Geography and Climate
Occupying most of southeastern South America, Argentina shares a border with Chile to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north and Uruguay and the southern Atlantic Ocean to the east. Argentina is an ideal, centralized location for those looking to explore the southern reaches of the continent. The country is made up of several provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It also claims the Falkland Islands and some northern regions of Antarctica.
Argentina is spread across a vast landscape of over 1 million square miles, making it the second largest country in South America and largest amongst Spanish-speaking countries. There are nearly 4,700 miles of beaches along the eastern coast, and the majestic Andes mountain range is to the west.
The country is divided into six general regions. The northwestern region is mountainous with fertile valleys and canyons. Gran Chaco, a central region, contains hot and somewhat arid lowlands. Another region, Mesopotamia, lies in the northeast and is hot, humid and covered with forest, which includes the Iguazu National Park, a popular tourist site that features the spectacular Iguazu Falls. The central region of Argentina is home to mostly farmland and is also the region where most of the political agencies are located. Central-west Argentina is known as the Cuyo region and is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to its close proximity to the Andes mountain range and its wine country. The Pampas are southern lowlands that have a pleasant, temperate climate and contain miles of farmland. Lastly, the Patagonia region, located at the southernmost tip of the continent, has steppe-like plains and the southern reaches of the Andes.
Argentina uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and is in the UTC-3 time zone, putting it four hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST). Argentina does not observe daylight saving time.
Argentina, for the most part, has a generally moderate, temperate climate throughout most of its centralized regions, with some noticeable variations in the northern and southern regions of the country. The north is mostly home to hot and humid weather, especially in the summer, and can best be described as a subtropical region. The southern areas of the country have mild summers and very cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Natural disasters in Argentina are rare, but the country has been known to suffer from earthquakes and flooding.
People and Culture
Argentina is home to over 42 million people, but has a population density of just 15 persons per square kilometer, well below the world average of 50 persons. The population growth rate is less than 1.0 percent annually.
The ethnic backgrounds of most of Argentina’s people can be traced back to western and central Europe, with those of European descent making up about 97 percent of the overall population. Other ethnic groups in the country include those of Amerindian and Asian lineage.
Although the vast majority of residents speak Spanish, the myriad of other spoken languages is indicative of how diverse Argentina truly is. Other languages spoken include English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.
The three largest cities in Argentina are Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Rosario. Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and has a greater metropolitan area population of nearly 14 million. The city is the second largest on the South American continent next to São Paulo, Brazil and is located in the northeast part of the country. Córdoba is the country’s second largest city and the capital of the Córdoba region, with a metro population of around 1.3 million. It is known for its beautiful Roman Catholic-inspired architecture, a relic from the days of Spanish colonial rule. Rosario has a population of just above 1.1 million and is the capital and financial center of the Santa Fe region, located in the southern part of the country.
Like many other South American countries, not many records of pre-colonial Argentina exist today. It is speculated that modern humans first populated Argentina in the Paleolithic era and were a culture of hunter-gatherers until the advent of farming.
Argentina was discovered in 1502 A.D. by the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. The first European settlement was founded in 1536 at the location of what is now modern-day Buenos Aires, but was abandoned in 1541. Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera established another settlement, Córdoba, in 1573. Buenos Aires was re-established in 1580. Spain recognized the area as the new Governorate of Rio de la Plata, which also included parts of modern Peru, Uruguay and Chile.
In the late 18th century, the ideas of the Enlightenment movement from Europe began to spread in Argentina, casting doubt on absolute monarchy within the country. After the twice-failed invasion of Argentina by the British in 1806 and 1807, revolution and independence began to spread. Soon after, in 1810, Spain’s Viceroy was forcefully deposed as a wave of revolution swept across the continent.
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. With Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay no longer included, the area that remained became Argentina. From 1860 to 1930, immigrants from Europe – primarily from Italy and Spain – shaped Argentina’s culture.
Argentina spent the better part of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century in turmoil as the country went through several wars and revolutions. Internal conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between the military and civilians dominated this period. After World War II, Peronist populism and military intervention in politics prevailed, leading to a military junta seizing power in 1976. Democracy returned to the country in 1983. Argentina faced a severe economic crisis in the early years of the 21st century that led to violent public protests and successive resignations of several presidents. In January 2013, Argentina assumed a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security council for the first time.