But as I promised, today I’m going to talk about my beautiful country ARGENTINA!!!
Hope you like it =)
Argentina is located in South America. It is bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the north-east, Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Chile to the west and the waters of the Drake Passage to the south. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the second largest in Latin America and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations. We also claim sovereignty over a little part of Antarctica ;). The country is composed of twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires (The capital).
Now that you’ve got a better picture of it let’s check what places you can go visit. The list is long but I’ll try to show you the main attractions, the most beautiful ones. As I always say, this country has everything from colourful mountains to enormous glaciers, from vineyards to breathtaking waterfalls, so let’s start.
You MUST go to Buenos Aires, the capital. Where you will find everything you look for in a big city. There are lots of museums, parks to relax, cinemas, theatres and a wild bustling night life. It has a lot of history, just walking around you can appreciate the European architecture, every time you’ll find something new to admire. I like comparing it to London, is a city that never sleep, everyday of the week you’ve got something to do and you’ll always find a place to go out. If you are here you need to go and experience a football match, I’ve never seen people so passionate about a sport anywhere else.
Up North I would recommend you visiting Salta, a beautiful colonial city with interesting museums and traditional peñas (local cheap food and folk music); Cafayate, a vineyard zone; Purmamarca (Jujuy), where you can find the Seven Colour Hill or, as we call it “Cerro de los Siete Colores”. Nature can be impressive sometimes and here is one of those places, you can actually see more than 7 different colours, just amazing. And not to far away you can go visit Tilcara, a pre-inca fortification, Humahuaca and the lovely Iruya.
If you start going south you’ll find Salinas Grandes, a salt desert around 6000 km2.
On the north-west, in the province of San Juan you can find the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, commonly known as El Valle de la Luna ( Moon Valley). The name comes from the otherworldly look of the rock formation. Check it for yourself.
To the west we got vineyards (Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja). Argentina is the biggest wine producer in Latin America and 5th in the world. So you can always go visit one and by the end enjoy a nice glass of wine of the best Malbec.
Along side the west, we’ve got the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world. Located in it, you’ve got the highest mountain in America, the Aconcagua, 6,960.8 meters.
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| San Martín de los Andes |
Further south, we are starting to reach the Patagonia region. Bariloche and San Martin de Los Andes, are beautiful cities with amazing landscapes and are really popular during the cold months. They are the top destinations to practice winter sports.
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| Cerro Catedral, Bariloche |
Even further south, but this time to the east coast. Here we find Puerto Madryn. Between the months of June and December you can find the Southern Right Whale, not the best looking whale to be honest, it’s covered in callosities, but an impressive one. You can also go visit the Magallenic penguins, funny little guys.
Even further further down south you’ve got El Calafate, where you can find Los Glaciares National Park, in which you’ve got the Perito Moreno Glacier, something that shouldn’t be missed.
Finally we got to the bottom, Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world (Reason why it should be included in your trip!). From here you can take a cruise ship to go to the Antarctica, something that I would love to do but it’s too expensive for me, at the moment, but someday, oh someday. You can never stop dreaming 😉
OK, now let’s go back up, to the east. You’ll find this spectacular falls, the Iguazú Falls. The most important part of it to see is the Devil’s Throat, which is 82 metres high, 150 m wide, and 700 m long. One of the reasons why I advise people to go here is not only because of this, it’s also because you can visit 3 countries in one day. The Iguazú Falls are shared between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, in a corner we call La Triple Frontera, the 3 boarders. How cool is that?
In the middle of the country we got the province of Córdoba, the second most populated province in Argentina. These province is important for two reasons. One, after WW1 and WW2, there was a lot of immigration, specially from Germany. This is probably why people say the Nazis have hidden themselves in the hills. But because of them, the Germans not the other ones, now, every October we celebrate Oktoberfest in Villa General Belgrano. It’s a big party with lots of German food, beer and traditional dancing. I’ve been there twice and is lots of fun. Two: Also located in Córdoba,in the city of Alta Gracia to be precise, one of the most famous Argentinians, Ernesto “CHE” Guevara, used to live. His house is now a museum.
Last but not least we got the city of Rosario, the birthplace of Lionel Messi and Che Guevara. You can also find the monument to the Argentinian flag. It’s a great city, really chilled with lots to see and night life to enjoy, as well as some of the most amazing people you are going to meet.
- 1502 first European arrival. But it wasn’t until 1776 that that Buenos Aires became the capital of the Vice royalty of the Río de la Plata (we were a Spanish colony as you might guess).
- During 1806 and 1807 we resisted two ill-fated British invasions. Sometimes I wonder if we would be in a better situation if things end up in a different way =P.
- 25th of May 1810, the MAY REVOLUTION, where we decided to kick Spain out and send them back home.
- 9th of July 1816 Argentina became independent, after the Independence War. We achieved this with the help of General Martín Miguel de Güemes, José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. These men fought to free South America.
- By the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th century (especially after WW1 and WW2), Argentina received a lot of immigrants from all around the world; Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, UK, Switzerland, Austria, just to name some European countries. As well as from Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and Morocco.
- 1946 Juan Domingo Perón, a military officer, wins the presidential elections. After which he nationalised industries and services, improved the working conditions and wages, paid the whole external debt and made sure everyone had a job. He was popular between the working class.
- Perón’s wife is known worldwide, her name was Eva Duarte de Perón, she dedicated herself to help the less fortunate and improve women’s rights. Women’s suffrage was granted in 1947. She was impersonated by Madonna in the musical Evita.
- In 1966 the military forces retake the power. Juan Carlos Onganía was named president. He closed the Congress, banned all political parties and dismantled all student unions and many worker unions. By doing so he caused two big protests in 1969, the Cordobazo in Córdoba and the Rosariazo in Rosario.
- 1973 Perón returns to the country and is soon re-elected president. But just a year later he died and was succeeded by his new wife, Isabelita.
- On 24 March 1976 military service take the power once again. This time anyone that had a different idea, a different opinion from them would then be made to “disappear”.
- These actions were part of the OPERATION CONDOR, a campaign directed by the CIA to take control over Latin America. It involved the military in each country repressing and terrorising the opponent, murdering, kidnapping and torturing any one that represented a “threat”. (My mum wouldn’t forgive me if I forget to mention this)
- 1982 Leopoldo Galtieri decided to take back sovereignty over the Falklands (Las Islas Malvinas), sending people that weren’t properly trained nor equipped for the low temperatures on the islands. Back then the military service was mandatory. The war lasted 2 months and Argentina was defeated.
- 1983 Alfonsín was the new president and we became a democracy once again. He established the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP) to investigate the forced disappearances, they listed 8961 people.
