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Tango, Gardel, Perón, Maradona, Borges, Patagonia, the Pampas and its gauchos, Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego, Fangio, Buenos Aires... Argentina is a tempting dream that will perpetuate in your memory... However, bear in mind that Argentina is not limited to those clichés and has much more to offer, still remaining one of the most unexplored countries of the world. You will be told this by anyone who has ever visited this beautiful country: Argentina is a land of countless wonders! As soon as you take off from its European-flavored capital -Buenos Aires-, Argentina turns into something special disclosing a myriad of landscapes: the desolate deserts of the Pampas, Tierra del Fuego, Misiones and the Iguazú falls, the glaciers, the great Patagonian lakes, the Andes mountain range and the Aconcagua (the highest peak in South America), the winelands of Cuyo... For all these reasons, Argentina has a varied topography that will certainly seduce you!
Summary
- Population: 38 million
- Area: 2,800,000 km2 (over five times the size of France)
- Pop. Density: 13 inhab/km2
- Capital: Buenos Aires (11 million)
- Religion: more than 92% Roman Catholic (official religion) though freedom of religion rules. There are also Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox and other communities
- Ethnic Groups: 85% European ancestry, 15% mestizos (mixed white and indigenous ancestry), indigenous peoples and other minorities
- Language: Spanish (official), spoken by 100% of the population, various indigenous dialects including Quechua (northwest) and Guaraní (northeast)
- Currency: Argentine peso (EUR 1 = ARS 3.5 / USD 1 = ARS 2.88)
- Head of State: Néstor Kirchner (elected in May 2003 for a 4-year term)
- Government: Presidential Democracy Until the arrival of the Spaniards, pre-Columbian Argentina was inhabited by sedentary indigenous groups. 1492: America was discovered by Christopher Columbus. 1580: Buenos Aires was founded. 1816: the national assembly declared its independence in Tucumán and instituted a Republic.
1853: adoption of a liberal and federal Constitution after the fall of the tyrannical ruling of Juan Manuel de Rosas. 1862: inception as unitary country.
1865-1870: Triple Alliance War against Paraguay.
1874-1879: wars against indigenous groups in the Pampas and the Patagonia. 1880: Buenos Aires was officially recognized as the country’s capital. 1880-1930: flood of European immigrants and foreign capital inflows.
1943: Juan D. Perón was appointed Minister of Labor during the military coup d' état. 1946-1955: once elected President, Perón instituted a populist government with the support of his charismatic wife, Eva. 1952: Eva Perón died.
1955: Perón’s party was squashed by a military coup. Argentina precipitated into a persisting political crisis.
1973: Perón returned to rule but died soon while in office. Power was bequeathed to his third wife, Isabel.
1976: the military government of General Videla instituted a reign of terror and deathly repression.
1982: Argentina’s defeat during the battle for the Malvinas/Falklands finally sealed the fate of military rule.
1983: Raúl Alfonsín, affiliated to the UCR (a reform-minded centrist party), gained the presidency of the Republic.
1989: the Peronist Carlos Menem was elected President, selling off nationalized industries and opening the economy to foreign investment. This tamed galloping inflation.
“Presidential pardon” was granted to the military officers involved in the 70’s military rule.
1995: re-election of Carlos Menem.
1999: Fernando de la Rúa, former mayor of the city of Buenos Aires and member of the UCR, took presidential office under a new UCR center-left Alliance. The country went into a major recession.
2000: political turmoil after corruption events.
2001: severely indebted, Argentina was brought close to financial meltdown. The Peronist party recovered control and became a solid opposition force during the parliamentary elections of October. The Argentine peso was floated falling in value by more than a half, thus aggravating the crisis.
2002: on January 2, 2002, Peronist Senator Eduardo Duhalde was appointed President of Argentina by parliamentary members. Argentina was enmeshed by economic recession for the fourth consecutive year. 2003: Néstor Kirchner was elected President.
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Argentina 
