Argentina

Argentina (Argentine Republic) – South America.

Argentina image courtsey: wikimedia.org

Silver glitters!

The word argentum in Latin means silver and ‘Argentina’ means the glitter of silver. The Spanish voyagers under Juan Diaz de Solis who landed there (in AD 1516) found local people wearing silver ornament aplenty and they came to a conclusion that there may be mountains of silver on this part of the land! They named this land Rio de la Plata (plata also stands for silver in Spanish) meaning river of silver. Spanish people flocked there in search of the ‘silver mountain’ though they could not find it these trysts enabled them to colonize the fertile land in as early as 1580. It was in Buenos Aires Spain established their first colony which later grew in to a mega city and still continues as Argentina’s capital.

In tune with the Incas.

There are evidences that Argentina’s Patagonia region had human inhabitation since 11000 BC, during 1AD a civilization based on maize cultivation flourished in places like Santa Maria, Huarpes, Diaguilas etc. Argentina’s recorded history starts from 1480 when the king of Inca Empire – Pachachutec – invaded northern Argentina and established an integrated empire by name ‘Collasyu’ comprising many areas previously remained scattered. Even then Argentina’s central regions were mainly inhabited by nomadic tribes. The central and southern areas; known as Mampas and Patagonia; inhabited by nomads were integrated by Mapuches in the seventeenth century.

All factors too good, but!

Argentina Map courtsey: lib.utexas.edu

Formerly Argentina included the present day Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia which have been separated in course of time. Argentina is the second largest nation in area as well as the largest economy in the South American continent after Brazil. Argentina is blessed with rich natural resources, a very favorable climate; its work-force is well educated but all these could not prevent the financial melt-down the nation experienced during 2001 -02. Argentina’s debt zoomed, inflation spiraled, and job rates nose-dived.

In soup!

A protracted war with Britain over the ownership of Falklands Island, political instability and intermittent military rules and faulty financial policy all led to hyper inflation which made Argentinean products uncompetitive leading to excessive imports. Argentinean industries were forced to down shutters, unemployment rose to 25%. Peso-which was artificially over valued- crashed and this resource rich nation became bankrupt. Argentina became a hot subject among international economists who resorted to blame game to prove their points. However a revival package from International Monetary Fund could set the economy back on the rails.

A claim for everything.

Geographically Argentina is sandwiched between the Andes and the Atlantic neighboring countries are Bolivia, Paraguay (in the north) Uruguay, Brazil (north-west) and Chile in the west as well as south. It has a total area of 2,766,890 sq kilometers and a population 36,260,000. The official language is Spanish, literacy is 92%. The Head of the Nation is President and its currency is Peso. It has total 215500 km long railway and two major ports (La Plata and Bahia Blanca. La Plata, Rosario, Thordhoba, San Miguel de Tuchman, Santa Fe, Mendoza are the main cities. (Argentina is a perpetual claimer for the nearby isles like Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich. They claim for the Antarctica Region as well.

Argentina has a claim over the Antarctic continent but the Falkland fiasco keeps it off from jumping in to an immediate war with other claimants!)

Altiplano.

The Andes Altiplano is the second highest plateau in the world (number one in height is the Tibetan plateau). It is 11,000 feet above sea-level and sparsely populated. There are numerous live volcanoes in these high and dry lands. The significance to this desert as that it is the driest part in the world – drier than Sahara the mother of all deserts. Atacama Desert lies on the South-Western part of the Altiplano, while the dense Amazon forests cover its eastern part.

The mammoth of a lake!

Argentina travel image courtsey: whitman.edu

Geologists are of opinion that this part was once (in the Pliocene age) a huge lake by name Ballivian Lake! The ground rose to this height to form the Altiplano and the present Titicaca Lake, and salt lakes like Oruro, Salar de Uyuni, Salar de Coipasa are all the vestiges of this huge extinct lake, what strange facts? But it is the 1460 Sq. KM wide Lago Argentina (Argentinean lake) located at the Patagonian area of Santa Cruz which is dearer to Argentineans; as it is their source of pure water.

Sports and games.

Argentina Football Jersey image courtsey: prosport.ca

Almost all nations coming under South American Continent are most known for their gaming skills Soccer is for them their life-blood not just the king of all games. Argentineans are also known for their ability in Horse Polo (pato), rugby, tennis, and hockey. For Argentina it is a footballer their national icon and not rulers or bards. The one and only Mara Dona who entered in the field as a boy under sixteen and reigned the field for over two decades. He is mischievous, an anarchist, a prankster, a rebel, controversial and at the same time a superb artist in the world of soccer. Mara Dona brought in the coveted World Cup for Argentina in 1978 and 1786. It was Mara Dona who raised ‘Napoli’ an unknown small foot ball club in the ranks of the number one in the world. Daniel Pascerella, Mario Kempes, Gabriel Bathisthutta were all the best players Argentina has presented to the world.

Buenos Aires

Argentina vacation image courtsey: ocs.lsu.edu

Buenos Aires is not just capital of Argentina it is one of the most fashionable cities in the world (called as the Paris of the south) as well as the cultural capital of South America. it is called also as Capital Federal in Argentina to distinguish the capital region from greater Buenos Aires region. Teatro Colon- one of the greatest opera-house in the world, world’s number one foot ball clubs like Boca Juniors, River Plate, San Lorenzo de Almagro, Athletica Furacan all are located in this great city it is in the brothels of Buenos Aires Tango music had its origin. 9de Julio Avenue is the broadest in the world which is 140 meters in breadth. Buenos Aires has a population of 3 million about one out of 12 Argentineans live in the capital! A distinction few national capitals enjoy.

The National Park.

The Glaciers Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares) in Santa Cruz is 4460 Sq. Kilometer wide and a major destination of international tourists. it is a vast expanse of glaciers; known as ‘the snow caps of the Andes’ (which has a collection of 47 glaciers), This national park is also a UNESCO approved heritage site comprising two lakes (Viadma and Argentinean) both are contributors of the Santa Cruz River. This eco system has dense forest between glaciers and Patagonian grass lands all these terrains together house about one thousand species of birds and animals.

First and foremost.

• Argentina has the credit to host the first National University in the South American Continent National University of Cordoba (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba).

• Its capital Buenos Aires is the first city in South America to install electrical street lights.

• Buenos Aires has got another first as the first sub-way in the southern hemisphere was constructed there.

• The first child to be born in Antarctica was Argentinean –Emilio Pama.

• The last but not the least Che Guerra the ‘darling all radicals’ was also an Argentinean.

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