ARGENTINA |
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Argentina is a Spanish-speaking country in southern South America, situated between the Andes in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east. It is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast and Chile in the west. The country is formally named the Argentine Republic, whilst for purposes of legislation the form Argentine Nation (Nacion Argentina) is used.
Origin and history of the name
The name Argentina is derived from the Latin argentum (silver). The origin of this name goes back to the first voyages made by the Spanish conquerors to Río de la Plata. The survivors of the shipwrecked expedition mounted by Juan Díaz de Solís found indigenous people in the region who gave them silver objects as presents. The news about the legendary Sierra del Plata – a mountain rich in silver – reached Spain around 1524. Since then, the Spaniards named the river of Solís, Río de la Plata (River of Silver). |
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Politics
The Argentine constitution of 1853, as revised in 1994, mandates
a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial
branches at the national and provincial level. The president and
vice president are directly elected to 4-year terms. Both are
limited to two consecutive terms; they are allowed to stand for
a third term or more after an interval of at least one term. The
president appoints cabinet ministers, and the constitution
grants him considerable power as both head of state and head of
government, including authority to enact laws by presidential
decree under conditions of "urgency and necessity" and the line-item
veto.
Argentina's parliament is the bicameral National Congress or
Congreso Nacional, consisting of a senate (Senado) of 72 seats
and a Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) of 257 members.
Since 2001, senators have been directly elected, with each
province, including the Federal Capital, represented by three
senators. Senators serve 6-year terms. One-third of the Senate
stands for reelection every 2 years. Members of the Chamber of
Deputies are directly elected to 4-year terms. Voters elect half
the members of the lower house every 2 years. Both houses are
elected via a system of proportional representation.
Administrative Divisions
Argentina is divided into 23 provinces (provincias; singular:
provincia), and 1 federal district (capital federal), marked
with an asterisk:
Buenos Aires*
Buenos Aires Province
Catamarca
Chaco
Chubut
Córdoba
Corrientes
Entre Ríos
Formosa
Jujuy
La Pampa
La Rioja
Mendoza
Misiones
Neuquén
Río Negro
Salta
San Juan
San Luis
Santa Cruz
Santa Fe
Santiago del Estero
Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands
Tucumán
Note: The official name for the federal district is "Ciudad
Autónoma de Buenos Aires". The official name for the
alphabetically second-to-last province is "Tierra del Fuego,
Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur".
Demographics
Argentines are a fusion of diverse national and ethnic groups,
with descendants of Italian and Spanish immigrants predominant.
Waves of immigrants from many European countries arrived in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Patagonian Chubut Valley
has a significant Welsh descended population and retains many
Welsh placenames and aspects of Welsh culture. Syrian, Lebanese,
and other Middle Eastern immigrants number about 500,000, mainly
in urban areas. The only official language is Spanish, though
immigrants have to an extent retained their original languages.
Argentina's population is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, which
is Argentina's official religion, but it also has the largest
Jewish population in Latin America, about 300,000 strong, and is
home to one of the largest Islamic mosques in Latin America.
Protestant communities are also present. The indigenous
population, estimated at 700,000, is concentrated in the
provinces of the north, northwest, and south.
Culture
Tango
Tango is a social dance form that originated in Buenos Aires and
Montevideo. The musical styles that evolved together with the
dance are also known as tango. Early tango was known as tango
criollo or simply tango. Today, there are many tango dance
styles including Argentine tango, ballroom tango (American and
International styles), Finnish tango, Chinese tango, and vintage
tangos. Argentine tango is often regarded as the "authentic"
tango since it is closest to that originally danced in Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
Music and dance elements of tango are popular in activities
related to dancing, such as figure skating, synchronized
swimming, etc., because of its dramatic feeling and rich
opportunities for improvisation on the eternal topic of love. |
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