Although it has been inhabited since the paleolithic
era, the region that would become Argentina eventually became a colony
of Spain. Although it fought for and won its independence in the early
1800s, there was a long civil war afterwards that lasted until the
second half of the century. But for most of the late 1800s and early
1900s Argentina was a peaceful and stable nation. Waves of European
immigration changed the face of the country completely. In fact, at the
turn of the 20th century, Argentina was the 7th wealthiest nation in the
world. It was stable, prosperous, and was one of the most coveted
destinations for immigrants. And to give you some perspective, the 7th
wealthiest country today is the UK. But, as all good things come to an
end, so did Argentina’s stability. In the 1930s it descended into
political instability and hasn’t managed to recover since then. In spite
of that, along with Chile, it has remained one of the wealthiest and
most advanced countries in South America. Apart from the political and
economic situation, Argentina is blessed with some of the most amazing
geography in the world. From alpine peaks to subtropical beaches,
Argentina has it all. These are some things you never knew about
Argentina besides its incredible natural beauty!
|
|
At the turn of the 20th century, Argentina was the 10th wealthiest
nation in the world. Today it is the 54th wealthiest. This is due to
instability over the course of the last century.
|
|
Argentina has the highest number of
psychiatrists per capita of any country on Earth
|
|
Che Guevara, was actually a medical student from Argentina
|
|
The name Argentina is derived form the Latin word Argentum, meaning
"silver. The original colonists thought the new world was full of it. |
|
Between 1974 and 1983, nearly 30,000 went missing in Argentina thanks to
the military dictatorship.
|
|
In 2001, the country had 5 presidents in 10 days
|
|
If they want to buy dollars before traveling abroad, Argentinian
citizens have to send an application to the government explaining where,
when, and why they are traveling (currency controls by the government)
|
|
Surveys have found that Argentinians listen to the radio more than any
other country (20 hours per week)
|
|
In 1818, an Argentinian pirate named Hippolyte
Bouchard attacked Monterey, California and successfully raised the
Argentinian flag
|
|
At nearly 6,959 meters (22,831 ft), Aconcagua is the
highest mountain in the world outside of Asia
|
|
Along with 17 other nations, Argentina is one of the
world's mega-diverse countries. This is because it has a wide variety of
climatic and regional zones. These vary from the subtropical north all
the way to the polar south.
|
|
Argentina has the largest railway system in South America
|
|
CONAE is the space agency of Argentina
|
|
Argentina is the top tourist destination in South America with 5.57
million visitors in 2013 |