Argentina

Map of Argentina

ARGENTINA: Quick Facts Spanish is the main language of Argentina 92% of the population is Roman Catholic Highest mountain in the world outside of Asia: Aconcagua (6960m)

ARGENTINA: Location Long border with Chile to the west To the north: Paraguay and Bolivia Brazil and Uruguay are to the northeast Eastern coast lies on the Atlantic Ocean Southern tip reaches nearly to Antarctica

Argentina: Geography The Andes, popular with tourists for skiing and hiking, dominate the western part of Argentina.

ARGENTINA: Geography A large plateau called Patagonia lies to the south and east of the Andes. There is little economic activity here due to poor soil and low rainfall.

ARGENTINA: Geography The most fertile area of Argentina is a vast treeless plain known as the pampas. The soil is rich and climate is mild: perfect for grains and ranching.

ARGENTINA: Geography Buenos Aires, home to nearly 3 million people, is located where the pampas meet the Río de la Plata.

ARGENTINA: Economy The pampas are perfect for ranching and farming, making beef, sugarcane, wheat, soybeans and corn the major farm products of Argentina.

ARGENTINA: Economy The pampas and the northeast are covered with estancias, or ranches, worked by gauchos. These cowhands are a symbol of Argentina.

ARGENTINA: Economy Argentina is the most industrialized country in South America. Manufactured goods include: food products, automobiles, chemicals, textiles, books and magazines. Rich mineral resources also boost the economy: there are major oil fields in Patagonia and other minerals (zinc, iron, copper, tin and uranium) are found in the Andes.

ARGENTINA: People Roughly 80% of Argentina's people live in cities and towns. Most of the population can be found on the pampas and in the area around Buenos Aires. The Andean region and Patagonia have harsh climates, making life there difficult.

ARGENTINA: People Argentina was originally settled by the Spanish in the 16 th century. As in other areas settled by Europeans, the native population was killed off, mostly by disease. Argentina became independent from Spain in Independence was difficult, but most of the 19 th century was prosperous for Argentina.

ARGENTINA: People The 20 th century was difficult for Argentina. The military controlled the country, often imposing harsh rule on the people. Today, Argentina is a democratic republic, with a political system very similar to the United States. There are 23 provinces and a federal district— Buenos Aires, the capital. The national government is stronger than the provinical governments.

ARGENTINA: People During the 19 th century, there was a boom in European immigration to Argentina, mostly from Spain and Italy. Today, about 85% of Argentinians are of European descent. Spanish is spoken, by many words have been borrowed from Italian.

ARGENTINA: People Buenos Aires, home to nearly 12 million people, is very European in design, with wide streets, theatres and shops. The people call themselves porteños, which means “people of the port”.