Argentina

A land of great physical diversity

Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eighth largest country in the world. This long elongated country has Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay as its neighbors to the north. The country of Chile borders it on the west while the Atlantic Ocean forms a natural border on its east coast.

Argentina gained its independence from the Spanish crown in 1816 and in the early years of the twentieth century the country prospered immensely. Much of this wealth was concentrated in its capital city of Buenos Aires. Located on the left bank of the Rio de la Plata estuary which is formed by the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers this charming capital city is home to nearly 40 percent of the Argentine population. The city has a distinct European flavor and is often called ‘Paris of the South’. The residents of Buenos Aires are called ‘porteňos’. They are a vibrant society equally interested in the arts, fine dining, fashion and the nation’s passion football. However Buenos Aries has much income disparity and many ‘porteňos’ reside in slums. Since 1992 the Argentinean economy has gone through much economic turmoil and instability.

Though Tourism has remained largely unaffected and has in fact thrived due to the devaluation of the nation’s currency ‘the Peso’. North east Argentina has a natural wonder in the magnificent Iguazú National Park. This is a tropical rainforest teeming with avian fauna and plants. Located here is the UNESCO declared National Heritage Site of the Iguazú Falls. The most famous of these falls is the ‘Devils throat’ which have a drop of an astounding 230 ft (70m) in the vicinity of the Brazilian border. The center of the country is its agricultural heartland. This land is made up of the fertile plains of the Pampas. Called The Gran Chaco the Pampas are the domain of gauchos (cowboys) and the epicenter of the Argentinean beef and grain industry. Close to the Chilean border is the statuesque Andes mountain range within which lies the highest peak outside the Himalayas the ‘Cerro Aconcagua.’ The well known wine producing region of Mendoza is located at the foot of the Andes.

The south of the country has the region of Patagonia which possesses a savage appeal. Patagonia has the wildlife rich reserve of Peninsula Valdés as well as rivers which attract fly fisherman from all over the globe. Famed national parks are located here too such as the Parque Nacional Perito Moreno and the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares which has rapidly advancing Perito Moreno glacier which breaks off in chunks into Lake Argentino. Traveling south of Patagonia, one arrives at the world’s southern most city Urshuaia located on the scenic island of Tierra del Fuego which is shared by Chile and Argentina and is a starting point for many an Antarctic expedition.

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