Do you like to tango? Me too. For dancers and lovers of the good life, you’ll be happy to know that now you can read all about it in our brand new Argentina profile in our Countries section.
Argentina is a place of late nights, good food and sensuous tango music, especially in its cities. A common saying about Argentina is “One country made of five,” referring to a diverse climate and landscape that provides a wide range of cultures and lifestyles…a little bit of something for everyone.
The second-largest country in South America, Argentina is home to over 42 million primarily Spanish-speaking people, many of whom can trace their heritage back to western and central Europe. Those of European descent make up about 97 percent of the overall population.
Culturally, Argentina also is many lands. Like many South American countries that trace their start back to European colonialism, Argentina has a wonderful mix of heritages that bring a distinct flavor to each region.
This Argentine cultural melting pot produces music and dance influenced by many different peoples, including Amerindian, European and Mestizo cultures. But Argentina is known as the home of one of the mostly wildly popular dances of the modern era: the tango. Originating from a variety of traditional Spanish dances, the tango reached its height of popularity between the 1930s and 1950s. The tango is characterized by its sophisticated movements and seductive tempo and is often seen as performance art.
And if you like a glass of wine now and then, the province of Mendoza, in the shadow of the Andes, has the perfect growing conditions in the Mendoza valleys for the Malbec grape, a variety originally from France that produces wonderful red wines.
Outdoor activities can be found year-round. In the northern, more tropical part of the country, Iguazu National park is home to spectacular Iguazu Falls, where the river plummets 269 feet to the rocks below. Along the eastern coast are nearly 5,000 miles of beaches to sun and tan in the long summer days. And if you love mountains, Argentina has the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world, 4,300 miles long. Beginning in the south of Argentina, the spine of the Andes heads north into Bolivia and is punctuated by Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak at 22,841 ft.
Whether you tango or not, Argentina is a great place to live.