ARGENTINA

A plain rising in the southern half of South America from the Atlantic Bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay on the north and Uruguay and Brazil on the east The world’s eighth largest country Covers an area of 1.1 million square m LOCATION

GEOGRAPHY Provides the ocean coastline of the Atlantic It provides an important cultural and economic connection for all of South America There are six major regions: Cuyo & the Andean Northwest Mesopotamia & the Northeast Tierra del Fuego Patagonia and the Lake District The Pampas The Chaco Has a diversity of land and culture South is arctic regions North is forested jungle regions West has rugged mountains regions

GOVERNMENT Country name: The Argentine Republic Capital is Buenos Aires Government type: Republic President is elected by popular vote to 4- year term Cabinet is appointed by the president Date of independence: July 9, 1816 President is elected by popular vote to a 4 year term Cabinet is appointed by the president Supreme Court is appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate The current president of Argentina is a woman; Christina Fernandez de Kirchner Population: 39,144,753 Ethnic Make-up: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, Amerindian, or other non white groups 3%

CURRENCY Name: Peso 1 Argentine peso = U.S. dollars Paper money comes in denominations of: $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 There are 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents and 1 peso coins. The 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins have two versions: silver plated and golden.

1 cent5 cents 10 cents 25 cents50 cents 1 peso 2 pesos 5 pesos 10 pesos 20 pesos50 pesos100 pesos

NATURAL RESOURCES fertile plains of the pampas lead zinc tin copper iron ore manganese petroleum uranium

SCHOOLING Education in Argentina is divided in three phases. 1 st comprises grades first to ninth, and is called Educación General Básica or EGB ("Basic General Education") EGB is divided in three stages, called ciclos, (cycles) 2 nd is secondary schooling called Polimodal 3 rd is college education funded by tax payers at all levels except for the majority of graduate studies LevelSchoolsTeachers 1 Students Initial16,29879,7211,324,529 Primary22,196289,8984,683,963 Secondary22,080133,2253,372,411 Vocational1,87015,747509,134 Universities85117,3591,527,310 "the sovereign should be educated" - Domingo Sarmineto

HISTORY Along with many nomadic tribes people, two main indigenous groups existed in Argentina before the European arrival: Diaguita and Guarani The first Spaniard to land in Argentina was Juan de Solis The British attacked Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807, but Spaniards fought off the attacks The French captured Spain’s King Ferdinand VIII Argentina fell completely under the rule of the local viceroyalty, which was highly unpopular. The locals rebelled against the viceroyalty and declared their allegiance to the captive king By 1816, the division between Argentina and its mother country had become quite apparent, and a party of separatists decided to declare the country's independence

FAMILY The family is the center of Argentine life with extended families still having prominence. The heads of powerful families command widespread respect, but with this comes a responsibility to care for others in terms of security, jobs, etc and to maintain personal and family honor. Children usually remain living at home until married

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Basílica de La Virgen de Luján  Historical National Monument  The most visited site inside the Basilica is the Virgin Mary El Tigre Delta  the starting point to hundreds of islands that form the Delta of the Paraná  Also has a Casino and fruit market Parque de la Costa  An amusement park with rides, mimes, clowns, dancers and laser shows Casino de Tigre Trilenium  more than 60 gaming tables, roulettes, black jack, slots and a VIP lounge Colonia del Sacramento  A small city founded by the Portuguese in 1680 For more information:

FOOD The most popular meal is "el asado" or "parrillada", a mixed grill of steaks and other meat cuts Most of the cities (excluding Buenos Aires) close for lunch time. This is when most people return home to enjoy a large meal. Traditional lunches in Argentina are long and well developed. Most of the popular food has European roots. Lots of meats, pastas and breads are included in an Argentina diet. Dulce de Leche is an Argentina delight. Its made from milk and used in almost all Argentina desserts. Lots of effort is put into the outward texture. Fruits, grains, and vegetables are very important in traditional Argentina food Argentina fruits and grains are part of a low cholesterol diet Fruits and vegetables are sold in large open markets in some parts of Argentina Alfajores: two round sweet biscuits joined together with dulce de leche or jam and covered with powdered sugar. In most alfajores there are two layers of cake, and a filling in between. (Seen below) Other information and recipe’s found at: