Travel Argentina and Argentina tour packages include complete information about tourist attractions in Argentina. First explored in 1516 by Juan Díaz de Solis, Argentina developed slowly under Spanish colonial rule. Buenos Aires was settled in 1580; the cattle industry was thriving as early as 1600. Invading British forces were expelled in 1806-1807, and after Napoléon conquered Spain (1808), the Argentinians set up their own government in 1810. On July 9, 1816, independence was formally declared.
As it had in World War I, Argentina proclaimed neutrality at the outbreak of World War II, but in the closing phase declared war on the Axis powers on March 27, 1945. Juan D. Perón, an army colonel, emerged as the strongman of the postwar era, winning the presidential elections of 1946 and 1951. Perón's political strength was reinforced by his second wife-Eva Duarte de Perón (Evita)-and her popularity with the working classes.

Second in South America only to Brazil in size and population, Argentina is a plain, rising from the Atlantic to the Chilean border and the towering Andes peaks. Aconcagua (22,834 ft, 6,960 m) is the highest peak in the world outside Asia. Argentina is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, and by Uruguay and Brazil on the east. The northern area is the swampy and partly wooded Gran Chaco, bordering on Bolivia and Paraguay. South of that are the rolling, fertile Pampas, which are rich in agriculture and sheep- and cattle-grazing and support most of the population. Next southward is Patagonia, a region of cool.

1,056,636 sq mi (2,736,690 sq km); total area: 1,068,296 sq mi (2,766,890 sq km)

40,301,927 (growth rate: 0.9%); birth rate: 16.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 14.3/1000; life expectancy: 76.3; density per sq mi: 38

Buenos Aires, 13,349,000 (metro. area), 2,768,772 (city proper)

Córdoba, 1,486,200; Rosario, 1,276,900; Mendoza, 988,600; Mar del Plata, 683,700

Peso

Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

White (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%; mestizo, Amerindian, other 3%

Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

96.2% (1995 est.)

Fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium.

Sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock.

Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of the countries shown in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.
(b) nationals of Andorra, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia & Montenegro, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela for stays of up to 90 days.
(c) nationals of Grenada, Hong Kong (BNO), Jamaica and Malaysia for stays of up to 30 days.
(d) transit passengers holding confirmed onward or return tickets for travel provided continuing their journey within six hours and not leaving the airport.

Tourist: US$28 ; Business: US$47 . Passengers requiring visas for transit only should still apply for tourist visas. The cost of visas changes monthly with exchange rates.

Visas are generally valid for stays of up to 90 days. Extensions for a further 180 days are possible for some nationals; contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for details.