead of General Videla, who removed Isabel Peron from power, General Roberto Viola took over as president. Less than a year later, Viola was replaced by General Leopoldo Galtieri.

In Russia, it is often customary to compare the default of 1998 and the Argentine default of 2001. The possibility of a devaluation of the ruble, pressure on banks and a lower dependence on external borrowing allowed Russia to survive the default much easier than Argentina.

Argentina has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with Russia on October 22, 1885), which were suspended after October and resumed with the USSR in .

In 2010, same-sex marriage was legalized in the country.

Name etymology

Name Argentina is derived from the Latin word argentum (argentum, "silver"), which in turn comes from the Greek ἀργήντος (argentos), earlier ἀργήεις (arzhiz), which meant "white", "shining". Αργεντινός (argentinos) is a Greek adjective meaning "silver". First use of the name Argentina can be attributed to the 1602 poem "Argentina and the conquest of the Rio de la Plata" (Spanish. La Argentina y conquista del Rio de la Plata ) Martin del Barco Centenera. Although this name of the region was already widely used by the 18th century, in 1776 the country was officially named Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. The independent government formed after the May Revolution of 1810 replaced the designation viceroyalty on the united provinces.

Name Argentina became famous after its use in the first hymn of Argentina of 1812, which had many references to the ongoing Argentine War of Independence. First official name Argentine Republic was fixed in the constitution of 1853. After the return to the confederation of the province of Buenos Aires in 1859, the name of the country was changed to Argentine Nation. Name Argentine Republic was returned after the passage of the law of October 8, 1860.

Armed forces

culture

Holidays

Education

The literacy rate in Argentina is 7%. Three out of every eight adults over the age of 20 have a high school education or higher.

School attendance is compulsory for all children from 5 to 17 years of age. The school system in Argentina consists of primary education of 6 or 7 years and secondary education of 5 to 6 years.

Education in Argentina is free at all levels, with the exception of the main part of post-graduate education. Although the literacy rate had been close to absolute since 1947, in the first half of the 20th century, most Argentine youth did not have access to an education higher than the compulsory seven years of primary schooling. With the introduction of free education at the secondary and university level (in the 1970s), the demand for it often began to exceed budgetary possibilities. Accordingly, public educational institutions often lack funds and reduce the quality of education. This has had a beneficial effect on the rise of private education, although it has resulted in disparities between those who can afford it and the rest of society, since private schools often do not have scholarship programs. Approximately one in four schoolchildren and one in six students attend private educational institutions.

About 11.4 million people were involved in formal education in 2006, including 1.5 million students from 85 universities across the country. 38 universities are public. Most significant universities: University of Buenos Aires, National University of Cordoba, National University of La Plata, National University of Rosario, National Technological University. Public universities faced significant funding cuts in the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in a decline in the quality of education.

healthcare

Health care is provided through a combination of employer and union funded plans (Obras Sociales), public insurance, public hospitals and clinics, and voluntary health insurance.

The introduction of the Medical Tribunal for the supervision of medical practitioners in 1780 by the Spanish Viceroy Juan José de Vertis can be considered the first government action to improve public health. After independence, medical schools were founded at the University of Buenos Aires (1822) and the National University of Córdoba (1877). The training of doctors and nurses in these and other schools made possible the rapid development of medical cooperatives, which, during the presidency of Juan Perón, grew into the state-subsidized Obras Sociales. Today their number exceeds 300 (of which 200 belong to trade unions), they provide medical care for more than half of the country's population. The government's INSSJP (or PAMI) covers nearly all of its 5 million retirees.

Health care costs reach almost 10% of the country's GDP and grow in line with the growing proportion of Argentines over 65 (7% in 1970). Public and private spending has historically been roughly evenly distributed: public funds are mostly distributed through Obras Sociales and cover hospitalizations in private and public clinics; private funds are equally divided between voluntary health insurance and overhead costs.

The country has over 150,000 hospital beds, 121,000 doctors and 37,000 dentists (per capita rates comparable to developed countries). Relatively free access to medical care is historically expressed in the structure and trends of mortality comparable with developed countries: from 1953 to 2005, the proportion of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases increased from 20% to 23%, tumors - from 14% to 20%, respiratory diseases systems - from 7% to 14%, diseases of the digestive system (non-infectious) - from 7% to 11%, strokes - remained at the level of 7%, injuries - 6%, infectious diseases - 4%. The rest is mainly attributed to dementia. The proportion of infant deaths fell from 19% in 1953 to 3% in 2005.

Infant mortality has decreased from 70 per 1000 births in 1948 to 12.5 in 2008 . Life expectancy at birth has risen from 60 to 76 years. Although these figures look favorably against the world average, they are still somewhat below the level of developed countries. In 2006, Argentina ranked 4th in Latin America.

Science and technology

Argentina has given the world many recognized doctors, scientists and inventors, including three Nobel Prize winners. Argentines are responsible for some breakthroughs in medicine. Their research has led to significant advances in the treatment of injuries, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Domingo Liotta developed the first artificial heart successfully implanted in a human in 1969. René Favaloro developed the technique and performed the world's first coronary bypass. Francisco de Pedro invented a more reliable artificial pacemaker.

Radio and TV

Argentina is a pioneer in radio broadcasting. At 21:00 on August 27, 1920, the radio station Sociedad Radio Argentina announced: "Now we are broadcasting to your homes a live broadcast of Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal from the Coliseo theater in". Only about 20 houses in the city had eavesdropping receivers. The world's first radio station remained the only one in the country until 1922, when it began broadcasting Radio Culture. By 1925, there were already 12 radio stations in and 10 in other cities. The 1930s saw the golden age of radio in Argentina, with broadcasts of variety shows, news, soap operas, and sporting events.

There are currently 260 AM radio stations and 1150 FM radio stations in Argentina. Music and youth programs dominate the FM format. News, debates and sports programs form the backbone of AM broadcasting. Amateur radio communication is widespread in the country.

The television industry in Argentina is vast and varied. The channels are widely broadcast in Latin America and received worldwide. Many local programs are broadcast by television in other countries. Foreign producers also buy the rights to adapt programs to their markets. There are five nationwide television channels in Argentina. All provincial capitals and major cities have at least one local station. The availability of cable and satellite television channels in Argentina is similar to North America. Many cable networks serve the entire Spanish-speaking world from Argentina: Utilisima Satellite, TyC Sports, Fox Sports en Español(shared with USA and Mexico), MTV Argentina, Cosmopolitan TV, as well as the news network Todo Notices.

see also

Notes

Literature

• Hugo Novotny. Poverty and new social phenomena in Argentina

Links

	Portal "Argentina"
	in Wikisource
	Argentina at Wikimedia Commons
	Argentina at Wikinews

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Argentina in the Open Directory Project (dmoz) links directory.
• Forum dedicated to Argentina "Argentina in Russian"

Argentina in topics

Tourists will be very surprised by the diversity of Argentina. This South American country has vast steppes - the pampas, as well as lunar landscapes and tropical forests, stunning glaciers and subantarctic nature, the famous Iguazu Falls, historical monuments, rich history, diverse traditions and distinct cultures, ski resorts and excellent beaches, some of which are considered the best in all of South America. Do not forget about the metropolis of Buenos Aires, Argentine football and Argentine tango - there are a lot of all this in Argentina!

Geography of Argentina

Argentina is located in the southern part of South America. Argentina borders Chile to the west and south, Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, and Uruguay and Brazil to the northeast. In the east, the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of ​​this state, including the islands, is 2,766,890 square meters. km., and the total length of the state border is 9,665 km.

In the center and east of Argentina there are fertile lowlands called the pampas, in the west - the Andes mountain range, in the northwest - the volcanic plateau of Puna, in the north - the Gran Chaco plain. The highest local peak is Mount Aconcagua, whose height reaches 6,962 meters.

The main Argentine rivers are Parana (4,880 km), Pilcomayo (1,100 km), Paraguay (2,621), Colorado (1,000 km) and Rio Negro (550 km).

Capital

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. The population of this city is now more than 3 million people. The Spaniards founded Buenos Aires in 1536.

Official language of Argentina

The official language is Spanish.

Religion

More than 92% of the inhabitants are Christians (of which 70-90% consider themselves Catholics).

State structure of Argentina

According to the Constitution, Argentina is a constitutional republic headed by a President who is elected for 4 years. Executive power belongs to the President, Vice President and the Cabinet of Ministers, consisting of 15 ministers with a chairman.

The bicameral Argentine Parliament is called the National Congress, it consists of the Senate (72 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 deputies).

The main political parties are the Front for Victory, the Civic Coalition, the Socialist Party and the Civic Radical Union.

Administratively, the country is divided into 23 provinces and one federal district, centered on Buenos Aires.

Climate and weather

The climate is temperate, arid in the southeast, and subantarctic in the southwest (Patagonia). The climate in the pampas, despite their vastness, is uniform. Precipitation is highest in the west and least in the east of the country. In Buenos Aires, the average annual air temperature is +16C, and the average annual rainfall is 94 cm.

The warmest month in Argentina is January, while the coldest months are June and July. In Buenos Aires, you can relax all year round, because. there are mild winters (May-September) and hot summers (November-March).

Iguazu Falls can also be visited year-round, although during the summer months (November-March) it can be especially hot and humid.

The best time to visit lakes in the mountains is from November to March, when the weather there is similar to the climate in Northern Europe. You can travel in Central Argentina all year round - there is a good continental climate.

Ocean off the coast of Argentina

In the east, the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of the coastline is 4,989 km. Winds from the Atlantic Ocean have a very noticeable effect on the Argentinean climate.

Rivers and lakes

The rivers Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay form the main river system in this country. Near Buenos Aires, the Paraná and Uruguay rivers join each other to form the Rio de la Plata estuary. On the Iguazu River, which is a tributary of the Parana, are the famous Iguazu Falls.

Other large Argentine rivers are the Pilcomayo (1,100 km), the Colorado (1,000 km) and the Rio Negro (550 km).

In the Nahuel Huapi National Park, in northern Patagonia, there is the most beautiful Argentine lake - Nahuel Huapi.

Culture of Argentina

The culture of Argentina was greatly influenced by immigrants from Europe. Not only Spaniards, Portuguese, British, Scandinavians, Italians, but also Ukrainians went to this South American country en masse. Therefore, one can only imagine the diverse nature of Argentine culture.

Every year in January, February and March, festivals and holidays are held almost without interruption - the Tango Festival in Buenos Aires, the Luis Palau Festival in Mendoza, the Feriagro Argentina Festival, Holy Week in Salta. Therefore, we recommend that tourists choose these months if they want to visit Argentina.

Argentina is the birthplace of the tango dance. Despite the fact that now tango belongs to the "ballroom" dances, for Argentines it is still a folk dance.

Cuisine of Argentina

Argentine cuisine has been influenced by the culinary traditions of the local Indians, Spaniards, Italians, and even the French. The Italians, for example, brought various pastas and pizzas to the Argentine cuisine, and the French - pastries. Be prepared for the fact that the Argentinean pizza will have a lot of toppings (this is the local specificity). In some parts of Argentina, there are even German and Welsh dishes, because. immigrants from Germany and Wales settled compactly there. Most of all, this country is famous for its fried beef dishes (in Patagonia, however, dishes from goat and lamb meat predominate).

Argentine beef steaks are delicious on their own, but the locals add olive oil and spices to them, which makes this dish fantastic.

In addition to steaks, in Argentina, we recommend tourists to try "asados" or "parillas" (grilled beef), "Locro" (pork stewed with white beans and corn), "Carbonado" (beef with fresh vegetables, apples and peaches), Cazuela Gaucho (chicken with pumpkin), Humitas (corn pies), empanadas, Tamales (corn tortillas with meat).

The most popular local dessert is "Dulce de Leche", which can be attributed to a kind of condensed milk.

Traditional non-alcoholic drinks are fruit juices, milkshakes, coffee, and of course the "Paraguayan tea" mate (an invigorating drink made from holly leaves), which is drunk hot or cold.

Traditional alcoholic drinks are wine (Argentina is one of the five largest wine producers in the world), whiskey, gin and beer.

Sights of Argentina

Argentina offers tourists a huge number of must-see attractions. True, even a small part of them cannot be seen in one trip - there is simply not enough time for everything.

On the Iguazu River, near the border with Brazil and Paraguay, are the famous Iguazu Falls. There are 275 waterfalls in this area, the most grandiose of them is the Iguazu Falls, whose width reaches 4 kilometers. More than 1 million tourists visit these waterfalls every year.

Many tourists visit South Patagonia to see the Perito Moreno glacier, whose area reaches 250 square meters. km. Scientists claim that this glacier contains one of the largest reserves of drinking water in the world. The Perito Moreno Glacier is a short drive from the city of El Calafate, and about a three hour flight from Buenos Aires.

We also recommend paying attention to the Argentine reserves, parks and botanical gardens. These are, first of all, the national parks of Iguazu, Los Menhiras, Los Cadones and the botanical garden near the city of Puerto Iguazu.

Cities and resorts

The largest cities are Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza, La Plata, Tucuman, Mar del Plata, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires.

About 400 kilometers from Buenos Aires is the beach resort of Mar del Plata, considered by many to be the best beach resort in all of South America.

Other popular Argentinean beach resorts are Tigre, Pinamar (dense pine forests grow in its vicinity), Miramar. We also recommend paying attention to the resort town of Las Grutas in the province of Rio Negro in Patagonia. This resort is very popular with Argentines.

Couples for a beach holiday often choose Entre Rios, which is not a noisy resort, but in its vicinity there are hot springs, forests and lakes.

In the south, in Patagonia, at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level, is the most famous Argentine ski resort, Bariloche. There are 70 kilometers of slopes for skiers of various qualifications (these slopes serve 20 lifts). Other popular Argentinean ski resorts are Chapelco, Cavaju, Castor, La Jolla, Penitentes and Bayo.

In general, the skiing season in Argentina lasts from May to September.

Souvenirs/Shopping

Most often, from a trip to Argentina, tourists bring leather goods (belts, purses, wallets, bags), Espadrilles summer cloth slippers, various football souvenirs, Latin American condensed milk Dulce de Leche, calabash with bombilla (a jug with a tube for making mate ), wine.

Office Hours

Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09:00/10:00 -15:00

The shops:
Mon-Sat: 09:00/10:00 - 18:00/21:00

Visa

Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit Argentina.

Currency of Argentina

The Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern shores of Argentina, and the subantarctic currents - the southern.

Administratively, the state is divided into and one Federal. The territory of the state is formed by: the southeastern region of the South American mainland, the eastern region and several nearby islands (and others).

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general information

The name of the country can be translated as "silver". Although it has nothing to do with this precious metal. The main wealth of Argentina is, first of all, huge pastures and fertile lands. Today, the country is able to surprise tourists with its richest architectural and cultural heritage, and the capital is often called the Paris of the South.

State structure: federal republic, the head is the president (the current president -), who is elected by popular vote for 4 years with the possibility of prolonging the presidency for the 2nd term. The supreme legislative body is the National Congress. For a complete list of presidents of Argentina, see.

State language: Spanish, Italian, French and German are also spoken here.

Religion: Mostly Catholic.

Currency: (ARS).

Favorite sports games: primarily football; basketball, motorsport.

terrain

Due to the long distance from north to south, an amazing landscape diversity is characteristic: in the north there is a flat tropical savanna, turning into subtropical steppes - the Pampas, in the south there is the Patagonian plateau, known for its harsh climate.

The vast territory of the country is subdivided into 4 natural zones:

• mountainous region of the Andes;
• northern plains (with part of the Gran Chaco and the interfluve of the Parana and Uruguay);
• The Pampas are vast, treeless plains lying south of the Gran Chaco, east of the Andes and north;
• - vast steppes, south of the Rio Colorado.

From the west, the borders of Argentina are bordered by a massive mountain system, consisting of ridges and ridges parallel to each other; to the south, the Andes stretch into a single ridge with glaciers and snow fields.

The border of eternal snows rises more and more to the north, the mountains gradually pass into the vast lake region of Argentina in the provinces of Rio Negro and Neuquen, with a delightful lake. The area with many picturesque lakes extends across Chile.

Short story

It's hard to believe, but at the beginning of the 20th century, Argentina was considered the richest country in the world. There was even a saying in circulation: rich as an Argentinean. Many thousands of Europeans rushed to the picturesque foothills of the Andes, hoping to find prosperity - Italians, Pyrenean Basques, Catalans, Galicians, Germans, Austrians, Swiss, Irish and Scots, Russians with Ukrainians and Jews. The efforts of the government to populate the empty territories of the state were not crowned with success, because most of the immigrants settled in the metropolitan area.

Due to the fact that the Patagonian Indians, like the Africans, were almost completely exterminated in the wars with Paraguay and Brazil, a "white" or "silver" country was formed on the South American continent: Catholic - by religion, Spanish - by the way of communication, and French - by way of life.

Population

Until the 16th century The territory of today's Argentina was inhabited by numerous Indian tribes:

• in the northwest, the diagites also lived, who led a sedentary life, engaged in various crafts;
• the northeast was inhabited by guars, who were mainly engaged in agriculture;
• in the eastern part of the country (in the Pampas) lived small tribes of nomads (kerandi, charrua, puelche and hat);
• Patagonia was inhabited by the tribes of Araucans, Tehuelche, Alcalufs, who traded fabrics and skins with neighboring peoples.

In the XVI century. Spanish colonization of South America began. As on the entire continent, in Argentina it was accompanied by the ruthless extermination of the indigenous population. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Indians, under the onslaught of European immigrants, were pushed into the most remote corners of the country. To date, a small number of them live in the north - in the provinces of Formosa (Spanish Formosa) and (Spanish Chaco); in the northwest - in the provinces of Jujuy (Spanish Jujuy) and Salto (Spanish Salto); and in the south - in Patagonia (Spanish: Patagonia). Today, small groups of Indians flock to the cities, where they work in the service sector, but the bulk of the natives prefer to live the old fashioned way, apart from society.

In the northeast, European colonization was carried out by missionaries - the Jesuits, who arrived to convert the local population to Christianity, and, ultimately, to turn them into uncomplaining and obedient servants of the Spanish crown. Among the Jesuits were mostly Spaniards, Italians, Germans, French and Poles - that is, it was the first influx of immigrants from various European countries.

In the era of Spanish expansion, access to Argentina for other foreigners was severely limited, because in order to obtain an entry permit, one had to live in Spain for at least 5 years. Only after the state gained independence, free entry into the country was opened, so the government pursued a policy of attracting immigrants to develop the sparsely populated territories of the state.

It was immigration that had a significant impact on the formation of the national composition of the population, largely determining its location and demographic structure.

The national composition of immigrants was characterized by great diversity, but, of course, the Spaniards and Italians prevailed. The rest of the immigrants were French, Poles, as well as refugees from pre-revolutionary Russia (Russians, Ukrainians, Jews and Russified Germans), who created agricultural settlements along (Spanish: Rio Parana).

In Argentina, there is a law according to which everyone born in the country is an Argentine. In its current form, the Argentine nation was formed by European immigrants in the XIX-XX centuries, so more than 85% of the population belongs to the white race. Today, about 97% of the population of the state consider themselves Argentines (mostly mestizos - descendants of mixed marriages of European immigrants and native Indians), only 2% call themselves Indians. Therefore, today the country is one of the most Europeanized Latin American states. In addition, immigrants from Europe, Asia and neighboring South American countries live here.

The population of modern Argentina is mainly increasing due to natural increase, today it is about 42.6 million people, this is the third largest national group in South America, only Brazilians and Colombians are ahead of them.

Argentina is ahead of many Latin American states in terms of living standards. For example, the average life expectancy of local residents from the mid-50s of the twentieth century. increased in men - from 60 to 73 years, in women - from 65 to 80 years.

The population distribution is characterized by a high concentration in the coastal region of the Pampas and a high level of urbanization. In general, Argentina today is not a densely populated country (with an average density of 10 people / 1 km²).

In today's Argentina, 83% of the population lives in cities; among South American countries, in terms of the proportion of urban residents, it is second only to Uruguay. A striking distinguishing feature of the country's settlement is the so-called hypertrophy of the capital - more than 1⁄3 of the population and more than 2⁄5 of the population of cities live in the capital, Buenos Aires, this city is one of the ten largest world agglomerations.

Climate

The climate here is completely unique: in the north - subtropical; in the central regions - humid tropical; in the south - mild, moderate. Please note that winter/summer in the southern hemisphere coincides with ours, only exactly the opposite.

In the mountainous region of the Andes, rainy weather interspersed with intense heat in summer, with snow cover in winter, with frequent dry winds - “probes” prevails. In moist, virgin forests and savannas of lowland areas, heavy rains are frequent. Average temperature indicators: in January about +5ºС, in July +20…+22ºС.

Traveling in the South Andes and Patagonia is best in summer (December - February). A visit to the northern and northwestern regions can be scheduled for the winter (May - September).

In spring and autumn you will have a great time in Buenos Aires, the foothills, Mesopotamia, in the provinces and La Rioja. And the snow-covered slopes of the Andes from May to October await fans of skiing.

Natural and historical attractions

On the territory of the country, which has an area of ​​​​almost 3 million km², with different climatic and geographical zones, many different natural scenarios are developing. The phenomena of nature are harmoniously combined with the sophistication and originality of the city of Buenos Aires. The boundless Patagonian plateau, stretching south of the Lake District, is famous for its grandiose glaciers. Between the Atlantic rocky coast in the east to the majestic Andes in the west, where the seven-thousander reigns, there are virgin expanses. The list of natural wonders of Argentina ends with the majestic Antarctica.

The territory of Argentina is rich in monuments belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage:

• national parks "" in Patagonia and "Iguazu" (Misiones province);
• Jesuit tribal missions;
• cave Cueva de las Manos (province of Santa Cruz);
• the luxurious parks of Talampaya and Ischigualasto, where the ancient flora and fauna that arose 230 million years ago have been preserved;
• Jesuit buildings in the vicinity;
• natural and historical artifacts in the valley of Quebrada de Humahuaca, along the famous; and many others.

Here you can walk along the snowy Andes on horseback, swim near fur seals, dolphins and whales, hang out with penguins in Patagonia, watch exotic birds in the American Serengeti.

The famous resort is located south of Buenos Aires, in a mild climate zone, about 600 thousand inhabitants live here, and there are up to 6 million guests and tourists per season! There are many parks where tourists are offered shows with fur seals, dolphins and sharks. “Eco-tourism” is becoming increasingly popular - excursions to farms where you can see how sheep are sheared and newborn lambs are fed, and also enjoy. A wine festival with incendiary dances, enchanting shows and the election of the Queen takes place regularly in Mendoza.

A wonderful excursion to the city, the second largest in the country, but not inferior to the capital in terms of architecture. The city has the best historical museum in Argentina.

Natural attractions - national parks, Iguazu, etc. Ocean cruises to Antarctica, Patagonia and Cape Horn are very popular with travelers.

“Gaucho Fiesta” and “Tango Show” are incendiary dance shows that introduce the customs, life, music and national cuisine of local gaucho cowboys.

Largest cities:

Name	Population*
	3 050 728
	1 346 092

ARGENTINA

(Argentine Republic)

Geographical position. Argentina is a country in South America bordered by Chile to the east, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, and Brazil and Uruguay to the west. From the southwest Argentina is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Square. The territory of Argentina occupies 2,780,092 sq. km.

Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires. The largest cities: Buenos Aires (12,750 thousand people), Cordoba (1,250 thousand people), Rosario (1,000 thousand people), La Plata (630 thousand people), Mar del Payment (600 thousand people), Salta 420 thousand people), Mendoza (160 thousand people). Argentina is a federation of 22 provinces, the Federal (capital) district and the national territory of Tierra del Fuego.

Political system

Argentina Republic. The head of state is the president. The legislature is the bicameral National Congress.

Relief. The eastern part of Argentina is flat, in the west is the Andes, in the southwest is the Patagonian plateau.

Geological structure and minerals. The bowels of the country contain reserves of lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, oil, and uranium.

Climate. Argentina is elongated from north to south, hence the variety of climatic and weather conditions. Traditionally, it is customary to distinguish 6 climatic zones in Argentina: Cuyo and the Andes in the northwest; Mesopotamia and northeastern region; Chaco; Pampas; Patagonia and the region of the lakes; islands of Tierra del Fuego. Mesopotamia, the area between the rivers Uruguay and Parana, is an area with a subtropical climate, where the weather is very hot in summer. Patagonia is the name of an area south of the Rio Colorado. In general, the climate of Patagonia is temperate and arid, and farms exist due to the moisture of rivers flowing from mountain glaciers. Tierra del Fuego is an area with a mild maritime climate. Average January temperatures: on the plains of Argentina fluctuate around +30°С; in the Gran Chaco, on the "pole of heat" of South America, they reach + 46 ° С; in Pampa + 20-24°С; on Tierra del Fuego up to + 10°С. In July, respectively: +18°С, +8°С, + 12°С. In winter, southerly winds (pampires) cause frosts even in the north of Argentina (down to -10°C). In Patagonia, frosts reach -33°C. The annual amount of precipitation in the northeast of the country is 1600 mm, in the Gran Chaco 400-1400 mm, in the east of Pampa about 1000 mm, in Patagonia 100-300 mm, in Pune less than 100 mm. The highest level of precipitation is on the slopes of the Andes. Here it is over 2,000 mm and can reach up to 5,000 mm.

Inland waters. The main rivers are Parana, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chubut, Rio Negro, Rio Colorado.

Soils and vegetation. Wet meadow steppes, savannas, subtropical forests (mainly in the mountains).

Animal world. In Argentina, there are monkeys, jaguar, puma, ocelot, llama, armadillo, anteater, tapir, fox, among the birds - ostrich rhea, flamingos, parrots, hummingbirds, hawks, falcons, partridges.

Population and language

The population of Argentina is about 36.265 million people. The territory of modern Argentina before its conquest by the Spaniards was inhabited by numerous Indian tribes of Diagites, Guaykuru, Abipon, Guarani, Charruz, Kerandi, Arau-Cana, Tuelche, Una and Yana. As the kingdom of La Plata (one of the first names of Argentina) was settled, the local population mixed with incoming colonists from Europe and African slaves. Descendants from marriages of whites with Indians began to be called mestizos, from marriages of whites with mulatto blacks, from marriages of Indians and Sambo blacks. Starting from the second half of the XIX century. a large number of immigrants from European countries entered the country. As a result of the process of urbanization, more than a third of the population of Argentina (about 32 million people) now lives in the so-called Greater Buenos Aires (meaning the capital and its environs). The official language of Argentina is Spanish, which is spoken by almost the entire population of the country. Some ethnic communities retain their national language traditions. Among the Indians there are many bilinguals. In total, up to 17 Indian languages ​​are still used in Argentina. The Spanish language of the Argentines differs in pronunciation characteristics both from the Spanish language of the peoples of the neighboring countries of Argentina, and from the language of the native Spaniards.

Religion

The dominant religion in Argentina since the country's colonization has been the Roman Catholic Church.

Brief historical outline

In 1516, a Spanish expedition led by Juan de Solis discovered the mouth of the river, which later became known as the Rio de la Plata. Four years later, La Plata was explored by the expedition of F. Magellan. The main motive that guided the Spaniards during their travels was gold. In 1526, during the third Spanish expedition led by Cabot, rumors reached the conquistadors about the existence of rich lands in the depths of the continent - the “empire of the white king” and the “silver mountain”. In search of these lands, Cabot and his companions decided to move inland along the bed of the La Plata River, and then along the Parana. On June 9, 1527, on the banks of the Parana, the Spaniards laid the first fort on the land of the future Argentina - Sancti Spiritus (Fort of the Holy Spirit). The Spaniards, who did not hide the purpose of their travels, met with stubborn resistance from the Indians. In 1534, in Spain, in the Chamber of Commerce of the city of Seville, an exhibition was held of jewelry that the Spaniards got during their campaigns in the lands of the Aztecs and Incas. Impressed by what he saw at the exhibition, the wealthy Spanish merchant Pedro de Mendoza led a new expedition to the shores of La Plata. Mendoza was appointed governor of the "new lands". The number of the expedition reached 1,500 people. These were settlers who brought with them livestock, seeds of grain crops. Mendoza had the authority to seize lands, found cities and fortresses. In 1536, the Spaniards reached the mouth of La Plata, where they founded the city of Buenos Aires. The first name of the city is Puerto San ta Maria de Buenos Aires, which means Port of Our Lady of the Good Winds. On August 15, 1537, the city of Asuncion was founded, which soon turned into a major stronghold of the Spaniards. The local population initially greeted the newcomers cordially. The Indians brought a lot of game and fish. Then relations deteriorated, hostilities began. The Spaniards managed to subjugate the agricultural tribes of the Guarani, and the Kerandi Indians entered the war and managed to inflict several tangible defeats on the Spaniards: many forts were destroyed, including Buenos Aires (1541). After the leadership of the Spanish troops was headed by Juan de Ga-rai, the colonists began to win, they founded Buenos Aires for the second time, laid the new fortress of Santa Fe, moving inland along the coast of the Parana, and founded the city of Coorientes (1588).

The conquest of Argentine lands also proceeded from the Pacific Ocean, because of the Cordillera. Detachments heading east from Chile set themselves the task of conquering the Cuyo region, inhabited by Indian tribes of the Warp. Overcoming the resistance of the Indians, the Spaniards founded the cities of Mendoza (1561), San Juan (1562), San Luis in the interior provinces of the country. The missions of the Catholic Church played an important role in the development of new lands. In 1609, the Spanish king issued a decree authorizing the establishment of Jesuit missions in the lands of Latin America. With the help of the Jesuits, the governors created so-called reductions in the occupied territories. This is a territorial-administrative entity, reminiscent of a reservation for the Indians of North America.

First decades of the 19th century brought serious changes in the balance of power on the European continent, which was reflected in the state of affairs in the colonies. England, deprived of markets in Europe, having lost its North American colonies, tried to establish itself in South America. Using the depressing position of the Spanish court, the British in 1806 sent a squadron to the shores of Argentina. On June 27, an English landing detachment of 1,500-1,600 people managed to capture Buenos Aires. Until July of the following year, an armed struggle continued between regular English units and detachments of Argentines, led by the captain of the army of the Spanish king Santiago de Ligne and the wealthy Creole Juan Martin Pueyre-don. On July 7, 1807, General Whitelock signed the act of surrender of the British troops. The political processes that took place over the next ten years led to the fact that La Plata was proclaimed an independent state. This happened in 1816, and then there was a period of internal confrontation between the two main parties: the Federalists and the Unitarians.

According to the Constitution of 1833, Argentina became a single state with presidential rule, uniting 3 provinces: the Pampas, Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia) and Cordoba. A significant leap in the development of the economy of Argentina occurred after the railways were built in the country, connecting the country's agricultural regions with industrial centers. By 1929, a crisis socio-economic situation had developed in Buenos Aires and other cities of the country, and then a military junta replaced the civilian government. The stabilization in the economic life of Argentina after the Second World War is associated with the name of Juan Domingo Peron, who was elected president in 1946 and re-elected in 1952 for a second term. In 1955, the military again came to power, and the next presidential elections took place only in 1973. In these elections, the supporter of the Perón line, Hector Campora, won. 1976-1983 were called the "dirty war" years. Wanting to neutralize the growing protest from the majority of the population, the military government decided to take an extreme step: a war was started with Great Britain for the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. After losing the war in 1983, the Argentines elected a new president, Raúl Alfonsín.

Brief economic essay

Argentina is an industrial-agrarian country with highly commercialized agriculture. Extraction of lead and zinc, oil and natural gas, uranium and other ores. Food (mainly meat-packing), textile, leather and footwear industry, mechanical engineering, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Oil refining and petrochemistry. Agriculture is dominated by large landownership. Main agricultural crops: wheat, corn, barley, oats, sunflower. Fruit growing. The main branches of animal husbandry are cattle breeding and meat and wool sheep breeding. Fishing. Export of agricultural products (meat, wool, leather, grain).

The monetary unit is the Argentine peso.

A Brief Outline of Culture

Art and architecture. Works of ancient Indian art have survived to this day - painted and figured ceramics, petroglyphs, fabrics with geometric patterns, feather decorations, cult sculpture made of wood, stone, and clay. During the period of colonization, the official forms of religious painting, sculpture, and woodcarving prevailed. Of the secular genres of painting, only the portrait became widespread. The modern architectural appearance of the cities of Argentina bears the stamp of a four-century history of colonization. In the XVIII century. Argentine architecture was heavily influenced by the European Baroque. After the proclamation of Argentina as an independent state, a period began when modern European trends dominated art and architecture.

Buenos Aires. Congress Building (1906); National Museum of Fine Arts (paintings by artists of world renown - Renoir, Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, as well as works by Argentinean authors); Museum of Modern Art (the collection of paintings of this museum includes works by Dali, Picasso); Cinema Museum; National Historical Museum.

Literature. X. L. Borges (1899-1986) - writer, one of the founders of avant-garde in Spanish-American poetry (collections of poems "Creator", "Another, all the same", "Cryptography" (1981), author of short stories and prose miniatures, saturated with intellectual metaphor (collections "Fictions", "Aleph"); X. Cortazar (1914-1984) - writer, author of realistic novels with elements of fantasy and philosophical symbolism ("Winnings", "62. Model for Assembly", "Last Round ").

Music. The folk music of Argentina is dominated by Creole folklore. Argentinean dances are the most famous. Of the old ones, the most popular are triste, estilo, topo, cueca, etc. Of the later ones, tango. On the formation of the musical culture of Argentina in the XIX-XX centuries. the musical traditions of France had a strong influence.

Anyone who has ever been to Argentina (the area of ​​the country is quite large) will definitely want to visit there again. This is reflected in one of the most apt and beautiful statements about her: “There is a wonderful country in the world in which there are no Mondays. This is Argentina." Where Argentina is located, not all children know. It is difficult for them to imagine what kind of country it is, what it is known for, who lives in it. In addition to all of the above, many people mistakenly call Argentina Antarctica.

Location of Argentina on the world map

But this is a country with magnificent nature, rich original culture and interesting history. It is one of the largest states located in South America. The official name of this state is the Argentine Republic.

On the entire continent, the described country in terms of area won the second place after Brazil. Argentina borders on several states. Argentina's neighbors are represented by the following countries:

• Chile - in the west and south;
• Bolivia and Paraguay in the north;
• Brazil and Uruguay are in the east.

The location of Argentina is such that from the east and south coast the country is washed by the beautiful and mysterious Atlantic Ocean. Its coastline is about 5000 km long. The area of ​​Argentina is slightly larger than what schoolchildren are used to seeing on the world map. This is due to the fact that Argentina, in addition to the mainland, also owns the following lands:

• the Falkland Islands;

• Archipelago Tierra del Fuego (eastern part).

As for the island of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, they are disputed territories claimed not only by Argentina, but also by Great Britain. The capital of the state is the city of Buenos Aires. The territory of Argentina is located in 3 climatic zones of the hemisphere:

1. moderate;
2. tropical;
3. subtropical.

The Argentine climate is explained not only by this position of the state, but also by the presence of a high barrier of the Andes in the West, and the Atlantic Ocean in the East. In the tropical and subtropical zones, the humidity acts mostly in the direction away from the Atlantic Ocean. This influence is much stronger than that which is exerted by precipitation falling in the northern and middle parts of Argentina.

The coast of Argentina is not indented enough, only the mouth of La Plata cuts into the land for almost 320 km. The entire territory of Argentina is elongated in the direction from north to south. Its maximum length is 3700 km. The considerable length of maritime borders turned out to be an important component in the development of Argentina, because it was this indicator that played an important role in the development of trade relations between this country and other states.

The nature of Argentina is diverse. This is also due to the high extent of the area of ​​the state from south to north. Significant differences in the relief also have a special effect on the climate and other natural features. According to the structure of the earth's surface, the state can be divided into 2 parts:

1. plain - in the north and east;
2. high ground in the west and south.

Along the western border of Argentina (the border of Chile and Argentina) are located (Cordillera) - the largest cluster of mountains in the western hemisphere. They were mainly formed during the upland orogeny period. The mountains differ in the complexity and diversity of the geological structure.

Cordillera on the border of Chile and Argentina

South of the Cordillera are rapidly narrowing. They reach their maximum height in the area between approximately 32° and 37°S. It is here, on the border, that the upland pointed tops of the relief dominate. The mountains are distinguished by decorated snow caps. A special relief with a different color palette of slopes and snow-covered outfits forms a special beauty of the high Andes. The interfluve of Parana and Uruguay is the territory of Argentina, which is mainly a plain composed of reddish sandstones and marls, covered with a thick clay layer, which includes alluvium and loess. In the north of this area there is a lava rise, which is one of the components of the lava rise of the Brazilian Plateau. In the central part of this interfluve, the territory is represented by a marshy plain. And in the south you can find a hilly lowland, on which sandstone ridges intersect.

Natural resources

Despite the fact that the territory of Argentina is represented by such an impressive size and magnificent views that open up every time in a new way, there are practically no deposits in its depths. At the same time, relief features still constitute a strong and reliable basis for the formation and further development of industry. Considering natural mineral deposits, geologists note significant ore deposits in the western part of the state. In some areas there are also deposits of brown coal. All these resources can be found most often in the troughs of high mountain surfaces.

In general, one cannot speak of the scarcity or, conversely, the wealth of the described territory, since the development of these areas has never been fully developed. With the right approach and interest from the relevant organizations, the study and study of the territory of Argentina will be more active. It can even be assumed that the most important resources can be located far in the depths of it.

Water resources

On the borders of Argentina with other states, there is an extremely beautiful waterfall complex. So, at the junction of go from Argentina and Brazil is the Iguazu Falls. This name comes from the names of the national parks of both states, which are located in that part of the continent. A few years ago, this natural complex was awarded the title of one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. The exact age of the waterfalls cannot be determined, however, based on the results of a study of basalt deposits located in this part of the country, it can be concluded that they are at least 130 million years old. According to rough calculations, this waterfall was formed after a powerful volcanic eruption. Scientists believe that after that a depression formed on the surface of this territory. Gradually increasing, it grew to the size that can be observed today.

Deciphering the name that the waterfall received, one can judge that these rapids had the same impressive dimensions as they do now. The name of the waterfall is translated from the Guarani language as "big water". For travelers and residents of other states, including European ones, this bewitching natural phenomenon, striking in its beauty, was hidden for a long period. The first time this miracle of nature was discovered by Europeans in 1541. It was then that the conquistador from Spain, traveling through the jungle in this part of the world (along the Brazil-Argentina border) and trying to find the island of El Dorado, desired by many of his contemporaries, came across this amazing waterfall.

Why exactly in the place where Argentina is located on the world map, there are so many waterfalls? Local residents have their own answers to this question. So, according to one of the legends, when God decided to choose his life partner, he met a beautiful girl in these places. Unfortunately, the girl was already in love and swore to be faithful to her lover forever. Not wanting to part, the lovers left their tribe one night and sailed down the river in a canoe. Upon learning of this, God was angry that he cut the river into many rapids, forming this world-famous waterfall. All this was done so that the pair of fugitives was doomed to death.

Argentina is a country that is located on the territory of one of the six continents - South America. Here you can admire the wildlife and uncover many of its secrets. The beauty of the country is so unusual and majestic that, being close to Argentina, one cannot but visit it.