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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
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1980s a p p r o x i
m a te ly 9 0 % o f the people id e n ti
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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.