Introduction

Welcome to my book about Argentina. I hope you enjoy reading it and learn some new facts about the country and its culture.

   12 facts about Argentina

1.  The population of Argentina is 45 million

2.  The capital city is Buenos Aires

3.   The currency is Argentine peso. The peso symbol is the same as the dollar sign $.

4.  The main language spoken in Argentina is Spanish.

5.  The president of Argentina is Alberto Fernandez.

6.  Argentina had 5 presidents in 10 days in 2001.

7.  Argentina is the eight largest country in the world.

8.   Argentina has three Nobel Prize recipients in the Sciences, Bernardo Houssay, César Milstein and Luis Leloir.

9.  The Latin dance and music called the Tango began in Buenos Aires.

10.   The official name of Argentina is the Argentine Republic.

11.   The name Argentina comes from the Latin word for silver ‘argentum’.

12.  Dinosaur remains found in Argentina are believed to belong to the largest creature to ever walk the earth.

        Map of Argentina

1.  The highest point in Argentina is Aconcagua mountain at 6,960 meters.

2.  The largest lake in Argentina is Mar Chiquita lake.

3.  The longest river in Argentina is the Parana river at 4,880 km.

4.  The area of Argentina is 1,073,518 square km.

5.  Argentina shares a land border with Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay.

6.   The country is divided into four regions: The Andes, the North, the Pampas, and Patagonia.

              Animals

Argentina is home to many different species of animals. Sharks, orcas, dolphins and salmon swim in the waters off the Atlantic coast. The north of Argentina is home to flamingos, toucans, turtles, tortoises, and crocodiles. There are also many large cat species such as the cougar, jaguar and the ocelot. Animals inhabiting Patagonia include herons, condors, pumas, tortoises and guanacos. The coast of Patagonia is home to elephant seals, fur seals, penguins and sea lions.

guanacos- elegant animals closely related to llamas and alpacas.

condors- The condor is a South American bird in the vulture family Cathartidae

    The History of Argentina

The Spanish arrived in 1516 and ruled the country for 300 years. Then in 1816, a British force overpowered Spanish military in Buenos Aires and attacked the Falkland islands. Local residents later recaptured the capital, but never regained control of the Falklands. In 1816 Argentina gained its independence.                                         In 1946, Juan Pedro became president due to his popularity with the working class. His wife, Eva formed a foundation and gave out money and benefits to the poor. In 1955 Juan Peron was forced out of office after he tried to increase his powers.

In 1976, the military took control of Argentina. The period of violence that followed was known as the ‘dirty war’. Unfortunately over 20,000 people were killed between 1976 and 1983.

In 1982, the president of Argentina, General Leopoldo Galtieri invaded the Falkland Islands off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the British fought back and won an easy victory. After the defeat, the country moved toward democracy and civilian rule.

     Christmas in Argentina

In Argentina, after midnight on Christmas eve, the night sky is filled with globos. These are paper decorations with a light inside that float into the sky like Chinese lanterns. Some people stay awake all night chatting and seeing friends and family. They then spend most of Christmas day sleeping!

  Traditional Argentinian food

empanadas – a small stuffed pastry

locro – a mixture of corn, beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd.

asado – the Argentine barbecue. It is made with various types of meats, often including chorizo, sweetbread, chitterlings, and blood sausage.

Common desserts include facturas (Viennese-style pastry), cakes and pancakes filled with dulce de leche (a sort of milk caramel jam), alfajores (shortbread cookies sandwiched together with chocolate, dulce de leche or a fruit paste), and tortas fritas (fried cakes).

                Sports

The sports that are the most popular in Argentina are soccer, basketball, rugby and tennis. The national sport is called ‘pato’ and is similar to polo. Pato is played on horseback with the rider holding a net in the hand. However, few play the national sport as it is an expensive sport. Soccer is the most popular sport and Argentina has won the world cup two times. There are famous soccer stars such as Maradona, Messi and others.

Argentine people & culture

Unlike many other South American countries, such as Peru and Ecuador, Argentina has fewer native people and a large population of people who came from Europe. In fact, around 95% of Argentina’s population are of European descent, mostly from Italy, Spain and Germany. Much of the native population died from diseases brought in by Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Nearly half of the population live in the area around Buenos Aires. This beautiful city is sometimes referred to as the Paris of South America because of its European influences.

Gauchos, like American cowboys, have become a symbol of the open plains of the Pampas region. Historically they were brave  and often unruly – country people devoted to lassoing and raising cattle and horses.

             Conclusion

Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. It took a long time to write but it was a very fun and educational project, as I also learned some things about the country. I hope to visit Argentina some day in the future as it is such a beautiful and AMAZING country!