Taylor Payne

Computer Tech.

B-3

Argentina

Argentina is a country located in South America. It is the secondlargest country in South America at 1,068,302 square miles; only Brazil is larger with its total area of 3,287,597 square miles. Argentina has the thirdlargest economy in Latin America and has been classified by investors as an emerging economy. Argentina is also a founding member of the United Nations and belongs to the World Trade Organization. Argentina is full of both recent and ancient history. Scientists have found evidence of native tribes living in Argentina dating all the way back to 11,000 BCE. These cultures, such as the Diaguitas, Huarpes, and Sanavirones, were thriving in the area that is now Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz at the same time that the earliest Paleo-Indians were migrating across North

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America. These indigenous cultures remained undisturbed in Argentina for thousands of years, until the Inca Empire invaded their lands in 1480. Most of the native inhabitants were forced to integrate into the Inca culture; however, some resisted their rule and remained independent.

Less than a century after surviving the conquest of the Incas, natives living in Argentina faced a problem much more threatening than the Inca Empire: the Europeans. Explorers from Europe arrived in Argentina in 1516 and quickly established a settlement they named the Fort de Sancti Spiritu on the banks of the Parana River in Buenos Aires. This upset the native people enough that they attacked the European colony and destroyed it completely. Unsurprisingly, the indigenous population was unable to hold back the tide of European colonization for very long; by 1580, the Fort de Sancti Spiritu had been reestablished and the natives were forced to

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relinquish their homeland to a foreign culture for a second time.

Argentina has developed and grown exponentially since its primitive beginnings; it now has a functioning government, a huge population, and a booming economy. The country of Argentina has made countless contributions to the world of science and technology, including major advances in healing therapies and the treatment of heart disease and several forms of cancer. Three Argentine scientists have been awarded Nobel Prizes for their research in medicine and discoveries in the scientific field.

50 0 40 0 30 0 20 0 10 0 0 Popula tion Incom e GD P US A Arg entina Cana da

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Argentinas population consists of dozens of ethnicities including: European, Mestizo, Arab, Asian, and Amerindian. The majority of Argentinas population (around 86%) is of European descent. The next largest ethnicity is Mestizo, which constitutes 8% of all citizens. 92% of Argentines consider themselves Christian, and anywhere from 70-90% of those Christians practice Catholicism. Many religions are practiced in Argentina, including Agnosticism, Islamism, Judaism, Atheism, Buddhism, and several others. The official language of Argentina is Spanish. Argentine Spanish is different from that of other countries due to the fact that their culture says vos instead of t. Italian is the second most spoken language in Argentina, followed by Arabic and German. Even though English is not popular, it is commonly taught in schools as a second language. Argentina is an extremely urbanized country. Half of the countrys population lives in the ten largest metropolitan areas and less than one in ten Argentines actually lives in a rural community. Due to this heavy urbanization, the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area on the coast is

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home to around 13 million people, making it one of the most populated urban areas in the world. Argentina is governed by a representative democratic republic, where the Argentine Constitution of 1853 separates power into an executive, legislative, and judicial branch, much like the US Constitution does. The Executive branch consists of the President and his Cabinet, the Legislative branch is comprised of a bicameral Congress and a
The Argentine Coat of Arms

Chamber of Deputies, and the Judiciary branch is made up of seven judges in a Supreme Court. Argentine culture has always been heavily influenced by three completely dissimilar cultures: European, indigenous American, and the gaucho lifestyle. All three have left their mark on Argentine life and created traditions and customs that are distinctly unique and unlike any other countrys.

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Early Argentine literature focused on one main conflict: the constant clashing between Federalist and Unitarian authors. Federalists supported rural conservatism, whereas Unitarians were in favor of a strong central government and supported European immigration. This difference of opinions created a whole new writing style and gave authors an opportunity to express their viewpoints openly. 10 Argentine Authors: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. Cesar Aira Carlos Gamerro Gustavo Ferreyra Luis Chitarroni Liliana Heer Fabin Casas Edgardo Russo Oscar Taborda Sergio Delgado Luis Gusmn

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Two other parts of Argentine culture that will always be entirely unique are the music and dancing. Argentina is world famous for their traditional genre/dance known as the Tango, but they also play modern music similar that of the US.

10 Popular Sports in Argentina: 1. Soccer 2. Basketball 3. Field Hockey 4. Rugby 5. Boxing 6. Polo 7. Cricket 8. Volleyball 9. Golf 10.Tennis

The most impressive parts of Argentine culture, even better than the

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music and arts, are definitely the sports. Argentinas official national sport is a game played on horseback called pato, but the most popular sport to play is soccer. Argentinas soccer team has won many world titles, including two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen Copa Americas. Basketball is the second most popular sport, and surprisingly, many Argentines play in the NBA. Other popular sports include rugby, field hockey, boxing, and polo. In summary, Argentina is an amazing country that holds ample economic and cultural promise for the future. The Argentine people are very diverse in their ethnicities, religions, and political views which makes their culture and traditions especially interesting and commendable. They are a very urbanized country, with one of the largest metropolitan areas on the planet. Argentina is an exceptionally remarkable country as well as one that I hope to visit one day.