The document provides an overview of Argentina's geography, people, culture, and history. It notes that Argentina has a total area of 2.8 million square kilometers, with diverse regions including fertile plains, oil-rich southern plateau, subtropical northern flats, and mountainous western border. It describes Argentina's population of over 40 million as predominantly descended from European immigrants, and notes the cultural influences of European traditions as well as indigenous peoples. It briefly outlines Argentina's history from earliest human settlements over 11,000 years ago, through conquest by the Inca and Spanish colonization, to recent waves of European immigration and development of modern agriculture and institutions.

1. Assignment 1
The Nation Report
Argentina
Arash Saysan

2. Geography 1:
• The total surface area (excluding the
Antarctic claim) is 2,766,891 km2
(1,068,303 sq mi), of which 30,200 km2
(11,700 sq mi) (1.1%) is water
• There are four major regions: the fertile
central plains of the Pampas, source of
Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to
rolling, oil-rich southern plateau of
Patagonia including Tierra del Fuego; the
subtropical northern flats of the Gran
Chaco, and the rugged Andes mountain
range along the western border with
Chile.

3. Geography 2:
• The major rivers are the Paraná
(the largest), the Pilcomayo,
Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado, Río
Negro, Salado and the Uruguay.
• Regionally important rivers are the
Atuel and Mendoza in the
homonymous province, the
Chubut in Patagonia, the Río
Grande in Jujuy and the San
Francisco River in Salta.
• The highest point above sea level
is in Mendoza province at Cerro
Aconcagua (6,962 m (22,841 ft))
• The lowest point is Laguna del
Carbón in Santa Cruz province, -
105 m (−344 ft) below sea level,
the lowest point in South America.

4. People 1:
• The census of 2001 counted a
population of 36,260,130, and the
estimate for 2008 was 40,482,000.
Argentina ranks third in South America
in total population and 30th globally.
Argentina's population density is 15
persons per square kilometer of land
area, well below the world average of
50 persons. The population is
unevenly distributed: the city of
Buenos Aires has a population density
of over 14,000 inhab./km², while Santa
Cruz province has fewer than 1
inhab./km². Benefiting from a
moderate birth rate since the
1930s,[34] Argentina is the only nation
in Latin America with a net positive
migration rate: about 4 net immigrants
per 10,000 locals, yearly.

5. People 2:
• Argentina is considered a country of immigrants.
• Most Argentines are descended from colonial-era
settlers and of the 19th and 20th century immigrants
from Europe, and 86.4% of Argentina's population self-
identify as European descent An estimated 8% of the
population is mestizo. A further 4% of Argentines were
of Arab or East Asian heritage. In the last national
census, based on self-identification, 600,000
Argentines (1.6%) declared to be Amerindians.
• The majority of these European immigrants came from
Italy and Spain.
• The first Asian-Argentines were of Japanese descent;
Koreans, Vietnamese and Chinese followed. Today,
Chinese are the fastest growing community and over
70,000 Chinese-born live in the largest Argentine
cities.

6. Culture 1:
• Argentine culture has significant European
influences. Buenos Aires, considered by many
its cultural capital, is often said to be the most
European city in South America, as a result
both of the prevalence of people of European
descent and of conscious imitation of European
styles in architecture. The other big influence is
the gauchos and their traditional country
lifestyle of self-reliance. Finally, indigenous
American traditions (like yerba mate infusions)
have been absorbed into the general cultural
milieu.
• Numerous Argentine architects have enriched
their own country's cityscapes and, in recent
decades, those around the world.
• One of the most influential Argentine figures in
fine arts was Xul Solar, whose surrealist work
used watercolors as readily as unorthodox
painting media; he also "invented" two
imaginary languages.
• Combination of Art Nouveau with Italianate
styles.

7. Culture 2:
• Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert
dishes common to continental Europe, Argentines enjoy
a wide variety of indigenous creations, which include
empanadas (a stuffed pastry), locro (a mixture of corn,
beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd), humitas and
yerba mate, all originally indigenous Amerindian
staples, the latter considered Argentina's national
beverage. Other popular items include chorizo (a spicy
sausage), facturas (Viennese-style pastry) and Dulce
de Leche.
• The official national sport of Argentina is pato, played
with a six-handle ball on horseback, but the most
popular sport is association football. The national
football team has won 25 major international titles
including two FIFA World Cups, two Olympic gold
medals and fourteen Copa Américas. Over one
thousand Argentine players play abroad, the majority of
them in European football leagues. There are 331,811
registered football players, with increasing numbers of
girls and women, who have organized their own
national championships since 1991 and were South
American champions in 2006.

8. History 1:
• The earliest evidence of humans in
Argentina is in Patagonia (Piedra Museo,
Santa Cruz) and dates from 11,000 BC
(Santa María, Huarpes, Diaguitas and
Sanavirones, among others). The Inca
Empire under King Pachacutec invaded
and conquered present-day northwestern
Argentina in 1480, integrating it into a
region called Collasuyu; the Guaraní
developed a culture based on yuca, sweet
potato and yerba mate. The central and
southern areas (Pampas and Patagonia)
were dominated by nomadic cultures,
unified in the 17th century by the
Mapuches.[citation needed]
• European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain
established the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1542
encompassing all its holdings in South
America, and established a permanent
colony at Buenos Aires in 1580 as part of
the dependency of Río de la Plata. In 1776
this dependency was elevated to a
viceroyalty which shifted trade from Lima
to Buenos Aires.

9. History 2:
• A wave of foreign investment and immigration
from Europe after 1870 led to the development
of modern agriculture and to a near-reinvention
of Argentine society and the economy and the
strengthening of a cohesive state. The rule of
law was consolidated in large measure by
Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, whose 1860
Commercial Code and 1869 Civil Code laid the
foundation for Argentina's statutory laws.
General Julio Argentino Roca's military
campaign in the 1870's established Argentine
dominance over the southern Pampas and
Patagonia, subdued the remaining indigenous
peoples and left 1,300 indigenous dead. Some
contemporary sources indicate that it was
campaign of genocide by the Argentine
government.
• In 1946, General Juan Perón was elected
president, creating a political movement
referred to as "Peronism".

10. Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina