Argentina is the second largest country in South America stretching from the tropic of Capricorn in the north to the tip of Cape Horn in the south. Climates in Argentina range from tropical in the north to glacial in the Andes. Buenos Aires has a temperate climate with hot summers December through February and cold winters June through August, but it rarely snows in the winter--it is usually chilly and rainy. The city is situated on the mouth of the Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic coast and across the river from Uruguay.

The first humans in Argentina arrived around 10,000 BC and were primarily hunter gatherers. The Spanish arrived in what is now Argentina in the 1500s searching for silver. The Spanish never found significant amounts of of silver or gold in Argentina and focused on colonizing more profitable regions of South America. Early on, northwestern Argentina prospered as an agricultural area supplying Bolivia and Peru with food. Buenos Aires was founded in 1536 but struggled as a due to the Spanish Crown's trade policy that dictated all trade with the colonies must be routed through Lima, Peru. In the late 18th century, Buenos Aires finally became a legitimate trade center after the relaxation of trade restrictions. In 1810, Buenos Aires declared independence from Span. Throughout the 19th century, Argentina grew due to immigration and experienced very strong economic growth. 20th century Argentina was characterized by military regimes and economic crises. In 1976, the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafaela Videla took control and started an era of terror and brutality, now referred to as la Guerra Sucia or the dirty war. Human rights organizations estimate that around 30,000 people were "disappeared" between 1976 and 1983. In 1983 a democratically elected government came back into power. Economic reforms and massive corruption culminated in the 2001 economic collapse and depression. At the height of the economic crisis in 2002, the unemployment rate was around 20% and 51% of the population lived below the poverty line. Since then, economic growth has been steady and the Argentines tend to be optimistic even though times are still tough.

Quick Facts

Official Country Name: Argentine Republic

Size: 2,766,890 km², about 30% the size of the US

Population: 40,302,000

Government: Republic

Currency: Argentine Peso, currently US $1 is about AR $3

Official Language: Spanish