Argentina travel

Argentina is a country in southern South America. Itleading to another decade of Conservative rule.
ranks second in land area in South America, and eighthPolitical change led to the presidency of Juan
in the world.Perón in 1946, who tried to empower the working
Argentina occupies a continental surface area ofclass and greatly expanded the number of unionized
2,766,890 km2 (1,078,000 sq mi) between the Andesworkers. The Revolución Libertadora of 1955
mountain range in the west and the southern Atlanticdeposed him.
Ocean in the east and south. It is bordered byFrom the 1950s to 1970s, soft military and weak civilian
Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay inadministrations traded power. During those years the
the northeast, and Chile in the west and south. Theeconomy grew strongly and poverty declined (to less
country claims the British controlled territories of thethan 7% in 1975), but became increasingly protectionist.
Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and SouthAt the same time political violence continued to
Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Under theescalate. In 1973, Perón returned to the presidency,
name of Argentine Antarctica, it claims 969,464 km2but he died within a year of assuming power. His third
(374,312 sq mi) of Antarctica, overlapping other claimswife Isabel, the Vice President, succeeded him in office,
made by Chile and the United Kingdom.but the military coup of March 24, 1976 removed her
"Argentina" derives from the Latin argentum (silver).from office.
When the first Spanish conquistadors discovered theThe armed forces took power through a junta in
Río de la Plata, they named the estuary Marcharge of the self-appointed National Reorganization
Dulce ('Sweet Sea', as in a fresh water sea).Process until 1983. The military government repressed
Indigenous people gave gifts of silver to the survivorsopposition and terrorist leftist groups using harsh illegal
of the shipwrecked expedition, who were led by Juanmeasures (the "Dirty War"); thousands of dissidents
Díaz de Solís. The legend of Sierra del Plata"disappeared", while the SIDE cooperated with DINA
– a mountain rich in silver –and other South American intelligence agencies, and
reached Spain around 1524, and the name was firstwith the CIA in Operation Condor. Many of the military
seen in print on a Venice map from 1536. The sourceleaders that took part in the Dirty War were trained in
of the silver was the area where the city ofthe U.S.-financed School of the Americas, among them
Potosí was to be founded in 1546. An expeditionArgentine dictators Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto
that followed the trail of the silver up the ParanáViola. Economic problems, charges of corruption, public
and Pilcomayo rivers finally reached the source only torevulsion in the face of human rights abuses and, finally,
find it already claimed by explorers who reached itthe country's 1982 defeat by the British in the Falklands
from Lima, the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru.War discredited the Argentine military regime.
The name Argentina was first used extensively in theDemocracy was restored in 1983. Raúl
1612 book Historia del descubrimiento, población, yAlfonsín's Radical government took steps to
conquista del Río de la Plata (History of theaccount for the "disappeared", established civilian
discovery, population, and conquest of the Río decontrol of the armed forces, and consolidated
la Plata) by Ruy Díaz de Guzmán, naming thedemocratic institutions. The members of the three
territory Tierra Argentina (Land of Silver). In Britishmilitary juntas were prosecuted and sentenced to life
English, the traditional name of the country is Theterms. Failure to resolve endemic economic problems
Argentine but this term is no longer in common use.and an inability to maintain public confidence led to
HistoryAlfonsín's early departure six months before his
The first signs of human presence in Argentina areterm was to be completed.
located in the Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz),President Carlos Menem imposed a peso-dollar fixed
and date from 11,000 BC.[3] Around 1 AD, severalexchange rate in 1991 to stop hyperinflation and
corn-based civilizations developed in the Andean regionadopted far-reaching market-based policies, dismantling
(Santa María, Huarpes, Diaguitas, Sanavirones,protectionist barriers and business regulations, and
among others). In 1480, the Inca Empire under the ruleimplementing a privatization program. These reforms
of emperor Pachacutec launched an offensive andcontributed to significant increases in investment and
conquered present-day northwestern Argentina,growth with stable prices through most of the 1990s.
integrating it into a region called Collasuyu. In theToward the end of the 1990s, large fiscal deficits and
northeastern area, the Guaraní developed aovervaluation of the pegged peso caused a gradual
culture based on yuca and sweet potato. The centralslide into economic crisis. By the end of his term in
and southern areas (Pampas and Patagonia) were1999, these accumulating problems and perceived
dominated by nomadic cultures, unified in thecorruption had made Menem unpopular.
seventeenth century by the Mapuches.The Menem and de la Rúa administrations faced
European explorers arrived in 1516. Spain established adiminished competitiveness in exports, massive imports
permanent colony on the site of Buenos Aires in 1580;which damaged national industry and reduced
the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata wasemployment, chronic fiscal and trade deficits, and the
created in 1776. In 1806 and 1807 the British Empirecontagion of several economic crises. The Asian
launched two invasions to Buenos Aires, but the creolefinancial crisis in 1998 precipitated an outflow of capital
population repelled both attempts. On May 25, 1810,that mushroomed into a recession, and culminated in
after confirmation of the rumors about the overthroweconomic crisis in November of 2001. The next month,
of King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon, citizens of Buenosamidst bloody riots, President de la Rúa resigned.
Aires took advantage of the situation and created theIn two weeks, several presidents followed in quick
First Government Junta (May Revolution). Formalsuccession, culminating in Eduardo Duhalde's being
independence from Spain was declared on July 9, 1816appointed interim President of Argentina by the
in Tucumán.Legislative Assembly on 2 January 2002. Argentina
In 1817, General José de San Martíndefaulted on its international debt obligations. The
crossed the Andes to free Chile and Peru, thuspeso's almost 11-year-old linkage to the United States
eliminating the Spanish threat. Centralist and federalistdollar was abandoned, resulting in major depreciation
groups (Spanish: Unitarios and Federales) were inof the peso and a spike in inflation.
conflict until national unity was established and theWith a more competitive and flexible exchange rate,
constitution promulgated in 1853.the country implemented new policies based on
Foreign investment and immigration from Europe led tore-industrialization, import substitution, increased exports,
the adoption of modern agricultural techniques. In theand consistent fiscal and trade surpluses. By the end
1880s, the "Conquest of the Desert" subdued orof 2002, the economy began to stabilize. In 2003,
exterminated the remaining indigenous tribesNéstor Kirchner was elected president. During
throughout the southern Pampas and Patagonia.[4]Kirchner's presidency, Argentina restructured its
From 1887 to 1930, Argentina enjoyed increasingdefaulted debt with a steep discount (about 66
prosperity and prominence through an export-ledpercent) on most bonds, paid off outstanding debts
economy, and the population of the country swelledwith the International Monetary Fund, renegotiated
sevenfold. Conservative forces dominated Argentinecontracts with utilities, and nationalized some previously
politics until 1916, when their traditional rivals, theprivatized industries. Currently, Argentina is enjoying a
Radicals, won control of the government. The militaryperiod of high economic growth and increased political
forced Hipólito Yrigoyen from power in 1930,stability.