Argentina

Travels in Argentina:

Tierra del Fuego Multi Activity Tour (6 days)
Hiking and catamaran tour at the "End of the World"

Andes Scenic Trekking (5 days)
Bariloche - Nahuel Huapi NP

Trekking El Chalten - Los Glaciares (6 days)
Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and Moreno Glacier

Trekking Torres del Paine (5 days)
Mountains - Glaciers - Lakes - Lagoons

Quick Facts:

Official Name:	Argentine Republic
Capital:	Buenos Aires
Area:	2,791,810 sq km
Languages:	Spanish
Currency:	Argentine Peso
Population figure:	approx. 37 Mio.
Religions:	Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Others 6%
National holiday:	May 25 (1810); Revolution Day
Government type:	Federal presidential representative democratic republic

Climate

Argentina has a mild climate, with a subtropical area in the North and cold weather in the South. Buenos Aires is mainly humid. Summers are warm (28?C average) and winters are mild (3?C to 8?C average).

Geography

Argentina is nearly 3,700 km long from north to south, and 1,400 km from east to west (maximum values). It can roughly be divided into three parts: the fertile plains of the Pampas in the central part of the country, the centre of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in the southern half down to Tierra del Fuego; and the rugged Andes mountain range along the western border with Chile.

Culture

Argentine culture is exemplified by its music and dance, particularly tango. To foreigners, tango refers to a particular dance, but the music together with the lyrics are what most Argentines primarily mean by tango. Argentine culture has been primarily informed and influenced by its European roots. Buenos Aires is undeniably the most European city in South America and considered by many its cultural capital.

History

Europeans arrived in 1502. Spain established a permanent colony on the site of Buenos Aires in 1580, and the Viceroyalty of the R?o de la Plata in 1776.  Independence from Spain was declared on July 9, 1816. In the 1880s, the "Conquest of the Desert" subdued or exterminated the remaining indigenous tribes throughout Patagonia. From 1880 to 1930, Argentina enjoyed increasing prosperity and prominence. Political change led to the presidency of Juan Per?n in 1946, who tried to empower the working class and greatly expanded the number of unionized workers. The Revoluci?n Libertadora of 1955 deposed him. From the 1950s to 1970s, military and civilian administrations traded power. In those years the economy grew strongly and poverty declined while political violence continued escalating. In 1973, Per?n returned to the presidency, but he died less than a year after. His third wife Isabel, the Vice President, succeeded him in office, but a military coup removed her from office on 24 March 1976. Democracy was restored in 1983. The Asian financial crisis in 1998 precipitated an outflow of capital that mushroomed into a recession, and culminated in a financial panic in November 2001. The next month, amidst bloody riots, President de la R?a resigned. In two weeks, several new presidents followed in quick succession. Argentina defaulted on its international debt obligations. Although it was one of Argentina's worst crises ever, a military coup did not materialize and democracy remained in place.

Flora and Fauna

More than 10% of the World's species of flora are present in Argentina. Many animals live in the northern rainforests, including many types of wildcats as jaguars, pumas and ozelots. The pampas in the southern part of the country consist of almost treeless grasslands and pasture. In the meagre Andes region you find lamas, guanacos and vicunyas and the Andes condor. Adjacent to the Andes, up to a heights of 3,500m, extensive coniferous forests dominate the landscape.

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