Tell me about Argentina

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    That question requires a very long answer meetdilip

    A fairly tumultuous history, especially in recent years with a military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983, the country has leapt from economic prosperity to crisis in frequent measure, but more the latter.

    Bureaucracy is ever present, the government struggles to put the economic ship back on course and roads are excellent generally. The people are very polite and friendly and it gets very hot and humid indeed in summer, but perhaps not quite as hot as India.

    Barbecued meat (Asados) is probably the national dish.

    From top to bottom the country is about 4000kms and takes in sub tropical jungle to near Antarctic lands.

    Quote from EJLarson

    A good start in understanding today’s Argentina would be to Google “Peronism.” That will get you a seventy-year quick summary of why things are the way they are today.

    ... but only politically.


    Argentina is a large and geographically diverse country, from the multicolored rock outcropping sand deserts of the north to the glaciers of the south, with mountains in the West and center, wide expanses of central farmland, and Atlantic Ocean beaches in the east. And then there is Buenos Aires! Captivating, complex, historic, dilapidated, sophisticated, welcoming.

    True, the peronists had little to do with the mountains and glaciers, but peronism was/is quite a bit more than just a political movement. It has also defined much, maybe most, of Argentina’s culture for these last seventy years.

    One guy did try to pickpocket me on the subway but he was so useless at it I soon let him know I'd sussed him out and he disappeared. Apart from that I've not had a problem. Probably safer here than in Britain to be honest.


    The biggest danger here is from road users. The standard of driving is abysmal.

    Argentina used to be a promising nation from 1880 to 1946, when we have a comfortable economic complement with the UK and some other European countries.

    Then came Peron and his populism, which eroded the basis of good work ethics. The Middle class (once the most numerous in Latin America) began to have difficulties, and the poor did not progressed as before.

    Our great problem nowadays is the rate of poor people (30%), while in the 1940's that was about 10 %. Another great economic problem is the disadvantage of spending more than our public revenues, which provokes a vicious circle which fuel inflation.

    Many previous populist governments, after Peron (1895.1974), has used the common resource of creating useless jobs paid from the State to gain votes.


    Some pro's:

    No racial struggles.

    No inmediate risk of war with any part of the world.

    Traffic very dense but quite acceptable.

    Good public transport (railways, buses, subways) at low prices.

    Acceptable education (Schools, High schools and universities, state owned or private. Private education, left aside "prestige colleges" are affordable.

    A lot of unpopulated land.