Argentina

HISTORY

"Argentum” is the Latin for silver and Argentina's name means "Land of Silver." However, there is actually very little of the metal there. It was misnamed by explorers who thought they saw silver there.

Originally inhabited by American Indian peoples, the population of Argentina numbered about 300,000 at the time of the first visit by Europeans in the early 16th century.

In 1526 Sebastian Cabot, the pilot-major of Charles V, Holy Roman emperor and king of Spain landed at Rio De La Plata. On hearing of mineral wealth in the interior, he explored up the rivers Paraná and Paraguay. He constructed there a small fort called Sancti Spiritu at the confluence of the Paraná and the Río Carcarañá, in what is currently Santa Fe Province.

Sancti Spiritu, the first European settlement in Argentina, was destroyed by local natives on September 1, 1529.

Destruction of the Sancti Spiritu fort

The population rose against Spanish rule in 1810. On May 25, 1810 The Primera Junta, the first independent government in Argentina, was established in an open cabildo in Buenos Aires, marking the end of the May revolution.

May 25th is celebrated each year as the National Day of Argentina, a public holiday remembering the First National Government of Argentina.

Journalist Mariano Moreno published Argentina's first newspaper, the Gazeta de Buenos Ayres on June 7, 1810.

On July 9, 1816 a congress of deputies meeting at San Miguel de Tucumán declared the country's independence and elected Don Martin Pueyrredon supreme dictator.

The Argentine flag was raised at the city of Rosario on February 27, 1812. It was the Congress of Tucumán which finally designated it as the national flag in 1816.

Argentine National flag 

Between 1860 and 1930, exploitation of the rich land of the pampas strongly pushed economic growth. During the first three decades of the 20th century, Argentina outgrew Canada and Australia in per capita income By 1913, Argentina was the world's tenth wealthiest nation on a par with Germany.

On February 24, 1946 Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, was elected to his first term as President of Argentina.

Juan Perón's three terms of President of Argentina was overshadowed by his second wife Eva Perón — better known as Evita. She  ran the Ministries of Labor and Health, founded and ran the charitable Eva Perón Foundation, championed women's suffrage in Argentina, and founded and ran the nation's first large-scale female political party, the Female Peronist Party.

Isabel Perón, served as the 42nd President of Argentina from 1974 to 1976. She was the third wife of President Juan Perón.

On March 24, 1976, military leaders in Argentina led by Jorge Rafael Videla deposed President Isabel Perón in a coup d'état, established a military junta known as the National Reorganization Process, and began state-sponsored violence against dissidents known as the Dirty War.

Raúl Alfonsín became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after the country's return to civilian rule following a period of military dictatorship. He won the presidential election in 1983 and was inaugurated on December 10, 1983. This marked the end of nearly eight years of military rule in Argentina.

After a financial crisis in 2001, Argentina had five presidents in less than two weeks.

FUN ARGENTINA FACTS

Most Argentines are descendants of the 19th and 20th century immigrants, with about 97% of the population being of European, or of partial European descent.

Both the highest and lowest temperatures in South America were recorded in Argentina. The highest temperature ever recorded in South America was 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) in Rivadavia, Salta Province on December 11, 1905. The lowest temperature ever recorded in South America at low elevation was −32.8 °C (−27.0 °F) in Sarmiento, Chubut Province on June 1, 1907.

The reason why the temperature in Sarmiento was so low on June 1, 1907 is because of a cold front that moved through the area. The cold front brought with it cold air from the Antarctic, which caused the temperature in Sarmiento to drop below freezing. The cold front also caused snow to fall in the area, which is unusual for this time of year.

The Petrified Forest near Sarmiento

The highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. It rises 22,834 feet above sea level.

The soil in Argentina's Pampas is among the best in the world.

Argentina has had five different currencies since the 1960s—because of massive inflation, one modern peso equals ten trillion 1960s pesos.

Cristina Kirchner is Argentina's first elected female president, and the widow of a former president, Nestor Kirchner.

The official national sport of Argentina is pato, in which teams on horseback compete for possession of a ball with handles.

Argentina has the most pets worldwide per capita, with 80% of the population having a pet. Argentineans have the most dogs (66% of pet-owners). 

Bondiola sandwich or "Bondipan" is a popular street food in Argentina made with thick slices of pork shoulder, also known as "Bondiola" in Spanish. The pork shoulder is typically marinated in a mixture of oil, vinegar, garlic, and herbs before it is grilled or roasted to create a juicy and flavorful filling for the sandwich.

Bondiola sandwich with toppings By travelwayoflife - https://www.flickr.com/

The 29th day of each month is Gnocchi Day in Argentina, with almost all families eating gnocchi. The tradition started because the 29th of the month was just before payday, so money was tight, and only potatoes and flour were left. For extra luck, everyone gets a peso under their plate.

Hutchinson Encyclopedia © RM 2011. Helicon Publishing