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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1997)
r A»' -♦ J,.. - # V. K- * .*» - ''f « 2>5r- r v * il * » ’ »I k * < ’ -, « r.t »»'- Tm P ortland O bserver • A prii 9. 1997 P agi BS Getting to Know “Argentina” A rg e n tin a is the second largest co u n try in Latin A m erica and occu pies m ost o f the southern p o rtio n o f the South Am erican continent. It is bordered by five countries C h ile to the west (w ith w hich it shares the island o f T IE R R A D E L F U E G O ), B o liv ia and Paraguay to the north, and B ra zil and U ruguay to the n o rth east. On its east and south, A rg e n tina has an extensive A tla n tic coast line. Its north-south length is about 3,500 km (2,175 m i), and its great ■*' P»r<n» R. T r o p ic o * C a p r ic o r n O F F I C I A L N A M E : A rg e n tin e Republic LAND A re a : 2,766.889 sq km (1.068.301 sq m i). C a p ita l and largest c ity : Buenos A ires (1982 est pop . 2,879.000). E le v a tio n s : Highest Aconcagua, 6.960 m (22,834 ft); lowest level, along the coast. sea PEOPLE P o p u la tio n : 32,901,234: I 1.7 persons per sq km (30.4 per sq m i). D is tr ib u tio n : 86 .2% urban. I3 .8 °o rural A n n u a l g ro w th : 1.1%. O ffic ia l lan g ua g e : Spanish est w id th is about 1.400 km (870 m i). A rg e n tin a is the th ird m ost M a jo r re lig io n : Roman C atholicism populous country in La tin A m e rica (a fte r B razil and M e xico ), c o n ta in G D P (1991 est.): $ 101.2 b illio n ; $3,100 per capita ing about 7% o f that re g io n ’ s total population. A plan to m ove the ca p i ta l fr o m B U E N O S A IR E S to L Facts About Argentina ECONOMY L a b o r d is tr ib u tio n : services 12%. 57.5% ; industry 30.5% ; agriculture V iedm a-C arm en de Patagones was F o re ig n tra d e : im ports— $8 b illio n ; exports $12 b illio n ; p rin cip a l trade p a rtn e rs —U nited States. B ra zil, G erm any, Japan, Netherlands. C u rre n c y : I peso 100 centavos. approved by Congress in I 987 but in d e fin ite ly suspended in 1990. T y p e : republic. A rg e n tin a is one o f the m ore h ig h ly developed countries in the Western Hemisphere. Its econom y has gra d u a lly shifted fro m an e x c lu sive dependence on the large-scale pro d u ctio n o f livestock and a g ric u l tural goods to one in w h ic h the in dustrial and service sectors are now d o m in a n t. Since the 1950s, it has been one o f the w o rld ’ s p rin cip a l tra d in g na tions. GOVERNMENT L e g is la tu re : Congress. P o litic a l s u b d iv is io n s : 23 provinces. I federal d is tric t, I national te rri tory. COMMUNICATIONS R a ilro a d s (1 988): 39,738 km (24,692 m i) total Roads (1 9 8 8 ): 208,350 km (129.463 m i), 23% paved. M a jo r p o rts : 7. M ajor airfields: 10 50 S quebracho and carob trees) and sa vanna. In the e a rly \ T ie r r > \ 1980s a p p r o x i m a te ly 9 0 % o f the people id e n ti Ushö»ia ¡ 90* W \ Î 80 *W 70* W ^ A t la n tit (V .K J ) ¿átpe M o rn ' 60* W / ¡ / 50* W Resources fie d them selves as C a th o lic s , 2% A rgentina has a varied base o f m ineral deposits, but most are small and are in remote regions o f the as P rotestants, and 2% as Jew ish Freedom o f w o rs h ip is guaranteed by the c o n s titu tio n , but the Rom an o f lowlands, although the A N D E S , Andes o r Patagonia. Petroleum is C a th o lic ch u rch is re co g n ize d as w hich occupy its western periphery, rise to an elevation o f 6,960 m (2 2 ,8 3 4 f t ) in th e peak o f A C O N C A G U A , the highest point in the Western Hemisphere. the o n ly m ineral produced in a sub the e s ta b lish e d c h u rc h and the stantial q uantity, and about 2 1 m il lio n m etric tons (over 23 m illio n U.S. tons) are extracted each year, m aking A rgentina nearly s e lf-s u ffi president and v ic e -p re s id e n t must b e lo ng to it. In 1516 the Spaniard Juan Diaz who, w ith the support o f gaucho cient in liq u id fuels. de Solis, in search o f a southwest troops, supported p ro v in c ia l au to n o m y . I lie f e d e r a lis t Ju a n M a n u e l de R O S A S , g o v e rn o r o f B uenos A ire s , c o n s o lid a te d his p o w e r to ru le as v irtu a l d ic ta to r o f the c o u n try fro m 1835 to 1852 and LAND AND RESOURCES Physical Regions A rgentina is p rim a rily a country Soils A t the beginning o f the 16th cen N apoleon's deposition o f Ferdinand V II Independence was fo llo w e d by seed Livestock production is also tu ry, before the a rriva l o f Europe almost continuous c iv il war. C o n ans, the area that is now A rgentina had a population o f about 300,000. flic t developed between the ce n tra l ists (o r Unitarians), w ho favored a m ostly nom adic Indians. DEMOGRAPHY Education and Health among the highest. T he cattle herd numbers about 55.000.000 head, the sheep herd about 30.000,000. Hogs number about 4,650,000. In a d d i tion to meat, hides and skins and strongly centralized governm ent at Buenos Aires, and the federalists, w ool are the m ajor trade c o m m o d i ties. wheat, rye. maize (corn), and lin PEOPLE A rg e n tin a ’ s literacy rate is more than 90%. Free com pulsory educa the richest in the w o rld and consist o f a deep accum ulation o f loose, w in d -b lo w n m a te ria ls (L O E S S ), resting upon granite and other an M ost A rgentinians are descen dants o f either the Spaniards w ho settled in the 16th century o r the m illio n s o f European im m igrants tion ensures that the great m a jo rity o f people go through elem entary schools. Large numbers (4 0 % ) enter secondary schools, but o n ly 8% A bout 6 0 °o o f A rg e n tin a ’ s land area is used fo r agriculture. A bout h a lfo fa ll farms are priva te ly ow ned; the rest are m ostly in corporate, co cient crystalline rock, e n tire ly free ofstones. The co u n try’ s less produc w ho arrived in the late 19th and graduate. The U n ive rsity o f Buenos early 20th centuries. The mestizo A ires, has m ore than 100,000 stu operative, state, or in stitutional o w n ership. (m ixe d Indian and European) and Indian populations, once a m a jo rity, have been absorbed into the general population, and as a d istin ct ethnic dents. There are 21 other national universities and 18 private un ive rsi ties located in A rgentina. A rg e n tin ians have a life expectancy o f 70 Argentina has the most extensive tra n s p o rta tio n system in L a tin A m erica. In 1988, ra ilro a d track g ro u p n ow n u m b e r o n ly ab o u t years, and m edical fa c ilitie s (espe B la c k s w ere o r ig in a lly c ia lly urban) are generally excel lent. T h e so ilso fth e Pampas are among tive soils range from laterite in the north to desert sands and sierozems in the west and south. Climate M ost o f A rgentina has a tem per ate clim ate, although there is con siderable variation. Drainage A rgentine streams form five great river systems, all o f w hich drain eastward into the A tla n tic Ocean. The largest o f these is the Parana, Paraguay, and U ruguay system in the north, w hich empties into the RIO DE L A P L A T A estuary. A ll 3 0 ,0 0 0 . brought in as slaves, but as a sepa rate racial group have v irtu a lly dis appeared. Language Spanish is both the o ffic ia l and the p o p u la r language. It is, h o w ever, a d is tin c tly A rg e n tin e Span ish, c h a ra cte rized by expressions Cultural Activities Transportation had a total length o f about 39,738 km (24,692 m i). H ighw ays in 1988 totaled 208.350 km (124.463 m i), but o n ly about o n e -q u a rte r was A rgentina has long been noted fo r the high q u a lity o f its intellectual life and fo r its many artistic in flu paved. Buenos Aires is the focus o f the transport network. ences. A m o n g its modern literary figures o f international reputation Argentina is a federal republic GOVERNMENT (Seealso LA T IN A M E R IC A N L IT E R A T U R E .) made up o f 23 provinces, one te rri tory. and the federal capital. T he country is governed under the con stitution o f 1853, w ith amendments. D uring much o f the period since ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 1930, however, A rgentina has often been ruled by m ilita ry governm ents del Fuego have few trees and are the c a p ita l. B ilin g u a lis m am ong im m ig ra n ts and th e ir descendants Foreign trade and com m erce have been m a jo r c o m p o n e n ts o f the c o u n try ’ s econom y since the tim e o f colonization. O ve r the three centu ries since colonization several, some covered by low shrubs and grasses. is co n sid era b le . In d ia n languages, times overlapping, econom ic peri in c lu d in g G u a ra n i, Q uechua, and ods can be distinguished. these rivers are more o r less n avi gable. Vegetation and Animal Life Because the climates and soils are diverse, A rgentina has a w ide v a ri ety o f vegetation. W ith their cold, dry clim ate, Patagonia and T ierra The less arid Pampas co n stitu te South A m e ric a ’ s largest area o f grassland. The Chaco region is char acterized by both forests (in c lu d in g a n d p r o n u n c ia t io n th a t h a v e e v o lv e d o v e r m ore than 350 years. A d ia le c t ca lle d Spanish L u n fa rd o , w h ic h deve lop e d in Buenos A ire s b efore 1900, w ith m any b o rro w e d w o rd s fro m Ita lia n and Portuguese, has had a s ig n ific a n t im p a ct on T e h u e lc h e , are spoken by o n ly about I person in 1,000. Religion HISTORY w o rld 's top dozen producers o f are Jorge L u is B O R G E S , J u lio C O R T A Z A R , and M anuel PUIG. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing A rg e n tin a ra n k s a m o n g the that have suspended many co n stitu tional provisions. Congress consists o f tw o chambers, a Senate and a Chamber o f Deputies. Mem bers o f the Chamber o f Deputies serve 4- year terms and members o f the Sen Colonization passage to the O rient, became the firs t I uropean to set fool on A rg e n tin e te rrito ry . Buenos A ire s was o rig in a lly founded in 1536 by Pedro de M E N D O Z A , but because o f In dian attacks was abandoned w ith in a few years in favor o f A scuncion, managed to preserve a n a tio n a l u n ity . F o llo w in g his o v e rth ro w , Paraguay. I Torn about the mid-16th« century to about 1700, Spanish c o lo nists moved in fro m the P acific coast o ver the Andes, fo u n d in g such cities th e as S a n tia g o d e l E stero (1 5 5 3 ), Mendoza (1561). San Juan (1562), T U C U M A N ( 1 5 6 5 ) , C o rd o b a federal stru ctu re p ro v id e d fo r by the c o n s titu tio n . (1 5 7 3 ), Salta (1 5 8 2 ), La R io ja (1591), and San Luis (1596). I he Despite interm ittent uprisings and periods o f anarchy in the 19th cen p re s e n t c o n s t it u t io n w as adopted ( I 853). but it was not u n til 1862 that Buenos A ire s became a fu lly integrated p ro v in c e in the Economic Expansion pattern o f settlement, from west to tury, much econom ic progress was east, was opposite to that o f the U nited States. made. D u rin g the a d m inistrations o f presidents B a rto lo m é M IT R E A fte r Buenos A ires was perm a nently resettled in 1580, it gradually began to reap the benefits o f its advantageous location as both an (1 8 6 2 -6 8 ) and D o m in g o east-coast port and as a b u ffe r to the S A R M IE N T O (1 8 6 8 -7 4 , im m ig ra tion was encouraged, a public edu cation system established, railroads b u ilt, and better breeds o f cattle and southw ard expansion o f the Portu guese co lo n y o f Brazil (p re sid e n t Independence In 1806, d u rin g the N apoleonic Wars, Buenos A ires was occupied by the B ritish. A lth o u g h the c o lo nial m ilitia led by Jacques de L iniers ate, 9-year terms. The president (1 7 5 3-1810) restored Spanish rule. Spain's ties w ith its Am erican c o lo serves a 6-year term but cannot serve tw o consecutive terms. ous nies were weakened in the tu m u ltu p e rio d , e s p e c ia lly a fte r sheep introduced. Gen. Ju lio R O C A 1880-86. 1 8 9 8 -1 9 0 4 ) achieved a final v ic to ry over the Indians in 1879, o p e ning the Pam pas to settlement. In 1916 the R adical candidate I lip o lito Irigoyen (c. 18 5 0 -1933) be came the first A rg e n tin e president to be elected by popular vote. Irigoyen continued A rg e n tin a 's p o licy o f neu tra lity in W orld W ar I La semana santa Argentina gives back to Indians Se acerca de nuevo una de las m ás v e n e ra d a s fe c h a s en las cu ltu ra s con a rra ig o ca tó lico s. En La Semana Santa es tam bién tiem po para renovarse com o persona, m uchos países de L a tin o a m é rica la Semana Santa, es el tie m p o ideal para acercarse al C risto el cual d io la vida y su frió por todos nosotros. La demanded the return o f land taken by the Spanish. In c lu d in g the C olla en que m uchas personas deciden repetición una y otra vez del calvario vo lve rse más ca tó lico s que nunca, de C ris to se d e m u e stra en las por supuesto por esa necesidad de land, the governm ent has now given back nearly 4 m illio n acres o f in sig u ie n d o todos los m andatos que diferentes formas en que los católicos sentirse cerca del C risto salvador. c ia lly presented the land to the Buenos A ire s, the capital. The C o lla Indians firs t marched L o más im portante de esta La to the capital in 1946 to meet w ith digenous land, and has pledged to esta se m a n a im p o n e c o n el fe rvie n te deseo de ser perdonados muestran su veneración, no sólo al 3,000 Indians d u rin g a cerem ony C risto sino tam bién a la V irg e n Semana Santa sobre to d o es la Wednesday. A b o u t 50 Indians at then-President Juan Peron and de return another I m illio n by 2000. por todos los pecados co m e tid o s y M aría. cercanía que la gente siente hacia lo A rg e n tin a has restored m ore than 300,000 acres o f ancestral land to a sm all c o m m u n ity o f C o l la Indians w ho have been h o ld in g annual marches to the capital fo r m ore than 50 years to press th e ir claim s. President Carlos M enem o f f i tended, dressed in brig h t red pon chos. mand rights Io the land, w hich was “ T his is the recognition o f th e ir authentic rights to the land,” Menem said. 1580. They have since made an nual trips to the capital. O ther Indian groups also have The land is in the province o f Salta, 1,000 m ile s n o rth w e st o f seized by Spanish conquistadors in ser p u rific a d o . Sin lugar a dudas Mexico vows drug cooperation este es el tie m p o a r r o d illa r s e y ta m b ié n p e d ir por de la re a lid a d . La Semana Santa siempre llega tradiciones de cada lugar y de la devoción que cada pueblo o país le c o n c e d e a esta tan e s p e c ia l celebración. Estas demostraciones van desde la manera com er, celebrar, y departir con fam iliares vecinos y con un renovación de la esperanza y santo, lo sagrado, el sem toim iento de cercanía con lo celestial y con el la fe de aquellos a quienes la viven C risto que lo dio todo por nosotros y re so lu ció n de todos sus problem as con in te n sid a d y re g o c ijo . Los por el cual estamos dispuestos a M e x ic o ’ s new d ru g cza r said Thursday he is w o rk in g to overhaul general’ s o ffic e found that 424 em ployees o f its federal c rim e -fig h tin g arm y general ousted in February as drug czar on charges o f being in the y más aún, p e d ir p o r la re a liza ció n de sus sueños a c a ric ia d is sean diferentes matices que pueblos y cam biar y ser más humanos, más países le dan a esta particular Semana the c o u n try ’ s top n a rco tics -fig h tin g agencies had tested p o s itiv e fo r pay o f a top tra ffic k e r. c rista liza d o s en un clara y n ítid a Santa varía de pendiendo de las agency - in clu d in g having drug tests fo r e m p lo y e e s —a fte r h is p re d e drugs, about h a lf o f those fo r cocaine use. Herran S alvatti h im s e lf su b m it católicos, aunque en algunos casos sólo sea por una semana. A t h is s w t a r in g - in , H e rra n S alvatti said the his biggest chal lenge w o u ld be “ recovering the con ted to drug, psychological and p ro fi fidence lost and damaged by corrup those w o rk in g fo r the N a tio n a l In s titu te to F ig h t D rugs w ill be ciency tests and an audit o f his per sonal finances before being named head o f the institute He said from tio n , im p u n ity and the irresponsible actions o f m any bad p ublic servants subject to close s c ru tin y u n der a w id e r p la n to weed out c o rru p tio n now on a ll new hires must subm it to the same tests -som ething unheard cessor’ s arrest over alleged links to a cocaine smuggler. M a ria n o H erran S a lv a tti said th ro u g h o u t federal law e n fo rc e o f up to now in the federal g o ve rn m ent agencies. He said a “ personnel re v ie w " o f ment. federal crim e fighters was underw ay. “ I w o u ld like to emphasize that general w o u ld lead a com m ission we are g o in g to proceed case by case. He also said M e x ic o ’ s attorney set up to recom m end and oversee reform s. P reviously M e xico C ity ’ s c h ie f o ver m any years.” U n til G utierrez R ebollo's Feb 18 arrest, M e xico was a shoo-in fo r re certification as a cooperating a lly o f the U.S w ar on drugs. A fte r it, Presi- dentC'linton re-certified M exicoam id an uproar in the U.S. House. But after intense negotiations w ith the C lin to n adm inistration, the U.S. A ll w ill be subject to the same e x a m inations,” Herran Salvatti to ld a prosecutor, the 48-ye a r-o ld c iv ilia n Senate approved a resolution that ends any chance fo r Congress to news conference T his w eek alone, the attorney law yer was tapped this m onth to replace Jesus G u tie rre z R ebollo, an o v e rtu rn the p re s id e n tia l O K o f M e x ic o 's an ti-d ru g efforts. Latinos decry representation A rm ed w ith a governm ent re port show ing Latinos as the most under-represented group in the fed eral c iv ilia n w o rk force. L a tin o A t a news conference called by Becerra and representatives from several L a tin o advocacy, a recently Latinos represent less than 6 percent o f total p o litic a l appoint ments compared w ith alm ost 8 per cent before C lin to n ’ s re-election, leaders say President C linton hasn’ t com pleted G overnm ent A cco u n tin g O ffic e study was cited to underscore shared the spoils o f his re-election the contention It said that w h ile Becerra said. Since Latinos gave C lin to n 72 percent o f th e ir votes, v ic to ry w ith them H ispanics constitute 10 percent o f the population, they account fo r less they should be better represented in h is a d m in is tr a tio n , sa id R aul “ The president has said he wants government to reflect America. It doesn’ t,” Rep. Xavier Becerra, D- than 6 percent o f the civ ilia n s em Y zagu irre, president o f the N ational ployed by the federal governm ent C o u n cil o f I,a Raza, the largest C a lif, chairman o f the 17-member A m o n g 17 departments studied, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Thursday. “ W e ’ ve been m o vin g backwards when it comes to d ive r the C om m erce Departm ent, w ith 2 I percent, had the lowest p ro portion “ The co m m u n ity has now m o b i lized to insist that the a d m in istra o f Hispanics. The A ir Force had the tion treat us w ith com m ensurate sity." highest share, 5.1 percent. fairness and respect," he said p o litic a l group o f Latinos.
