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About Argentina and Hiking Patagonia | Patagonia Vacations

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Argentina is truly a country of contrasts for the adventurous vacationer

Bordered by Chile on the west, Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, Brazil and Uruguay on the northeast, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Argentina is located at the southern tip of South America. It is the eighth largest country in the world, slightly smaller than India. Argentina is a country of contrasts, offering European sophistication, rich indigenous and colonial history and an array of natural sights seen nowhere else on the planet. To visitors on Argentina tours, it is a place to be awed and challenged by nature, to dance the tango, to ride the pampas with the gauchos, to walk among penguins and to live it up in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America—in other words, a destination of endless fascination.

Like many South American countries, Argentina's modern political history has been stormy, but today it enjoys a stable democratic form of government. English is not widely spoken here, but Argentines are friendly and helpful, so the language barrier can almost always be surmounted when you travel to Argentina.

The twenty-three provinces of Argentina span desert to tropical jungle and Andes to icebergs. The country contains the Western Hemisphere's highest peak, the continent's most beautiful waterfall, breathtaking turquoise glaciers and colorful cliffs. Southern Explorations offers Argentina tours in five of these six regions, visiting the sights of most interest to international travelers. To its five Argentina Patagonia tours, ranging from seven to thirteen days, Southern Explorations offers many tour extensions to suit a wide range of interests, allowing travelers to customize their Argentina tours. To learn more about this exotic country, the areas where Southern Explorations visits and those we don't, read our Argentina Regions pages.
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Argentina at a glance

OFFICIAL NAME: Argentine Republic
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE: Democracy
PRESIDENT: Nestor Kirchner (2003)
Justicialist Party
Born in Patagonia, governor of Santa Cruz Province before being elected president
Law degree
POPULATION: 38,747,000 (2005 est.)
CAPITAL: Buenos Aires
Population 16 Million
OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES (ranked by population): Cordoba
Rosario
Mendoza
La Plata
San Miguel de Tucaman
ETHNICITY: European descent 85%
Indian, Meztiso and other minorities 15%
LANGUAGES: Spanish and many indigenous languages
LITERACY: 97.2%
LIFE EXPECTANCY: Men 71.95
Women 79.65
RELIGION: Roman Catholic 93%
Protestant 2%
Other 5%
AREA: 1,073,519 square miles excluding Falkland Islands and Antarctic claims
PROTECTED AREAS: National parks 29
National reserves 10
National monuments 6
NATIONAL FLOWER: Ceibo (Erythrina crista-galli)
NATIONAL BIRD: Rufous Hornero (of the genus Furnarius), known as Oven bird
NATIONAL ANIMAL: Puma
NATIONAL STONE: Rodocrosita, called Rose of the Inca
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Food processing
Agribusiness
Manufacturing
MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS: Wheat
Soybeans
Corn
Rice
Wine grapes
Flax seed
Sugarcane
HOLIDAYS: 1/1 New Year's Day
March-April Good Thursday
March-April Good Friday
3/24 Memorial Day
4/2 Malvinas Day
5/1 Labor Day
5/24 Revolucion de Mayo (Buenos Aires Independence)
6/20 National Flag Day
7/9 National Independence Day
8/17 Jose de San Martin Day
9/1 Teacher's Day
9/21 Student's Day
10/12 Columbus Day
12/8 Day of Immaculate Conception
12/24 Christmas Eve
12/25 Christmas
CUISINE: There are over 6,000 restaurants, cafes and bars in Buenos Aires alone. The country's vast agricultural regions, ranches and fishing areas make Argentina a diner's delight, especially when sampling its grilled meats and quality wines. The country's European influence is reflected in its menus. Beef fanciers should learn the word parilla, often included on a restaurant's sign to indicate that barbecued steak is a specialty. And then there's the platter o' beef, called the parrillada, a grilled specialty in the pampas that serves up a sampling of every part of the cow including the udder. Cazuelas consisting of meat, a variety of vegetables and sometimes fruit are popular stews. An Argentine nouvelle cuisine is emerging. Mate, a strong stimulating tea sipped from a distinctive seasoned gourd through a metal bombilla is the national convivial beverage.
CURRENCY: Peso (ARS)
TIME ZONE: Two hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time
INTERNATIONAL DIALING CODE: 54
ELECTRICITY: 220V, 50Hz