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Argentina
By Robert Hamwee Bravo Ltd
Copyright © 2006 Kuperard
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-85733-550-7
CHAPTER 1
LAND & PEOPLE
GEOGRAPHICAL SNAPSHOT
Argentina is not a land of palm trees and tropical beaches, as most images of South America portray. Associating a Latin American country with skiing and cold winters as well as hot and humid summers might seem odd, but this is only one of the many aspects that gives this country its own standing as an exciting, inviting, and unforgettable place to visit, be it for business or pleasure.
Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world and the second-largest in South America (after Brazil), covering a distance of almost 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from its northernmost to southernmost points. As a result, the country offers an outstanding variety of scenery, climate, and geographical features.
To the west of the country, dividing Chile and Argentina, lies the Andes mountain range, extending all the way from the northwestern corner to the southern tip of the country. The Puna is a large plain that lies at an average of 10,499 feet (3,200 meters) above sea level on the northwestern corner of Argentina near the borders with Bolivia and Chile. As you go south along the Andes you'll reach the region of Cuyo, an area that features snowcapped mountains throughout the year. With many passes frequently blocked by heavy snowfalls during winter, it is in this area where you can find the 22,831-foot (6,959-meter) Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes range, and indeed in South America.
Further south lies Patagonia, where the landscape features lakes, forests, and sharp mountain peaks near the Andes in the west, very reminiscent of an Alpine scene, and a vast semi-deserted plain as you travel east toward the Atlantic Ocean. As you approach the southernmost tip of continental Argentina, on the way to Tierra del Fuego ("Land of Fire"), named after the fires lit by the indigenous tribes of the region, you will find spectacular views of glaciers, including the world's largest, Glaciar Perito Moreno.
Nature and wildlife enthusiasts are spoiled for choice in the region of Patagonia. Whales, penguins, and many species of birds are among the fauna of the area. Many initiatives have been put in place to safeguard the wildlife of the region, which, as in many other parts of the world, is facing a rapid decline in numbers and in some cases the sad possibility of extinction.
THE REGIONS AND CLIMATE
Due to Argentina's great coverage in terms of latitude (a span of 34 degrees), different climates can be observed as one travels in a north–south direction. These range from hot subtropical in the northwest, close to the border with Bolivia, to freezing temperatures in the glacier regions of the south. Visitors are advised to bring the appropriate clothing for the regions and the season of their visit.
The Northwest
This is a mountainous region of hot climate and very colorful landscapes, mainly comprising the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, La Rioja, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán. It is an area of historic relics, old churches, and ruins of structures that were once part of the great Inca civilization. The high plains of the Puna — known as the Route of the Incas — is a vast area extending well into northwest Chile, southwest Bolivia, and southern Peru. It is made up of a series of plains, 9,843 to 11,483 feet (3,000 to 3,500 meters) high, separated by lower hills mainly as a result of intense volcanic activity. It features a hot climate, with temperatures soaring during the day but dropping sharply at night.
The Eastern Andes is where the famous quebradas lie, a series of colorful valleys that form one of the most important tourist attractions of the area. Among them is the famous Quebrada de Humahuaca, declared a World Heritage area in 2003.
The East and Northeast
As one travels east, one finds the subtropical forests of Formosa and Chaco, rich in flora and fauna and with a hot and humid climate. This is an area of large rivers, rich landscapes, and exuberant vegetation, home to many national parks and the famous Iguazú Falls.
The rivers Paraná and Uruguay run along the eastern and western borders of the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, and Entre Ríos. These three provinces are known as Mesopotamia, a name that in Greek means "between rivers," as does the name of the province of Entre Ríos in Spanish. Their people are cheerful, friendly, and hospitable, having developed their own style of language and music (chamamé) and sharing some characteristics with their Paraguayan neighbors. The work carried out by missionaries in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has left behind a legacy of historic Jesuit ruins, now a World Heritage area.
Cuyo
This region lies halfway down the country and is comprised of the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan, bordering Chile to the west and San Luis to the southeast of the region. Dominated by high peaks, snowcapped mountains, and rocky landscapes, its climate can be quite varied due to the influence of the Andes, with hot summers and freezing winters as one travels west. The province of Mendoza has gained a reputation as a producer of excellent wines. Most grapes (of European origin) have been grown in the region since the sixteenth century. The national park of Ischgualasto or Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon") in the province of San Juan offers a quasi-surrealist lunarlike landscape. This park is a paleontologist's haven, famous for its fossils, and remains of ancient civilizations can be found here.
The Pampas
The region known as Pampa Humeda ("Humid Pampa") is the center of agricultural activity, having the richest soil in the country. It comprises the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fé, and La Pampa. It is generally flat, with two small areas of low hills in the regions of Tandil and Ventana. A temperate climate predominates, where temperatures can range from the mid-nineties Farenheit (mid-thirties Celsius) during the hot and humid summers (January to March) to just below the freezing point in winter.
The West and South
As one reaches Tierra del Fuego in the south, temperatures can easily reach 5°F (-15°C) in winter and climb to about 64°F (18°C) in summer. Ushuaia, its capital, is the southernmost city in the world.
To the west of the country, running along the Andes from the province of Mendoza, through Neuquén, Rio Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz, all the way down south to Tierra del Fuego, heavy snowfalls and subzero temperatures in winter provide the ideal conditions for winter sports. It is here where Argentina's ski resorts can be found, ranging from important international centers to smaller local ones.
THE ARGENTINIANS: A VERY MIXED BAG
Many cultures have helped to shape Argentina's society into one that differentiates itself very prominently from the rest of Latin America. The British, Spanish, Italians, Germans, French, and most recently Koreans have found a home in Argentina. The extent to which these groups, mostly of European origin, are represented varies in number, but they make up 99 percent of the population.
On the other hand, Afro-Argentinians constitute a very small minority. Despite slavery having been no less prevalent in Argentina than in other countries until the early nineteenth century, the black community represents less than 1 percent of the overall population. The same applies to other ethnic minorities such as descendants of the original Amerindian tribes.
The Italians and Spanish
Argentina has witnessed great waves of immigrants throughout its history. The Spanish and Italians were by far the largest groups to seek new fortunes in the New World, and evidence of this is very strong in everyday life. A large proportion of surnames in Argentina are either Italian or Spanish; even local slang incorporates some Italian words. Unsurprisingly many of these communities have not developed in the same way as their European counterparts, the Italians perhaps remaining more Italian than their ancestors back home, and likewise the Spanish. This is possibly a result of being cut off from their roots and of not being exposed to those common external factors that have molded other societies over the years.
The first and second generations who arrived in Argentina still spoke their ancestors' language, and many of them spoke Spanish with a heavy accent, particularly the Galician community. As subsequent generations were born and educated in Argentina, and older generations passed away, their original languages would no longer be spoken. Typical Spanish names like Pérez, Rodríguez, and Fernández are perhaps the most common surnames in Argentina. The Italians and Spanish brought with them strong Catholic sensibilities and a firm sense of family unity that to this day remains at the heart of Argentinian values.
The English, the Scots, and the Welsh
The small British community holds an important place within Argentinian society in areas such as commerce, trade, and industry. The British in Argentina have retained a strong identity, although they have become well integrated into Argentinian society. They were instrumental in the development of Argentina's large railway network — the opportunities for employment and the skills required opened the doors to a wave of immigrants from Britain.
Despite a brief period of low popularity during the Falklands War in 1982, the British community continues to be represented and respected across the country. It has grown over the years, settling in many areas of the country, most of them in the capital but also in cities like La Cumbre in the province of Córdoba.
Since the early nineteenth century, Scots, Welsh, and English have arrived on the coasts of the River Plate, establishing closely knit communities and founding schools, churches, and businesses, many of which are still there to this day. Their influence is still evident in place-names such as Temperley, Wilde, and Hurlingham. Traditional private English schools are still favored by many as a paragon of good education.
Caledonian balls, bagpipes, and kilts are still very much part of life for the Scottish community, who continue to make their mark ever since the arrival of Scottish settlers in the 1830s. These traditions have been perpetuated through the St. Andrew's community of the River Plate. Until the mid-1980s there was even a Harrods outlet in Buenos Aires, which although not officially a branch of the famous London store had the same logo and corporate branding. Today, large shops like James Smart and Wrights are flagships of British influence in Argentina.
The Welsh arrived in Patagonia in 1865 and settled in the province of Chubut, mainly driven by the search for economic prosperity. They agreed to respect the laws of the country in exchange for land and respect for their own language and customs. Welsh tea houses, music, and poetry festivals, as well as the Welsh language, are still very much part of this community.
On the sports front, rugby, golf, tennis, and polo are great icons of the British presence.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The name Argentina derives from the word argentum, the Latin for silver. The name was coined by the Spanish conquistadores, who believed in the existence of large treasures in the area they discovered upon their arrival in the early part of the sixteenth century. The River Plate is, in fact, a mistranslation of Río de la Plata, whose literal (rather than phonetic) translation is "River of Silver," plata being the Spanish word for the precious metal. Argentina was a Spanish colony until it gained its independence on July 9, 1816.
Early Inhabitants
Due to its vast area and marked variation in both climate and geographic features, many different Amerindians inhabited Argentina in the early days. Much of the influence of these early inhabitants extended well beyond the borders of Argentina as we know them today. It is not surprising to see that so many centuries later, certain features and traditions are shared between those living in areas near the borders with Argentina's neighboring countries. These cultures and idiosyncrasies developed as a result of being faced with similar challenges, so commonalities can be found between indigenous inhabitants of the Andean region of northwest Argentina stretching from the province of Córdoba all the way to the provinces of Salta and Jujuy, and their neighbors across the borders in the Bolivian, Chilean, and Peruvian Andes, where climate and landscape are very similar. Patagonia was mainly inhabited by the Yaganes and the Onas (or Patagones).
The Spanish Conquistadores
When the Spanish arrived on what is now Argentinian soil they found a country that was very sparsely populated. The estuary of the River Plate all the way up to Paraguay was inhabited by over fifteen different tribes, among them the Tupí-Guaraníes, Querandíes, and Mocoretás.
The regions of Chaco to the northwest of Argentina and the Pampas in the center were inhabited by tribes originally from the western part of the country near the border with Chile. Among these tribes are the Ranqueles, the Puelches, and the Pampas, who migrated eastward in search of fertile land, eventually settling in the area known as the Pampas (which includes the province of the same name). This is the main and richest agricultural part of Argentina. These tribes were the ones who after years of contact with the Spanish conquistadores in the sixteenth century developed into what are known as the Gauchos, later spreading to other parts of the country and adapting their ways and customs to the local environment. The Gauchos, however, are indigenous to the Pampas. They were nomadic herdsmen, mainly making a living by cleaning and preparing leather for the manufacture of goods. Leather was the Gauchos' main source of income as meat had little commercial value in those days, due to its abundant supply for such a small population, the fact that it could not be kept for long periods, and the nonexistence of any kind of export logistics. Although considered as no more than nomadic travelers in their early days, the Gauchos have become one of the legendary symbols of Argentinian culture and tradition, portrayed as the essence of the Argentinian character in many literary works, one of the most renowned being Martín Fierro by the nineteenth-century poet José Hernández.
Argentina was officially discovered in 1516 by the Spanish navigator Juan Díaz de Solís, although many writers attribute its discovery to a Florentine explorer by the name of Amerigo Vespucci (Américo Vespucio in Spanish) in 1502. Vespucci was the first to claim that the newly discovered continent was not part of Asia (as originally thought); the mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller bestowed upon him, rather than Columbus, the title of discoverer of America and so named the continent after him. Vespucci died of malaria two years before Solís arrived at the estuary of the River Plate.
The "White King"
The quest to find a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans dates as far back as the days of the first conquistadores. Solís tried unsuccessfully to find a route by sailing up the River Plate, which he had initially called Mar Dulce ("Sweet Water Sea"), but it was not until four years later, in 1520, that Fernando de Magallanes (Magellan) achieved this by venturing south down the coast of Argentina and passing through the strait that bears his name. Solís was ambushed and killed by Querandí or Guaraní Indians in 1516. Upon his death, the rest of his crew decided to return to Spain, not all of them reaching their homeland as many were shipwrecked or captured by Indians.
Among those shipwrecked was a Portuguese sailor by the name of Alejo García, who had found refuge on the island of Santa Catalina, off the coast of Brazil. Like many of his fellow sailors in the same predicament, he had heard from the Indians on the nearby Brazilian coast of the existence of a king, a sovereign of immensely rich lands to the west. According to the Indians, the abundance of gold in this kingdom was such that even the houses were built with it. This monarch, according to the locals, was not of dark skin, but more like their conquerors. Thus the legend of the "White King" was born.
Spain's thirst for conquest of the Americas continued during the reign of Charles V (Charles I of Spain and later crowned Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1519). He sent his pilot-major, Sebastian Caboto (Cabot), to explore the River Plate; the fort of Sancti Spiritu that he founded in 1527, near modern Rosario, is considered to be the first Spanish settlement in Argentina.
The Birth of a Capital
In 1536, Pedro de Mendoza arrived at the River Plate. The purpose of his trip was threefold — to find the treasures of these new lands, to prevent Portuguese incursions into the territories, and to evangelize the native Indians. In February of that year, he founded the city of Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire, nowadays known as Buenos Aires. The name was given as an invocation of the Virgin Mary, a custom that had originated in Cagliari, Sardinia, which in those days belonged to Spain. Invocation of the Virgin for protection from the dangers of the sea was common practice among sailors of the Mediterranean.
The initial coexistence of the Amerindians and the conquistadores was a peaceful one, with the native Indians supplying food in exchange for goods. This, however, was not to last. The Amerindians became hostile and Mendoza was forced to sail up the coast of Brazil and the Paraná River in search of food. Mendoza's brother, Diego de Mendoza, remained behind, and he and those who stayed with him were attacked by over one thousand native Indians. The confrontation that ensued, the battle of Corpus Christi, resulted in the death of many Spaniards, including Diego de Mendoza.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Argentina by Robert Hamwee. Copyright © 2006 Kuperard. Excerpted by permission of Bravo Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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