Argentina And Its Toilets Essay, Research Paper

officially Argentine Republic, Spanish Rep*blica Argentinacountry occupying most of the southern portion, or southern cone, of South America. With an area of 1,073,399 square miles (2,780,092 square km) more extensive than Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas combined it is the eighth largest country in the world. Argentina is shaped like an inverted triangle with its base at the top; it is some 880 miles (1,420 km) across at its widest from east to west and stretches 2,360 miles (3,800 km) from the subtropical north to the subantarctic south. This great north-south length embraces regions of striking diversity, including the Andes Mountains, the thorny scrubland and seasonal swamps of the Gran Chaco, the broad, fertile plains of the Pampas, the stark tableland of Patagonia, and an undulating Atlantic coastline of some 2,900 miles (4,700 km). Argentina also claims a portion of Antarctica, as well as several islands in the South Atlantic, including the British-ruled Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). It is bounded by Chile to the south and west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Buenos Aires is the capital.

For many foreigners, especially Europeans, Argentina has presented the traditional New World image of a land of romance and opportunity. It received its name, roughly translated as Land of Silver or Silvery One, from Spanish explorers of the 16th century, who were lured there by rumours of vast mineral wealth. In the 19th century the former colony of Spain was the land of gauchos, the lone horsemen of the Pampas, and of estancieros, ranchers who lived like kings on estancias the size of small countries. In the last part of the 19th and the first quarter of the 20th century, Argentina became for the poor of Europe a place where they could earn a decent living on the expansive farmland of the interior or in the growing cities of the coast. During this period, millions of immigrants came to Argentina, bringing skills that helped transform it into a modern country whose agriculture and industry has remained among the most productive of Latin America.

Historically, Argentina has repeatedly been subject to rule by a caudillo figure a strong leader, often from the military, who dominated the nation, usually until he was deposed or died. During its periods of democratic rule, Argentina has been administered as a federation of autonomous states with a republican system of government. In the late 20th century the nation was set back by failed policies that led to misadventures such as the Falkland Islands War of 1982, which cost Argentina dearly in terms of both morale and finances. Moreover, economic policies promulgated by the government have at times brought or exacerbated hyperinflation. Argentina’s recovery from such disappointments and its prospects for future development are based on the potential manifested in its excellent resources and its well-educated populace.