The Andes Mountains run along
the western edge of the country. Their
highest peak is Mount Aconcagua, at
22,831 feet (6,959 meters). The North
includes the Gran Chaco, an area of dry
lowlands, and Mesopotamia, an area
between the Parana and Uruguay rivers.
The central Pampas are grasslands. Patagonia
is a cold, dry, windy region in the
south.
Tierra del Fuego is a group of islands off
the southern tip of the continent.
Argentina shares the islands with Chile.
Most of Argentina has a mild climate
with cool, damp winters. The northeastern
areas get the most rain.
Plants and Animals
Argentinas plants vary widely from
region to region. There are forests in the
Andes, thorny trees and cactuses in the
Parts of Patagonia are cold enough to be
covered by glaciers. Glaciers are masses of
moving ice.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Argentina 175
Gran Chaco, and rain forests in Mesopotamia.
In the Pampas there are grasses
in the humid section and scrub forests
in the dry section. Patagonia has zones
of broadleaf forests, steppe, and desert.
Argentina also has a wide variety of
wildlife. In the northwest live guanacos,
llamas, and alpacas. Deer, monkeys,
jaguars, and tapirs live in Gran Chaco
and Mesopotamia. Herds of cattle and
horses roam the Pampas. Parrots and
canaries live in the southern tip of the
country.
People
Most Argentines live in cities, especially
Buenos Aires. Most of the population
has European roots. About 10 percent of
Argentines are American Indian or mestizo
(a mixture of European and Indian).
Spanish is the national language. Roman
Catholicism is the main religion.
Economy
Banking and other services, manufacturing,
and trade are the most important
parts of the economy. Argentinas natural
resources of petroleum (oil) and
natural gas help its industries. Farmers
produce soybeans, sugarcane, grains,
beef, wool, and wine. Exported goods
include food, petroleum, and metal
products. Tourists also bring billions of
dollars to Argentina each year.
History
Native peoples of what is now Argentina
included the Tehuelche, the Querandi,
the Puelche, the Diaguitas, and the Inca.
Spaniards arrived in the early 1500s.
They founded the colony of Buenos
Aires in 1536. The Europeans forced the
native people to work for them.
Argentina was first part of Spanish Peru
and then part of a province called Rio de
la Plata. Rio de la Plata declared its independence
in 1816 but soon broke up in
a civil war. After the war, a series of dictators,
presidents, and military leaders
ruled Argentina.
In the 1900s Argentina suffered many
economic and political problems. President
Juan Peron, elected in 1946, and
his wife Eva (Evita) were popular among
workers for a time. However, the military
overthrew Peron in 1955 and his
third wife, President Isabel Peron, in
1976. The military government then
imprisoned and killed thousands of citizens
in what became known as the Dirty
War.
In 1982 Argentina went to war with the
United Kingdom over the Falkland
Islands. The United Kingdom gained
control of the islands. The defeat caused
Argentinas military leader to step down.
In 1983 the country held an election,
which ended military rule. Leaders then
worked to improve human rights and
the economy. In the late 20th and early
21st centuries, however, rising poverty
and unemployment led to protests
throughout Argentina.
..More to explore
Andes Buenos Aires Falkland Islands
Human Rights South America
Tierra del Fuego
Facts About
ARGENTINA
Population
(2008 estimate)
39,737,000
Area
1,073,400 sq mi
(2,780,092 sq
km)
Capital
Buenos Aires
Form of
government
Federal republic
Major cities
Buenos Aires,
Cordoba, San
Justo, Rosario
176 Argentina BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Arikara
The Arikara tribe of Native Americans
traditionally lived along the Missouri
River in what is now in North Dakota.
Originally their culture was related to
that of the Pawnee tribe of present-day
Nebraska. They are now associated with
the Hidatsa and the Mandan peoples.
The early Arikara lived in villages situated
along riverbanks. There they built
dome-shaped houses made of mud
packed around a wooden frame. They
also constructed larger lodges, which
they used for religious ceremonies.
Near their villages, Arikara women
tended fields. They grew corn, beans,
squash, sunflowers, and tobacco. Arikara
men fished and hunted deer, elk, and
bison (buffalo).
French and English traders regularly
visited the Arikara to trade guns and
other European goods for animal furs.
In 1823 the Arikara killed 13 members
of a white trading party, and soon afterward
they became the first plains tribe to
battle the U.S. Army.
During the 1800s, the Arikara population
declined due to warfare and exposure
to European diseases, such as
smallpox. In order to protect themselves
from their enemies, the survivors of the
Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa tribes
moved to a single village. The three
tribes became officially known as the
Three Affiliated Tribes in 1934. Today
members of this group live on the Fort
Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.
At the end of the 20th century, there
were about 900 Arikara living in the
United States.
#More to explore
Hidatsa Mandan Native Americans
Pawnee
Arithmetic
Arithmetic is the most elementary
branch of mathematics. It is the part of
mathematics that deals with counting as
well as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division. All of the other
branches of mathematics use the principles
and rules of arithmetic. Everyone
uses arithmetic every day. It is used
when buying something at a store, measuring
distances, or simply counting to
10. The word arithmetic comes from the
Greek word arithmos, which means
number.
#More to explore
Abacus Mathematics Numbers and
Counting Systems
Four Arikara Native Americans take part in
a ceremony.
The abacus is
a tool for
doing arithmetic.
It was
invented hundreds
of years
before the calculating
machine.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Arithmetic 177
Arizona
Arizona is known as the Grand
Canyon State because of the
amazing landform found in the northern
part of the state. The awesome size
and beauty of the Grand Canyon make
it one of the most famous natural wonders
in the world. Phoenix is Arizonas
capital and largest city.
Geography
Arizona is located in the southwestern
United States. The Colorado River separates
Arizona from Nevada and California
to the west. Arizona also borders
Utah on the north, New Mexico on the
east, and the country of Mexico on the
south.
Mountains run across the state from
northwest to southeast. To the south of
the mountains is a large area of desert
plains, valleys, and smaller mountain
ranges. Most of Arizona is very hot and
dry during the summer and pleasant
during the winter.
People
Though the majority of Arizonans are of
European origin, the state is notable for