Federal state in the south of South America. It has borders with Bolivia and Paraguay, in the east - with Brazil and Uruguay to the south and west - with Chile. In addition, in the east and south by the Atlantic Ocean. Argentina belongs to the part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, and several smaller islands, including the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (territory disputed with Britain). Argentina claims to be part of Antarctica. The country's territory (without the Falkland Islands) 2,766,889 km2 relief of the country is very diverse: from the mountains and plateaus to valleys. The western boundary runs along the Andes completely. Patagonian Andes, which form a natural border between Argentina and Chile, and low neprevyshayut 3600 m on the northern border with Bolivia and part of the border with Chile passes through the main ridge of the Andes. It is the highest peak of this mountain range Aconcagua (6,960 m). Other peaks - Ojos del Salado (6893m), Tupungato (6800 m) and Mertsedario (6770 m). To the east of the Andes lies the vast valley. North of the valley is a region known as the Gran Chaco. To the south of Gran Chaco is a fertile pampas. Further south, in Patagonia, dry steppes. The main rivers of the country: the Parana, Paraguay (the main tributary of the Paraná), Rio del Plata, Rio Colorado, Rio Salado, Rio Negro. The lakes are concentrated mainly at the foot of the Alps Patagonia.
Population (estimated for 1998) is about 36,265,500 people, the average population density is about 13 people per km2. Ethnic groups: Europeans (Spaniards, Italians, French, German, Russian, Polish, etc.) - 85%, Indians, Arabs, and Métis. Language: Spanish (official), Italian. Religion: Roman Catholic - 90% (according to the Constitution, the President and Vice President must be Catholic), Jewish - 2%, Protestant - 2%. Capital - Buenos Aires. Largest cities: Buenos Aires (12961000 people), Cordoba (1148000 people), Rosario (895,000 people), La Plata (521,000 people), Mar del Plata (520,000 people), Salta (367,000 people), Mendoza (67000 people). State system - republic. Head of State - President Cristina Kirchner (c December 10, 2007). Currency - the new Argentine peso. Average life expectancy (1998): 69 years old - male, 76 years old - female. The birth rate (in 1000) - 20. The mortality rate (per 1,000 people) - 7.7.
In contrast to the Andes and the Amazon Basin, the modern territory of Argentina before the arrival of the Spaniards was sparsely populated - mostly Indians nomads on the pampa. In February 1516 Spanish navigator Juan Diaz de Solis entered the mouth of the Rio Plata case and declared the surrounding lands owned by the Spanish crown. The colonization of the territory began in 1535, and in 1620, the region of La Plata was attached to the Viceroyalty of Peru. Over the next century, the colonization of the region was slow. In 1776, the area, which includes advanced Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, was highlighted in the viceroyalty of La Plata. July 9, 1816 United Provinces of South America (present-day Argentina) proclaimed independence. In the XX century, Argentina experienced a large number of military coups from 1930 to 1983 under the rule of the military. Since 1983, the country returned to democratic government. Argentina is a member of the UN, WHO, IMF, FAO, the Organization of American States.
In this amazing country has almost everything - many kilometers of beaches and some of the highest peaks of the world, the endless steppes and stunning beauty of waterfalls, ski resorts and many specimens of colonial architecture, lush forests and vast metropolis, wild and desolate expanse of southern Patagonia and picturesque villages pastoralists. Unlike neighboring countries, Argentina has almost lost the traces of ancient Indian civilizations (or just bad looking), the country heavily Europeanized, but the colorful nature and incredibly colorful mix of cultures, make this land very attractive to tourists. Buenos Aires Capital of the country has a relatively short but very turbulent history. Spanish conquistadors attempts to build a city in such an easy-to-ship La Plata estuary, repeatedly interrupted by attacks of the warlike Indian tribes, so the date of the founding of the city is considered to be in 1580 - when the city was called Nueva Señora de Santa Maria del Buenos Aires . But after many ups and downs of the city was practically wiped out by devastating earthquakes XIX century, and rebuilt a little bit away. In 1880, Buenos Aires became the capital of Argentina and from this period, in the wake of "meat boom" began its rise. The city has received broad avenues, spacious area, many buildings in the "Parisian style", monuments and fountains. Now in Buenos Aires and its suburbs is home to about 40% of the population, and some of his former glory faded, so it is always crowded streets often deterred tourists with its bustle, and for good reason - it is a cultural and economic center of the country, the center of its history and glory.
The sights of Buenos Aires are the old district of La Boca, the historic area of San Telmo with lots of bars and antiques market in Plaza Dorrego, the "heart of the city" - the Plaza de Mayo (the largest shopping area in the world) Plaza de la Republica with an obelisk in honor povozglasheniya Argentine independence, the oldest building in the city - City Hall "Cabildo" (now a museum), the Cathedral Metropolitana (here buried the country's national hero, Jose de San Martin), the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada ("Pink House"), Plaza del Congress with a monumental fountain Los dos Kongressos and the Congress building, the Church of El Pilar Basilica de Santo Domingo, the church of San Ignacio (the oldest in the city), the tunnels of the colonial era, the famous Teatro Colon (1890-1908 gg.) - the center of opera and ballet throughout South America, and the Cesar Park. The city in general are many parks, many of which are literally sandwiched among the skyscrapers, but carefully guarded by the locals. And many large streets (and they are really great - a city built on a grand scale, so uncharacteristic of the Spanish cities) is firmly planted rosewood, which gives capital unmistakable appearance.
Fairly few examples of colonial architecture can be found here in the most unexpected places - the pedestrian street (Florida, Lavalle, etc) around the cemeteries, which are sometimes merge with the city's neighborhoods, and sometimes in the front of some high-rise buildings. Often you can see the columns or sculptures that support the portico - boom reconstruction of old houses, which coincided with the heyday of the country, touched very many plants. Noteworthy promenade La Kostanera stretching along the Rio de la Plata to Kostanera Norte, old aristocratic Recoleta Cemetery and La Chacarita (they should look for the sake of the many tombstones, made with amazing skill), former port warehouses, and now a district of restaurants and offices - Puerto Madero, Teatro Cervantes, Japanese Garden and Zoo in the green quarter of Palermo, the Ecological Reserve (sic!) on Cordova Avenue, Plaza San Martin with the statue of the national hero, a colorful market in Puerto de Frutos, Avenida Nueve de Julio ("Avenue July 9", the widest street in the world), the fashionable shops of Santa Fe Avenue and the area Matadores, which hosts traditional bullfighting.
Few people know that in the capital of Argentina, there are as many as 120 museums! Argentines are sincerely proud of their history, so this number is no surprise. It is worth to visit the Centre of Museums (joint exhibition of several city museums in the former beer garden "Munich"), the Museum of Science, Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Decorative Arts, International Art Gallery, the Museum "Fernandez Blanco" (Museum of Colonial Art), Museum of Latin American Art (MALBA), Palace Museum of the Casa Rosada, the largest in Latin America, Society of Agricultural Exhibition Center, the cultural center of San Martin and Recoleta, Cinema Museum, the National History Museum, the layout, the Museum of Cartoon Museum, Libra, and many others. Neighborhood of Buenos Aires You can get away from the bustle of the city and moved to the resort town of Tigre, which lies on the banks of the Parana River Delta, relax in the resorts or Pinamar Miramar, or stay in one of the best seaside resorts in South America - Mar del Plata (400 km. South of Buenos Aires ), famous for its fossils Museum, Casino, Botanical Garden and Centre for sport fishing and nearly 47 km of beaches. Or visit one of the most famous museums in Latin America - Museo de Syansa-Naturales. Even a trip to the Uruguayan city of Colonia del Sacramento, which lies on the other side of the Paraná almost opposite the Tigris. One of the most interesting cities in the neighborhood is San Antonio de Areco, a charmingly old-fashioned town with cobbled streets, the cultural center of usin Vieja and well-preserved architecture of the XIX century. Nearby is a lot of traditional "estansias" ("ranch", "farm"), is very popular as a tiny farm resort, so it is not surprising that it was here in November, underwent traditional gaucho festival Dia de la Tradison. Pampa Huge Capital District all at the mercy of Pampa, which has long been almost synonymous with the word "Argentina". Thousands of square miles of tall, constantly swaying in the wind, hundreds of farms and tiny towns, numerous bayous, swamps and desert areas - that's what the north and center of Argentina. Interesting city Lujan, whose Basilica of La Virgen de Luján receives 4 million pilgrims a year, Rosario and Santa Fe, famous throughout the country for its many museums, churches and fading colonial buildings, and many provincial towns, in each of which necessarily will be found an interesting Mets. In most northern areas adjacent to Paraguay, continued high proportion of the Indian population, but here also the most arid part of the country. In the province of Misiones, on the contrary, the dense tropical vegetation hides numerous old Jesuit missions, such as the famous San Ignacio Mini near the provincial capital - Pasadasa. Also of interest are the suspension bridge and the fort in Corrientes, with Wanda mines of precious stones, as well as the "Park of immigrants" in the Oberoi. Iguazu Falls On the border of Argentina and Brazil and Paraguay is the famous National Park "Iguazu", covering an area of 55 thousand hectares. Park is considered one of the modern wonders of the world - there are 275 waterfalls (Arayagaray, Belgrano, Benjamin-Constant, Rivadavia, Adam and Eve, Ramirez, Salto Escondido Salto Floriano, Union, Mithra, etc.), rushing a second 5000 cubic meters of water from a height of about 70 meters Here are the continent's largest waterfall - Iguazu (Cataratas del Iguazu ") having a width of 3 to 4 miles away, and the famous cascade of 14 waterfalls Garganta del Diablo (" Throat the devil "), which forms the border between Brazil and Argentina. Shore gorges through which the water rushes uncontrollable flood of Parana, interconnected whole system openwork metal bridges, which you can get to most of the waterfalls, here goes even tiny tourist train that links between is the most remote parts of the cascades. waterfalls spread around the National Park, protecting thousands of species of exotic birds, butterflies, and unique tropical vegetation (Park continues in Brazil). Foothills To the west of Pampa rises smoothly to the foothills of the Andes, creating beautiful landscapes, so characteristic of this region of rocks, canyons, cacti and majestic mountain peaks. There is a lot of small but very picturesque cities, among which the most interesting "garden of the republic," San Miguel de Tucuman, Tafi del Valle to the nearby park menhirs Los Menhiras, Cafayate with pre-Columbian ruins of the fortress and the famous vineyards, the National Park Los Kadones, Humahuaca a small town with a huge monument to the heroes of the war for the independence of Argentina (the nineteenth century) and the church of the XVI century, Provincial Park El Kokuna, two more centers wine - La Rioja and Chilecito, Canyon De Talampayya, the city of Corrientes with Church of La Santissima Cruz (XVI c.), the monastery of San Francisco and the Colonial Museum and the famous Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon") with an amazing variety of shapes and colors of the relief, and the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals. Salta One of the most interesting cities in the north-western part of the country - Salta (founded in 1582). Located at an altitude of 1190 m above sea level, north of San Miguel de Tucuman, near the Bolivian border, it could remain unimportant provincial town, if not the main attraction - the statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ the Miracle Worker (XVI century), located in the cathedral San Francisco. Thousands of believers visit Salta, hoping to see the miraculous statue, which is credited with the ability to cure illnesses and stop the earthquake. Also worth a visit in Salta Town Hall (now it is the Historical Museum), a picturesque main square, the Cathedral, numerous Jesuit church, the monastery of San Bernardo, house Uriburu, the pedestrian mall in La Florida and bustling market where you can find original works of traditional folk crafts. Every Saturday departs from Salta "El Tren-a las Nubes" ("Train to the Clouds") - a comfortable structure that connects the capital of the province with the lost in the mountain town of San Antonio de los Kobres. The train moves along the deepest canyons, crossing them seemingly weightless steel bridges, climbing spurs on the Quebrada del Toro, to finish your way to the dizzying height of 4000 meters above sea level. Also from Salta Tours begin in the valley Kalchaki, to the ruins of Pucara de Tilcara, in the National Park Los Cardones, where you can find a forest of giant cacti "Cardon" in the valley of the Rio Grande, to the archaeological site and the canyon Koktaka Humahuaca. Cordoba And, of course, is to visit Cordoba - second largest city of Argentina, which largely exceeds the capital. In 1573 Jeronimo Luis de Cabrera founded the city at the crossroads of major routes from Chile and Peru Alta to Buenos Aires, calling it Cordoba La Liana de La Nueva Andalucia. Since then, with the assistance of Jesuit monks city grew rapidly - there was a second university founded continent - Universidad San Carlos (1621 g), to have survived the great groups of buildings of colonial times - Santa Catalina and Dzhesus Maria, the old market, the Catholic Cathedral Iglesia Catedral, the Jesuit church of De la Kompacha one of the best in the country Provincial History Museum Marcus de Sobremonte and more. Between the city and the plains of Pampa ridge stretches of picturesque hills, and west of Cordoba already begin the highest mountains of Argentina - Central Sierra and somewhat smaller, but no less scenic ridge Sierras of Cordoba. Nearby lies a beautiful valley Calamuchita the resort Villa Gral Belgrano, one of the most beautiful Jesuit "Estancia" countries - Camino de la histori ("route of history") with luxurious museum Museo Nacional-Dzhezuitiko-San Isidro Labrador and Villa-Tolumba with a beautiful church. Well, just west has drawn great Andes, whose glaciers feed numerous streams in the region. This is a land of magnificent landscapes, harsh climate, llamas and action sports. In the area of Aconcagua and Tupungato Mersedario ideal conditions for winter sports, mountaineering and trekking. South of Argentina The southern part of Argentina - one of the most beautiful places on the planet. From the mouth of the La Plata to the Straits of Magellan runs continuous string of elevated plains, intersected by deep rivers, and the western part of the plain, gradually rising, goes to the majestic mountain ranges of the Andes, whose slopes are surrounded by a beautiful (and more!) Mountain lakes, which are the "twin" of the Lake waters Region of Chile, which lies on the other side of the Andes. Plains overgrown grasses and are used for livestock, and mountain areas have remained almost intact, only occasional shafts and tiny towns violate relic landscape. The main attraction of the area - the resort of San Carlos de Bariloche, which many people quite rightly called "the Switzerland of Argentina." Bariloche in winter is one of the most popular ski resorts in S. America, and summer - excellent water resort, as it lies on the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi (557 sq. km.). In addition to the excellent conditions for active relaxation interesting complex Templo Mayor and El Centro Civico (1940), San Eduardo Chapel, Cathedral of La Catedral de Bariloche (National Historic Landmark), a monument to Julio Roca showroom a former post office, a community with a huge clock tower, the city's tourist center, a rich museum and library Patagonia Sarmiento, Estancia Nahuel Huapi with preserved house that hid Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidd surrounding the National Park Nahuel Huapi, a peninsula with the National Kvetrihe Arrayanes park and forest arayyany (local relict species of larch, 12 hectares) and Parrilla El Viejo Bolic. Bariloche neighborhood is also great for any kind of vacation - you can climb the slopes of the three-headed dormant volcano Tronador (3554 m), visit the resort town of Villa La Angostura, a peninsula-Lyao Lyao, suspension bridge is 34 km from Intendensiya, a ridge of Cerro Lopez and shelter Andino, Mount Catedral, Otto, Los Sesares Falls, Lake Moreno and El Trebol, a picturesque valley of El Bolson, a town in the valley Cholila Esquel (340 km south of Bariloche), the National Park rainforest Los Alerses (30 km west of Esquel ) to Lake Verde and larch forests, whose age is estimated at 2-3 thousand years, the area near the waterfalls Trevelin (24 km from Esquel), Lake or Lake Futalauaken Menendez to the winter resort of La Goya. Around Bariloche operates a dense network of ski resorts and mountain vacation homes of different types, where there are all conditions for recreation. Patagonia Patagonia - the south of the country, wild and desert plain ("meseta"), which covers almost the whole of the southern mainland. The climate is harsh, precipitation falls in the plains are relatively few, so virtually all the territory covered wastelands and unusual for temperate steppes. Here is a third of the country's land, so the whole area is divided between sheep farms owned by the descendants of the first settlers, still carefully preserve their traditions. The contrast between the mountains, literally pour rain all year round, and the plains of Patagonia, who sometimes do not get, and 100 mm. precipitation, led to the formation of this unique natural complexes.
Noteworthy town of El Calafate and Lago Argentino - otravnye point for trips to the huge blue Perito Moreno Glacier and Lake Viedma, based uelstsami towns Trelew and Gaiman in Chubut valley with a small historical museum, the lowest point of the continent - Gran Bajo de San Julian (105 meters below sea level), the picturesque town of Carmen de Patagones, Cave de las Manos-Pintadas with prints of hands once lived here protoindeyskih tribes (the earliest prints date from 7300 BC. e.) , Canyon de Rio Pinturas, anglers dream - the town of Rio Gallegos, beautiful Golfo Nuevo and the city of Puerto Madryn on the bank, the National Park Fitzroy, which is part of the park Los Glasyares (included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site) National Park Pasito Francisco Moreno, connected to the mainland by an isthmus 35-kilometer Peninsula Valdes - the best place to observe sea lions, penguins and whales, teeming with marine life near the coast of Puerto Deseado, beautiful cliffs at the mouth of the Río Deseado and huge mysterious rock formations in Monument-in-kind Boskes Petrifikados and complex farms Estansiyas de Santa Cruz, providing a whole bunch of ways to relax, from horse-riding and fishing in the surrounding area, to the tasting of local dishes.