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Capital: Buenos Aires.
Airports in Argentina:
Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport is the largest airport in Argentina, known as Ezeiza International Airport
Argentina hotels 1 - 5 stars (HOTEL):
Official language: Spanish, English, Italian, German and French are also spoken.
Population: about 40.3 million people.
Political system: democratic republic.
Geographical position: Argentina is located in the south of South America. In the north, it borders with Bolivia and Paraguay, in the east - with Brazil and Uruguay, in the south and west - with Chile. In the east, it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
Mainstream religion: Catholicism.
Time: lags behind Moscow by 7 hours in summer, and by 6 hours in winter.
Argentina attracts with its natural, cultural and architectural riches, endless possibilities for a peaceful and extreme rest. The homeland of Evita, Maradonna and Che Guevara amazes with its contrasting landscapes: from the famous pampas of the central regions of the country to the Andes with their plateaus, valleys, gorges and colored mountains, gradually replacing lakes, forests and glaciers of Patagonia and the snowy expanses of Antarctica. In Argentina, there are two extreme points of South America: the highest mountain in the hemisphere, Aconcagua (6960 m) and the lowest lake on the continent, Laguna del Carbol (-105 m).
A trip to Argentina would be incomplete without delicious red wine and excellent barbecue. The best grape varieties for the production of the famous Argentine wine are grown in the vicinity of Mendoza, Salta, San Juan and La Rioja. There are many grill bars (parrillas) on the streets of Buenos Aires, where you can taste the famous meat dishes. Travel will also complement herbal tea mate, which is usually drunk from a pumpkin bowl through a silver pipe.
Popular types of tourism: ski holidays (mid June - early October), "wine" tours, cruises to Antarctica from Ushuaia, tango shows, tango salons (milongas), tango and Spanish lessons, visits to Argentinean ranches, folklore shows, ecotourism, beach holidays.
What to visit:
Buenos Aires is the cultural and business capital, the city of tango.
Puerto Madryn, where whale watching is possible from May to December.
Valdes Peninsula is home to many marine species and is listed as a site World heritage UNESCO. National park
Tierra del Fuego is a nature reserve with many species of animals.
El Calafate with Los Glaciares National Park - a unique park of glaciers, the park is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Iguazu National Park, with numerous waterfalls on an area of 3 km, is included in the list of UNESCO sites, nearby are the ruins of Jesuit buildings on the lands of the Guaraní Indians, which are also included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
The main and most prestigious beaches of the country are located in Mar del Plata.
Cueva de los Manos (lane "Cave of the Hands") is included in the list of UNESCO sites, it is a historical monument of rock art.
Cordoba is a city for lovers of architecture and historical tourism; here are the buildings of the Jesuits, listed as World Heritage Sites.
Mendoza is the main wine producer of Argentina, here tourists are offered excursions to wineries and wine tastings.
Climate: Argentina's climate ranges from subtropical in the north to subantarctic in the south, but over for the most part the country is ruled by a temperate climate. The northern regions are characterized by hot, humid summers and dry winters. The southern regions of the country are distinguished by warm summers and cold snowy winters, especially in mountainous areas. Cold winds blow over the plains of Patagonia. Average annual air temperatures range from + 24 ° С in the north to + 5 ° С in the south.
Electricity: 220 volt.
Currency: Argentine peso. In large shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, credit cards of international banks are accepted for payment.
Visa: Russian citizens do not need a visa.
Customs restrictions:
Duty-free import allowed: cigarettes - 200 pcs. (cigars - 25 pcs.), alcoholic drinks - 2 liters, canned food - up to 5 kg., souvenirs and gifts worth not more than 300 US dollars, items and things within the limits of personal needs. When importing these items in excess of the specified amount, a duty of 50% of their value will be charged. The export of wool and leather products, jewelry, souvenirs is allowed within the limits of personal needs, while you must present a receipt from the store where these products were purchased. Upon export fur products an export stamp receipt is required. Import and export of national and foreign currencies is not limited.
Vaccinations: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required when flying to / from Peru from the following provinces: Salta, Jujuy, Corrientes, Formosa, Misiones, Chaco.
Purchases: Argentina is famous for leather goods: jackets, coats, belts, bags, gloves, shoes, etc. You can also buy here quality products from knitwear, llama and alpaca wool, hand-knitted carpets with colorful Indian motifs, antiques, jewelry using local stones: green onyx and rhodochrosite (roses of the Incas).
Holidays and festivals
January - concerts, film premieres and shows with the participation of national and world stars in Mar del Plata, Folklore Festival in Koskin (Cordoba).
February-March - Carnival in the northwest region. The carnival lasts several days with dancing and processions.
March - Festival of Cultures in Cordoba, Film Festival in Mar del Plata with the participation of world stars.
late spring - early summer - a three-day Grape Harvest Festival with a large gala in Mendoza.
July - Alpenmilch Chocolate Festival in Villa General Belgrano (province of Cordoba) with music and dancing.
October - Beer Festival in Villa General Belgrano.
November - Gaucho Festival in San Antonio de Areco, province of Buenos Aires.
Argentina spreads its expanses in the southeast of South America, spreading the coastline washed by the Atlantic Ocean from Uruguay to the southern edge of Chile. Near Uruguay, it covers the island of Martin Garcia, in the east - the Valdes peninsula, in the southeast - the island of Estados, and in the south it divides the island of Isla Grande with Chile, occupying its eastern part. The latter is often called Tierra del Fuego, as it is the largest of the 40 thousand islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. In the north and northeast, Argentina is adjacent to Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. It separates its entire western border from The Pacific Chile.
The capital of Argentina is located on the southern coast of La Plata Bay. It is a vibrant, huge, vibrant port metropolis with a multinational population and a beautiful noble name, Buenos Aires.
The largest cities after the capital are Cordova, Rosario, La Plata. And on the island of Isla Grande is Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the planet.
Capital |
Buenos Aires |
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Population |
40 million people |
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2 766 890 km² |
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Population density |
15 people / km² |
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Spanish |
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Religion |
Catholicism |
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Form of government |
presidential republic |
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Argentine peso (abbreviation ARS) |
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Timezone |
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International dialing code |
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Domain zone on the Internet |
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Electricity |
220 V, 50 Hz, sockets type I (AS 3112), rarely C (CEE 7/16) |
Climate and weather
Argentina's climate is very diverse depending on the territorial location of the regions of the country that attract attention.
So, in the north of Argentina, one can note hot and humid summers with an average air temperature of +28 ° C, and on a short time the temperature can rise up to +45 ° C. The most heat was recorded in October 1936 and amounted to +47.3 ° C. The country's calendar summer is January, which is the hottest month of the year. Winters are dry and mild - in July the temperature drops to +20 ° C, occasionally droughts occur.
In the central part of Argentina, where the country's beach resorts are mainly located, hot summers prevail with fairly frequent thunderstorms and tornadoes. The average temperature is +25 ° C during the day and +17 ° C at night. Cold winters. The air temperature in winter is +12 ° C, at night it drops to +4 ° C. Talking about tornadoes, you should know that about 30 tornadoes happen in Argentina every year. The most powerful tornado occurred in 1973 in the province of Santa Fe.
The southern part of Argentina is characterized by warm summer, but with an air temperature of no more than +15 ° C and Cold winter... From June to August, negative air temperatures prevail - up to -7 ° C. Snow falls.
In the higher elevations in western Argentina, weather conditions are more severe. The lowest temperature in the western region was recorded in July 1966 and was -40 ° C. It rains on the eastern slopes of the Andes, summer time floods are frequent. It receives up to 1600 mm of precipitation per year. For comparison, in the flat part of Argentina this figure is 300 mm.
The best period to visit the country is considered to be the period from October to May. In particular, it is better to visit the waterfalls in May-November, and ski resorts- in May-September.
Nature
Argentina is a country amazing in its diversity and uniqueness of nature. Here you can get the most exciting and outlandish impressions of the beauty of rocky mountains, canyons, volcanoes, beautiful waterfalls, forests with giant trees, majestic rivers, lakes, deserts and, of course, a huge variety of amazing wildlife.
On its western territory stretched a continuous giant mountain range of the Andes, which includes such highest mountains, how Mercedario, Tupungato, Aconcagua- the most high peak South America, the western and southern hemispheres of the planet, whose height is 6962 m above sea level, second only to Everest. The endless ridge of the mountain range is covered with huge snow caps and glaciers, including the Perito Moreno Glacier, which contains the third largest supply of fresh water in the world. Perito Moreno and glaciers Uppsala and Spegazzini drain into freshwater lake Argentino, forming part of Los Glaciares National Park. In addition to glaciers and passes of the Andes Mountains, there are several dozen active and extinct volcanoes for example, Llullaillaco, which is the fifth highest among all existing volcanoes in the world and the second highest among the active ones. In addition, active volcanoes such as San Jose, Marmolejo, Maipo.
Argentina also has the lowest point in South America - the depression of the picturesque peninsula Valdez reaching 40 m below sea level. There is a lake in it Salinas Chickas- one of several salt lakes of the peninsula. The peninsula is famous huge amount penguins, seals, sea lions. Here you can see whales as they swim past the peninsula with their calves (the maximum number of whales is observed from September to December).
There is a desert on the meridional ridges in northwestern Argentina Salinas Grandes, the world's third largest salt marsh. This is a completely white salt valley, which at first glance may seem snowy.
About 12% of the land latitudes of Argentina are covered by forests. Here in Mesopotamia and humid Andes there are coniferous forests, in the central part of Mesopotamia - light park forests, in the north of the country - the forests of Quebracho.
Iguazu Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. It is located on the Iguazu River, on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Iguazu Falls is a complex consisting of individual waterfalls, there are more than 275 of them.
sights
The capital of Argentina can show tourists how historical architectural structures - old houses, churches, cobbled streets; and modern - glass skyscrapers, sculptures, built on a grand scale of streets and roads.
It will be able to boast of a huge number of museums, invite you to the elegant and luxurious La Recoleta quarter, surprise you with the colorful La Boca area, demonstrate the widest street in the world - Avenida.
Each city keeps its secrets and unique places.
- The town of Recoleto is famous for its beautiful cemetery.
- Salta - statues of the Virgin Mary and Christ the Wonderworker.
- Bariloche - the building of El Centro Civico.
- Cordoba - the old mosque of Cordoba.
- Rosario - The Palace of the Lions.
- Ushuaia - an old prison and the “Road of the End of the World”.
The amazing natural masterpieces of Argentina are, of course, Iguazu Falls, included in the top most beautiful places planets, "Cave of Hands" not far from the city of Santa Cruz, "Moon Valley"(Ischigualasto) in the province of San Juan, fantastic Lake Nahuel Huapi in northern Patagonia, Lake Traful in the province of Neuquen and much more.
Speaking of Argentina, one cannot but recall its incomparable first lady - Evita Peron. It is worth noting that this is the birthplace of the indefatigable revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, as well as the world famous football player Diego Maradona.
Nutrition
Meat is the main and integral component of Argentine dishes. The hallmark of Argentine cuisine can be safely called beef. It is prepared in the most varied and unpredictable variations. But the most popular way to process beef is meat grilled over charcoal. This is how asado, churrasco and pintxos are prepared.
The Argentinean coast is rich in seafood and fish, which skilled chefs also know how to cook for any of the most sophisticated tastes. For example, in the region of the lakes of Patagonia, trout is excellently cooked.
National soft drink - mate... This is a kind of hot tea made from dry leaves of the tree-like evergreen tropical shrub Yerba Mate, which can reach a height of 10-15 meters.
Popular alcoholic beverage in Argentina is wine. Mostly red. But the favorite drink of the Argentines is black coffee.
Speaking about the peculiarities of local food, it should also be noted that there are practically no traditional dairy products - kefir, cottage cheese, curd snacks, sour cream, etc.
Accommodation
In Argentina huge selection hotels for every taste. There are regular hotels, family hotels, designer hotels, tango hotels, esterias and others. If you wish, you can stay both in a very modest and cozy hotel and in a luxurious expensive hotel-palace. There are more than 500 hotels in Buenos Aires, in Puerto Iguazu - about 60, in El Calafate - more than 80.
The cost of rooms in Argentine hotels is quite high in comparison with other Latin American countries, but an order of magnitude lower than European prices.
- Accommodation at the hotel *** varies from 45 to 120 $ per day per person.
- Accommodation in a ***** hotel varies from $ 200 to $ 400 per day per person.
In addition to hotels, Argentina offers a number of other places of residence - boarding houses and hostels ($ 10-30 per day per person). Camping sites are very popular.
A studio apartment in a decent area will cost around $ 400 a month. A lot of gorgeous room apartment(3-5 rooms) can be rented for $ 1300-1500 per month.
Entertainment and recreation
Every January in Argentina, the most beautiful carnivals take place, and this spectacular spectacle lasts until March, pleasing the eye and sight of tourists every Saturday. The Argentinean Fancy Dress Carnival is a lively performance and sensual fiery dances.
And in the Argentine winter, at the beginning of July, there is always a "sweet week". This week it is customary to give sweets to loved ones, so the day before, discount sales of sweets are traditionally held throughout the country. Favorite sweets in the "sweet week" - "bon a bon". But, of course, it is not the sweet gift itself that is important, but the attention. And in return, it is customary to thank you with a kiss. Argentines generally love to kiss, when they come somewhere, they must first recuperate with everyone, kiss (even unfamiliar people, colleagues, companions press their cheeks against each other) and only then get down to business. And in the same way they will kiss when they leave.
The most popular sport here is football. The most famous Argentine football teams are Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing Club, Indipendiente, San Lorenzo.
Such sports as rugby, basketball, polo, tennis are no less popular. Field hockey is popular among women.
Argentina, a country of active sports, offers many walking tours, including free ones.
Purchases
Prices in Argentina are higher than in Paraguay, but lower than in Brazil or Chile. If you live in medium-sized cities of the country in mid-level establishments, afford entertainment and excursions, the daily expenses will be $ 50-60 per person. In Buenos Aires, this figure is much higher - from $ 100.
What good can you buy here? Argentina has excellent local leather goods. Here you can buy high-quality leather shoes, bags, jackets, handmade souvenirs at a relatively low cost. You can buy inexpensive jewelry made of semi-precious stones, silver.
As a gift from Argentina, you can bring exotic mate tea in a set with a container for making it (calabas) and a straw for drinking it. Calabas are made from the most various materials: porcelain, earthenware, wood, aluminum, silver, gold, as well as pumpkin, coconut, cow's horn. The tube through which this tea is usually drunk is called bombilla, it can be straight or slightly curved, although it can be found in the form of a spiral, but much less often. The tube is made of silver, wood, reed, or bone. For those who like to drink tea not very hot, silver straws are more suitable. And for those who are hotter - wooden or reed and shorter.
You can also bring poncho- traditional clothes of the Indians of South America.
Transport
Getting to Argentina, of course, is most convenient by plane. And the most optimal air route is through Paris. You will not be able to cross the Pacific Ocean by train, but on a ship it is terribly long, tiring and, however, no one needs it, especially since you still need to somehow get to the ship by land. For aerophobia sufferers, there is a help center at Buenos Aires Airport, where qualified specialists provide therapy sessions (paid service).
Throughout Argentina on long distances it is also most convenient to travel by plane. There are airports in every province.
It is convenient to choose road transport for getting around Argentina. The road network will allow you to get to the desired point by passenger buses and comfortable minibuses. Traffic in the country is right-hand. Road surface- solid, mainly asphalt. There are several toll highways. However, there is an acute shortage of modern roads connecting the provinces.
Railway transport provides transportation of passengers along six lines. There are mountain railways, tourist steam trains. Water transport is used primarily for cargo flights. There is a ferry between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento. Tourists are offered excursions on boats, boats, ships.
Connection
Argentina's telecommunications infrastructure is well developed. IP telephony is ubiquitous, and many Internet cafes have booths for negotiations. Network technologies are developing very rapidly. Most hotels always have internet access. The main provider in Argentina is Ciudad Internet Prima. The possibility of sending an e-mail to e-mail is available in the post offices of large cities.
The main cellular operators are Telecom Personal and Unifon. Standards mobile communications- CDMA 800 and GSM 1900. Communication is not well developed: in mountainous areas, as well as along major highways, communication is unstable.
Telephone numbers working around the clock: information service - 110, fire - 100, ambulance - 107, child help - 102, police - 101 or 911, civil defense - 103, environmental emergency - 105, drug addiction - 132, official time — 133.
Security
In Argentina, smoking is prohibited in public places. Cordoba, Argentina, has banned smoking while driving since August 2012. The punishment for smoking while driving is tantamount to the punishment for drunk driving.
Argentina has the most high coefficient mortality due to the fault of drivers. Drivers violate traffic rules quite often.
The country is characterized by frequent rallies in Buenos Aires, which can escalate into clashes with the police, but these clashes are not violent.
Business climate
Argentina is a small business country. The climate is favorable for its prosperity: taxes are low, the registration procedure is quite simple. Business registration costs $ 3,000, the required start-up capital is about $ 20,000. The tax system in Argentina is based on taxation of annual income from property and consumption.
Business in Argentina is mainly done in agriculture, there is little industry, but there is plenty of promising agricultural land. One can talk about vineyards and winemaking for a long time and a lot. You can do animal husbandry. Poultry and sheep breeding are well developed in the country, and horse and mule breeding in the mountainous regions.
Most of the manufacturing activity is concentrated in Buenos Aires. The centers of the timber industry (logging, furniture industry) are the provinces of Mesopotamia. The river industry is developed in the port cities of Argentina.
Real estate
Real estate in Argentina can be purchased by both a legal entity and an individual, both a local resident and a foreigner. All real estate is subject to mandatory registration in the Property Register. No purchase and sale transaction is made without the Information Sheet from this database. The rights of Argentine and foreign property owners are equally protected in the country.
The Argentine Embassy does not refuse to obtain a visa to the owner of Argentine real estate. But the presence of property does not give the right to obtain a residence permit.
The cheapest 3-room apartment can be bought here for $ 50,000 and more. Cottage with small plot- 70,000-15,000 $. A plot of land near the city costs from $ 700 to $ 2,000 per hundred square meters.
Customs regulations impose a number of restrictions on import and export. You cannot import vegetables, fruits, plants, food from short term shelf life (bread, meat, sausage, cheese, etc.). You cannot take with you more than 2 liters of alcohol, more than 20 packs of cigarettes, more than 100 ml of perfume, more than $ 300 worth of souvenirs. The import of currency is not limited. You can export no more than $ 10,000.
Argentines are a very hospitable and friendly nation. They are smiling and always ready to help, but sometimes they make promises that they will not fulfill, because they give them purely out of a desire to support and encourage a person.
- it is important to know for those who are going to see the local mountains with snow caps, glaciers and impenetrable jungles, to join ecological tourism, visit Argentine wineries and attend football matches. A trip to Argentina can be planned for any time of the year, but the high season is from October to May.
Argentina: where is this land of passion and tango?
Argentina, with its capital in Buenos Aires, has an area of 2,780,400 sq. Km. The Argentine Republic occupies part of the territory of South America (southwest of the mainland) and Tierra del Fuego (eastern part of the archipelago). On the north side it borders on Argentina, on the northeast - on the west -, and on the east it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic.
The Andes stretch along the western Argentine border, the northwest is occupied by the Puna volcanic plateau (it is framed by mountains in the east, up to 6,500 m high), and the north is the Gran Chaco plain.
Argentina includes the capital district of Buenos Aires and 23 provinces (Santa Cruz, Jujuy, Tucuman, Mendoza, and others).
How to get to Argentina?
Those who wish can go on a flight to Buenos Aires, which involves making a stop at the airport of the French capital. With Air France, passengers will spend at least 16 hours on the road, excluding waiting times between flights. Alitalia invites everyone to fly to the Argentine capital via: taking into account the connections, the journey will take at least 20 hours.
Holidays in Argentina
Guests of Argentina are advised to attend a tango show, perform a passionate dance in La Boca themselves, visit the Iguazu Falls (represented by 275 waterfalls falling from 60-80 meters in height; observation decks are provided for watching the falls, as well as a special attraction Macuco Safari, thanks to which everyone will be able to zip over the waterfall on board motor boat), raft along the mountain rivers of Mendoza and go on an excursion to Buenos Aires (famous for the Palermo forests, the National Museum of Art, the residence of the President of the Casa Rosada, the 67-meter Obelisk, the old bookshop "El Ateneo"), Mar del -Payment (it is worth paying attention to the Victorian mansions, the local casino, the Maritime Museum, the Colon theater, the zoo, which is home to 300 species of animals and which can be viewed as part of day and night excursions, as well as the beaches in the vicinity of the city), Cordoba (vacationers are offered view the collection historical museum Marcus de Sobremonte, and the Temple of the Companions of Jesus, as well as a trip to the Sierra Colorado Archaeological Park), Nahuel Huapi National Park (in the Argentine summer, the park can be explored by canoe, bicycle or horse; here you can also go trekking and rock climbing; and the Argentinean in winter, those who want to conquer the slopes of Cerro Catedral flock to the park).
Argentine beaches
- Pinamar Beach: The beach is interesting for surfers and fishermen who want to hang out in discos, wakeboarding and sailing, play beach volleyball and football.
- Necochea Beach: Relaxation and watching the sunsets await guests of the beach.
- Carilo Beach: beach coverage - fine sand brownish tint. Here you can swim in the waters of the Atlantic, surrounded by sand dunes and majestic pine trees. Carilo Beach pampers guests with water attractions, as well as offers them surfing and snorkeling, and “drive” an all-terrain vehicle on the sands.
Souvenirs from Argentina
It makes sense to take away souvenirs from Argentina in the form of furs and leather goods, cosmetics based on grapes, bags, carpets and other things made of cow skins, silver mouthpieces and jewelry, multi-colored shawls, guitars, mate, ponchos, Argentine wines.
Argentina(Argentina), the official name of the Argentine Republic (República Argentina) - the second (after Brazil) in terms of territory and population, the state of South America.Argentina ranks southeastern part mainland South America. In the east it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. In the north and northeast, it borders on Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil, in the east with Uruguay, in the south and west with Chile. Due to its great length from north to south, Argentina has a great variety of landscapes; in the north, the Gran Chaco plain, covered with tropical savanna, occupies vast areas; it is adjoined by the dry subtropical steppes of Pampa, in the south is the Patagonia plateau, characterized by a harsh climate.
Argentina is also one of the largest and most economically developed countries Latin America. In Argentina, the opposite is true - it's hot in the north and cold in the south. They say that Indian tribes lived here, but not as vigorous as in North America... The Spaniards who arrived in the 16th century ignored them and declared the territory the property of Spain. But the Indians did not seem to know about this. The Spaniards found silver here and named the country Argentina, that is, (Silver) - from the word "argentum", which means "silver" in Latin. Then it turned out that they got excited, there was not enough silver here. But the name was still left - beautiful. But it turned out that it is good to breed livestock here. This is still being done to this day - Argentina is basically an agrarian country, where, in addition to cows and sheep, wheat, fruits and grapes are grown.
The territory of Argentina is stretched out in the meridian direction. Its greatest length from north to south is 3.7 thousand kilometers. The area is 2.8 million km².
The nature of Argentina is diverse due to the large extent of the country from north to south and differences in relief. The Andes stretch along the entire western border of Argentina.
In the northwest, between the northern border of the country, at an altitude of 3000-4000m, lies the vast closed volcanic plateau-Pune.
The combination of various forms of relief with different colors of the slopes and the snowy attire of the mountains creates the majestic and unique beauty of the mountainous landscapes of the Andes.
In the north, from the northern border to the Paraná River in the east, the Gran Chaco Plain is spread, filled with debris and alluvial sediments.
The interfluve of Parana and Uruguay is mainly a flat area, composed of red sandstones and marls, overlain by a thick layer of clay alluvium and loess.
The northern part of the region is a lava plateau that is part of the lava plateau of the Brazilian Highlands. The central part of Mesopotamia is a flat boggy lowland. And the south is a hilly plain crossed by sandstone ridges.
The northeast is warm, humid plains. Northern regions countries lie in the subtropical zone, the central part
it is occupied by plateaus and wide steppes, and its southern regions include the cold outskirts of the South American continent. Waterfalls are partly located in Argentina.
The vegetation of Argentina is diverse: from evergreen tropical and subtropical forests to semi-deserts and cold deserts. In the extreme northeast and on the slopes of the Andes, there are dense forests, mainly on red earth soils. In the province of Misiones, for example, they contain up to 150 different types of trees per hectare and consist of Brazilian araucaria, mate (Paraguayan tea), zest (cedar) and other valuable species. It is an important logging area in Argentina. Dry woodlands of the Chaco province on brown-red soils are one of the country's natural treasures due to the predominance of kebracho trees in them (in translation, it means not taking an ax)
Patagonia- the main livestock region of the country. Sheep are raised here, the wool and skins of which are one of Argentina's main exports.
Patagonia stretches from the Atlantic coast in the east to the western foothills of the southern Andes. The sea coast is steep and steep here.
Patagonia covers an area of approximately 777 thousand square kilometers. The climate is mostly dry, but the north is warm enough for large farms to grow alfalfa, vegetables and fruits, and also raise huge flocks of sheep. Of the 13.7 million sheep that are read in Argentina, a significant proportion are in Patagonia.
More than 20 national parks have been created in Argentina, many of which, along with reserves and other protected areas, are located in Patagonia. but greatest value for the country's economy have large reserves of oil discovered in Patagonia, natural gas and coal, as well as metal ores - iron, tungsten, lead and gold.
Pampa... The word "pampa" in the language indians tsev quechua means "flat place". The vast fertile Pampa plain covers about a quarter of the area. It is home to the legendary gauchos - local cowboys, descended from Hispanic-Indian marriages. Pampa is the name for the vast, mostly treeless plains, as well as the physical-geographical area that occupies most of Central Argentina. According to climatic conditions, the region is divided into two parts. Wetter areas are closer to the ocean, rainfall here ranges from normal to excess, soils are heavy and fertile.
The dry areas of Pampa lie inland. Their area is larger, but they are less populated, and there is not much fertile land here. In the past, Pampa was covered with grassy vegetation, but now most of the region has been turned into agricultural land with aboutloud pastures and ranches for giant herdscattle, the number of heads of which exceeds 49 million. Two vast geographic areas - Pampa and Patagonia - are occupied by natural rangelands. In summer, this rocky plateau overgrown with bushes is heated by the heat, and in winter it freezes deeply.
The hilly pastures of Pampa are located in the eastern part of the country, where dairy cattle are raised on huge livestock farms, and rich crops of wheat are harvested from endless fields. As early as the 19th century, the meat and leather industry brought significant income to Argentina. In the hot northern outskirts of the country, the Pampa plains give way to vast swamps and rare shrubs Plains of Gran Chaco, in the dry steppes of which they are engaged in cattle breeding and growing cotton. Olives, citrus fruits and grapes are grown in the warm foothills of the Andes.
Andesoccupy 23% of the country's territory and form the western border. The Argentinean part of the Andes is more sloping and heavily indented by wide river valleys. The northeast is warm, humid plains. The northern regions of the country lie in the subtropical zone, the central part of it is occupied by plateaus and wide steppes, and its southern regions include the cold outskirts of the South American continent.
ARGENTINA
(Argentine Republic)
Geographical position. Argentina is a state in South America bordering 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 Atlantic Ocean.
Square. The territory of Argentina is 2,780,092 sq. km.
Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires. 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 Plata ( 600 thousand people), Salta 420 thousand people), Mendoza (160 thousand people). Argentina is a federation of 22 provinces, the Federal (capital) district and the Tierra del Fuego national territory.
Political system
Argentina is a republic. The head of state is the president. The legislature is the bicameral National Congress.
Relief. Eastern 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, uranium.
Climate. Argentina is stretched 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 Andes in the northwest; Mesopotamia and northeastern region; Chaco; Pampas; Patagonia and the region of lakes; Tierra del Fuego islands. 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 the area south of Rio Colorado. In general, the climate of Patagonia is temperate and arid, and farms live on the moisture of rivers flowing from mountain glaciers. Tierra del Fuego is an area with a mild maritime climate. Average January temperatures: in the plains of Argentina fluctuate around + 30 ° C; in Gran Chaco, at the "heat pole" 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 (pampieri) cause frosts even in the north of Argentina (down to -10 ° C). In Patagonia, frosts reach -33 ° C. Annual precipitation in the north-east of the country is 1600 mm, in Gran Chaco 400-1,400 mm, in the east of Pampa about 1,000 mm, in Patagonia 100-300 mm, in Pune less than 100 mm. The highest rainfall is on the slopes of the Andes. Here it is over 2,000 mm and can go up to 5,000 mm.
Inland waters. The main rivers are Parana, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chubut, Rio Ne Gro, 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 birds - ostrich rhea, flamingos, parrots, hummingbirds, hawk, falcon, partridge.
Population and language
The population of Argentina is about 36.265 million. The territory of modern Argentina, before its conquest by the Spaniards, was inhabited by numerous Indian tribes of the Diagit, Guaikuru, 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 the arriving colonists from Europe and African slaves. Descendants from marriages of whites with Indians began to be called mestizos, from marriages of whites with blacks-mulattoes, from marriages of Indians and blacks-sambo. Starting from the second half of the XIX v. a large number of immigrants from European countries entered the country. As a result of the urbanization process, more than a third of Argentina's population (about 32 million people) currently lives in the so-called Greater Buenos Aires (meaning the capital and its surroundings). The official language of Argentina is Spanish, which is spoken by almost the entire population of the country. Some ethnic communities retain their national linguistic traditions. There are many bilinguals among the Indians. In total, up to 17 Indian languages are still used in Argentina. The Spanish language of the Argentines differs in pronunciation both from the Spanish language of the peoples of the neighboring countries of Argentina, and from the language of the indigenous Spaniards.
Religion
The dominant religion in Argentina since the colonization of the country has been the Roman Catholic Church.
A brief historical outline
In 1516, a Spanish expedition led by Juan de Solis discovered the mouth of the river that was later named 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 of the existence of rich lands in the interior 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 river La Plata, 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 conceal the purpose of their travels, met stubborn resistance from the Indians. In 1534, in Spain, in the Chamber of Commerce of the city of Seville, there was an exhibition of jewels inherited by the Spaniards 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 the settlers who brought livestock and seeds of grain crops with them. Mendoza had the authority to seize land, establish 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 the 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 at first greeted the newcomers warmly. The Indians brought a lot of game and fish. Then the relationship deteriorated, and hostilities began. The Spaniards managed to subjugate the Guarani agricultural tribes, 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 led by Juan de Garai, the colonists began to gain victories, founded Buenos Aires for the second time, laid a new fortress of Santa Fe, advancing along the banks of the Parana into the interior of the country, founded the city of Corientes (1588).
The conquest of the Argentine lands also took place from the Pacific Ocean, because of the Cordilleras. The detachments sent to the east from Chile set themselves the task of conquering the Cuyo region, inhabited by the Indian tribes of the Warp. Overcoming the resistance of the Indians, the Spaniards founded the cities of Mendoza (1561), San Juan (1562), and San Luis in the inner provinces of the country. Missions played an important role in the development of new lands catholic church... In 1609, the Spanish king issued a decree authorizing the establishment of Jesuit missions on the lands of Latin America. With the help of the Jesuits, the governors created so-called reductions in the occupied territories. It is a territorial-administrative entity, reminiscent of a reservation for the Indians of North America.
The first decades of the 19th century brought serious changes in the balance of power on the European continent, which affected the state of affairs in the colonies. England, deprived of markets in Europe, lost its North American colonies, tried to establish itself in South America. Taking advantage of 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 force of 1,500 to 1,600 people managed to capture Buenos Aires. Until July of the following year, armed struggle continued between regular British units and Argentine detachments, led by the captain of the Spanish king's army Santiago de Ligne and the wealthy Creole Juan Martin Pueire-don. On July 7, 1807, General Whitlock signed the act of surrender of the British forces. Political processes, which took place in the next ten years, led to the fact that La Plata was proclaimed an independent state. This happened in 1816, and then a period of internal confrontation began between the two main parties: the federalists and the unitarists.
According to the Constitution of 1833, Argentina became a single state with a presidential rule that united 3 provinces: Pampas, Mesopotamia and Cordoba. A significant leap in the development of the Argentine economy occurred after the country's railways were built, connecting the country's agricultural areas with industrial centers. By 1929, in Buenos Aires and other cities of the country, there was a crisis in the socio-economic situation, and then a military junta came to replace the civilian government. The stabilization in the economic life of Argentina after World War II is associated with the name of Juan Domingo Peron, elected president in 1946, and in 1952 he was re-elected for a second term. In 1955, the military came to power again, and the next presidential election took place only in 1973. In these elections, the victory was won by a supporter of the Peron line, Hector Kampora. 1976-1983 were called the years of "dirty war". 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 Islands (Malvinas). After the defeat in the war in 1983, the Argentines elected a new president, Raul Alfonsin.
Brief economic outline
Argentina is an industrial-agrarian country with high-commodity agriculture. Extraction of lead and zinc, oil and natural gas, uranium and other ores. Food (mainly meat-processing), textile, leather and footwear industry, mechanical engineering, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Oil refining and petrochemistry. Agriculture is dominated by large-scale landholding. 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 sculptures made of wood, stone, clay. During the colonization period, the official forms of religious painting, sculpture, 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. Argentina's 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 in art and architecture.
Buenos Aires. Congress Building (1906); National Museum of Fine Arts (paintings by world famous artists Renoir, Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, as well as works by Argentine authors); Museum of Modern Art (the collection of paintings of this museum includes works by Dali, Picasso); Film Museum; National History Museum.
Literature. X. L. Borges (1899-1986) - writer, one of the founders of avant-garde in Spanish-American poetry (collections of poems "The Creator", "The Other, Still the Same", "Cryptography" (1981), author of short stories and prose miniatures, saturated with intellectual metaphor (collections "Fiction", "Aleph"); X. Cortazar (1914-1984) - writer, author of realistic novels with elements of fantasy and philosophical symbolism ("Winnings", "62. Model for Assembly", "The Last Round ").
Music. The folk music of Argentina is dominated by Creole folklore. The most famous are Argentine dances. Of the oldest, the most popular are three hundred, estilo, topo, cueca, and others. Of the later, tango. On becoming musical culture Argentina in the XIX-XX centuries. the musical traditions of France had a strong influence.