Argentina
Argentina
The many parks of Buenos Aires fill with families sharing picnics on summer weekends or simply enjoying urban green space all year long. As in most of the city’s parks, Parque Rivadavia, tucked in the middle of the prosperous barrio of Caballito, includes a children’s playground—and many pigeons who come by for their share of the picnics in the park. The graffiti and street art for which Buenos Aires is famous are in evidence everywhere, even in its city parks.
Harlen Persinger © 2013
República Argentina
Southern South America
Area 1.1M mi2; 2.8M km2
Arable 14%
Population 46.6 (43/mi²; 17/km²)
Gov’t Presidential republic
Capital Buenos Aires (15.5M)
GCP/Capita $21,500
Unemployment 11%
In Poverty 36%
Infant Mortality 9/1K live births (141st)
Life expectancy 79 yrs
Median Age 32.4 yrs
Literacy 99%
Languages Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous
Religions Roman Catholic 63%, Evangelical 15%, Jehovah’s Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1%, other/unspecified 1%, none, 19%
Health 10% of GDP
Education 5% of GDP (73rd)
Military 1% of GDP (139th)
Labor Force Agriculture 5%, industry 29%, services 66%
PCVs 1961–1976, 1992–1994 CURRENT: TTD: 38
Adult Books
The Argentina Reader: History, Culture, Politics
Edited by Gabriela Nouzeiles and Graciela Montaldo
Genre: Anthology (essays, memoir, primary documents, poetry, song, fiction, photography, maps)
Publisher: Duke University Press (2002)
ISBN-10: 0822328852, 082232914X,
ISBN-13: 978-0822328858, 978-0822329145
Summary:
This book covers more than 200 years of Argentine history, from the country’s independence in 1810 through its relentless 20th-century tumult and crises. Once one of the richest nations in the world, it struggled with a failing economy and constant social tensions under Peronism and the period of terror under the military dictatorship, emerging in the 1980s with a renewed commitment to democracy but also with an urgent need to confront the daunting challenges of the new global economy.
Photographs, poems, and excerpts from writings never before translated into English cover the full variety and breadth of Argentine life, including often overlooked population groups (indigenous and Black Argentines, women, workers). Excerpts of texts by or about such major political figures as José de San Martín and Juan Perón are also included. Pieces from literary and social figures largely unknown in the United States appear alongside works by celebrated writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar.
“[It is] impossible to find a better introduction to the labyrinth, enigma, and delight that is Argentina, from the first sightings to the latest curses. Splendid and indispensable!” (Ariel Dorfman)
“[T]his collection subtly conveys the admirable and loathsome qualities of a complicated and in many ways unfathomable society.” (Benjamin Schwarz, The Atlantic)
Kids' Books
The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina
By Nancy Van Laan, illus Beatriz Vidal
Format: 32 pages; col illus.
ISBN-10: 0395827469
ISBN-13: 978-0-39582-746-8
Age Range: 4–8 years
Publisher: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,1998
Summary:
A young Quechuan boy sets out on his own to bring the rains back to his parched homeland and is rewarded by a gift of carob beans that come to be prized across Argentina.
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal:
Kindergarten–Grade 5A. This “pourquoi” tale from the Quechua people of Argentina tells of the first tree in the world, a carob. … The theme of a small or weak animal or child who saves the people is eternally satisfying, and children can easily identify with the hero, although Topec's task is less arduous than some. Vidal's stylized paintings are dramatic and colorful, especially in the portrayal of the supernatural bird. One problematic element of this well-told tale is that although the carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is indeed so useful as to seem magical, it is not indigenous to the New World, and thus could not have been known to the Quechuas before the arrival of the Spanish. Also, the tree pictured often looks like a tamarind, also an Old World native.—APam Gosner, formerly at Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
From Booklist:
Ages 4–8. Similar to her work for Aardema's Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (1981), Vidal's shimmering, folk art-style paintings are well matched to the elegant simplicity and drama of Van Laan's retelling. A glossary and list of sources are included. —Annie Ayres
From a reader:
…. a great group story time book to read out loud to a gathering, with drums maybe for the chanting parts. Fun vibrant illustrations and the glossary at the beginning allows the story itself to flow without being bogged down with explanations. The sources listed are an appreciated resource for folktale lovers. —Reader S. St. Pierre
Films
Film: Argentina, 1985
Genre: Drama, Biography, Crime, History
Director: Santiago Mitre
Country: Argentina
Release Date: 2022
Language: Nepali
Color: Color
Run Time: 140 minutes
Synopsis:
The story of how a team of young legal assistants under hero prosecutor Julio Strassera managed to gain a conviction of the leaders of Argentina’s deadliest dictatorship— against all odds and in a race against time to bring justice to the victims of the Military Junta.
Awards:
Golden Globes Award winner, 2023
Goya Awards winner, 2023
Venice International Film Festival winner, 2022
Recipes
Argentina 2024
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison is a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States. Its EIN is 39-1669348. It is also an affiliate group of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
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