Argentina is the second-largest country in South America and the eighth-largest country in the world.
Bariloche Bialet Masse Buenos Aires Campana Catamarca Cordoba El Calafate Iguazu Ituzaingo La Rioja Mar Del Plata Mendoza Neuquen Pilar Puerto Madryn Rosario Salta San Juan San Rafael Santa Catalina Ushuaia
It occupies a continental surface area of 2,791,810 km² (1,078,000 sq mi) and is located between the Andes mountain range in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east and south. It is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast, and Chile in the west and south. It also claims the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Under the name of Argentine Antarctica, it claims 969,464 km² (374,312 sq mi) of Antarctica, overlapping other claims by Chile and the United Kingdom.
Argentina is nearly 3,700 km long from north to south, and 1,400 km from east to west (maximum values). It can roughly be divided into three parts: the fertile plains of the Pampas in the central part of the country, the centre of Argentina's agricultural wealth; the flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in the southern half down to Tierra del Fuego; and the rugged Andes mountain range along the western border with Chile, with the highest point located in the province of Mendoza. Cerro Aconcagua, at 6,960 metres (22,834 ft), is the Americas' highest mountain.
The plains west and south from Buenos Aires are among the most fertile in the world. The western part of La Pampa province and the province San Luis also have plains, but they are drier. The Gran Chaco region in the north of the country is semi-arid.
The steppes of Patagonia, in the provinces of Neuquen, Rio Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, are of Tertiary origin. The first human settlement in this area dates back to the 10th century. The first European to reach this zone was Ferdinand Magellan and the first to traverse the Patagonian plain was Rodrigo de la Isla.
Major rivers include the Paraguay, Bermejo, Colorado, Uruguay and the largest river, the Paraná. The latter two flow together before meeting the Atlantic Ocean, forming the estuary of the Río de la Plata. The land between these both is called Mesopotamia and that land is shared by the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes and Entre Rios. The Argentine climate is predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from subtropical in the north to arid and sub-Antarctic in the far south.
The country has a claim over Antarctica, where it has maintaned a constant occupied presence for more than a century.
The cuisine of Argentina is distinctive in South America because of its strong resemblance to Italian, Spanish, French and other European cuisines rather than the other Latin American cuisines. Indigenous gastronomies derived from groups such as the Quechua, Mapuche, and Guarani have also played a role. Another determining factor in Argentine cuisine is that Argentina is one of the world's major food producers.
It is a major producer of meat (especially beef), wheat, corn, milk, beans, and since the 1970s, soybeans. Given the country's vast production of beef, red meat is an especially common part of the Argentine diet (in many periods of Argentine history the annual consumption of beef has been above 100 kg per capita and during the 19th century, neared 180 kg per capita.) Similarly, the enormous quantities of domestically-harvested wheat have made white bread (made with wheat flour) the most commonly found on the table, the wheat-based Italian dishes popular, and Argentine pizza use more dough than Italian pizza.
Besides some regional disparities addressed in this article, there exist at least two other comparisons which are important in understanding Argentine cuisine: the first distinguishes a cuisine that is essentially urban and cosmopolitan (highly influenced by the "globalization" of food and eating patterns) from a more traditional, idiosyncratic rural cuisine. The second comparison is made on the basis of socioeconomic differences. While certain foods can be found in all corners of the country (Asado -"barbecued meat"-; dulce de leche; empanadas; yerba mate in addition to all sorts of Italian, Spanish, and French dishes) one can map out four broad culinary regions based on major trends.
Argentines are famous for their high protein diet, particularly beef. Grilled meat (parrilla) from the asado is a staple, with steak and beef ribs especially common. Chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), chinchulines (chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbread), and other parts of the animal are enjoyed. In Patagonia, lamb and chivito - goat - are eaten more than beef. Whole lambs and goats can be seen on the asado. Chimichurri, a sauce of herbs and chili, is usually the only seasoning for steak and chorizo.
Breaded and fried meat (schnitzel)- milanesas - are used as snacks, in sandwiches or eaten warm with mashed potatoes - pure. Empanadas - pastries of meat, cheese, sweet corn and a hundred other varieties - are a common sight for parties, starters and picnics across Argentina. Another variation is the "empanada gallega" (Galician empanada), which has a round shape. Vegetables and salads are important too for Argentines, even beyond the fried or mashed potato. Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, eggplants, squashes and zucchini are common sides. Just as much as beef, Italian staples, such as pizza and al dente pasta, are eaten. Fideos, Tallarines, noquis, ravioles and canelones can be bought freshly-made in many establishments in the larger cities. Italian-style ice cream is served in large parlours and even drive-through businesses.
In Chubut, the Welsh community is known for their teahouses, with scones and Torta Galesa, rather like Torta negra. Sandwiches de miga are delicate sandwiches made with crustless buttered white bread, very thinly sliced cured meat and cheese and leaf lettuce. They are often purchased from entrepreneurial home cooks and consumed for a light evening meal. Argentine food also reflects its European roots and sometimes tend to vary in certain reigions then in others.
A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another national obsession, used to fill cakes and pancakes, spread over toasted bread for breakfast or as an ice cream flavour. Alfajores are shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche or a fruit paste. The "policeman's" or "truck driver's" sweet is cheese with quince paste or dulce de membrillo. Dulce de batata is made of sweet potato/yam: this with cheese is the Martin Fierro's sweet. Apples, pears, peaches, kiwifruits, avocados and plums are major exports.
A traditional drink of Argentina is an infusion called mate. The dried leaves and twigs of the yerba mate plant (Ilex paraguariensis) are placed in a small cup, also called mate, usually made from a gourd, but also bone or horn. The drink is sipped through a metal or cane straw called a bombilla. Mate can be sweetened with sugar, or flavored with aromatic herbs or dried orange peel, to hide its bitter flavour. Hot water is poured into the gourd at near-boiling point so as to not burn the herb and spoil the flavour. At family or small social gatherings, one mate may be shared by the group, with the host preparing the mate to the preference of each guest.
When one guest is finished, the mate is returned to the host, who will then prepare a mate for another guest. This is considered an important social ritual. Mate cocido is the same leaf, which rather than brewed, is boiled and served, as coffee or tea, with milk or sugar to taste. Other typical drinks include wine (occasionally mixed with carbonated water known as soda); tea and coffee are equally important. Quilmes is the national brand of pale lager, named after the town of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, where it was first produced.
Argentine culture has been primarily informed and influenced by its European roots. Buenos Aires is undeniably the most European city in South America and considered by many its cultural capital, due both to the prevalence of people of European descent and to conscious imitation.
Argentina has a rich history of world-renowned literature, including one of 20th century's most critically acclaimed writers, Jorge Luis Borges.
Argentine cinema has achieved international recognition with films such as "The Official Story", "Nine Queens" or "Iluminados por el Fuego", although they only rarely rival Hollywood-type movies in popularity. Even low-budget productions, however, have earned prizes in cinema festivals (such as Cannes). The city of Mar del Plata organizes its own festival dedicated to this art.
Argentine food is influenced by cuisine from Spain, Italy, Germany, France and other European countries. Argentina has a wide variety of staple foods, which include: Empanadas, a stuffed pastry; Locro, a mixture of corn, beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd; and Chorizo, a meat-based spicy sausage. The Argentine barbecue is one of the most famous in the world and includes various types of meats, among them chorizo, mollejas, chinchulín, and morcilla. A common custom among Argentines is mate.
Football is the most popular sport, although the national sport of the country is Pato. Argentina has a number of highly-ranked Polo players.
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Mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest. Argentina 
Bolivia 
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