Argentina can be divided into two main topographic regions: the highlands (southeast) and the lowlands (northwest). In the north of the country there are subtropical forests and swamps; the central part is occupied by forest-steppe; further south, the territory of the Atlantic coast is called the pampas. This fertile plain, which occupies about 1/4 of the territory, is the main agricultural region of the country. The capital is located here and one third of the country’s population lives. The western part of the country is occupied by the mountainous regions of the Andes. Patagonia – a vast plateau in the south of Argentina with an area of about 673.000 square kilometers is known for glaciers and snow-capped peaks. The second largest river in South America, the Parana, flows through Argentina. merging in the lower reaches with Uruguay, it forms the grandiose mouth of La Plata. The highest point is Mount Aconcagua (6959 m), the lowest is 40 m below sea level.
According to Physicscat.com, Argentina is a fairly safe country, but when visiting crowded places, you should be wary of pickpockets. Money can be changed at exchange offices and banks, sometimes even stores accept cash dollars. In large retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, American Express, Visa, Master Card and Eurocard credit cards are accepted for payment.
The national flower of Argentina is Erythrina (Erythrina crista-galli). The bird “Pechnik” living in Argentina became in 1928 one of the national symbols of the country.
In 1535, Pedro de Mendoza, at the head of an expedition, founded the fort of Santa Maria del Buen Aire, the capital of modern Argentina.
The most popular form of transport is a taxi. The fare is 0.5-0.8 dollars per km.
You can only rent a car for citizens who have reached the age of 21 and have a driving experience of at least 2 years. Rental price – from $ 45 per day, depending on the class of the car, plus the cost of insurance. The cost of gasoline is 1 – 1.2 dollars per liter.
In Argentina, like in any other country, there are many pickpockets. In no case do not wear jewelry and do not demonstrate expensive photo and video equipment. If you need the state currency – the Argentine peso, it can be exchanged without problems in banks.
Argentina is known for leather goods – jackets, bags and shoes of good quality, in the capital there is a large selection and low prices. Jewelry made of 18 carat Argentinean gold is very elegant and varied, you can also buy good knitwear from well-known brands at prices below European ones. Lost in the mountains, Bariloche is known for its wool products. The best ponchos are sold in the Salta area. As a gift, you can purchase a souvenir container for making herbal mate drink. Such containers are made of pumpkin, aluminum, as well as silver and gold. There are national craft markets and fairs in almost all cities of the country.
In Argentina, it is customary to tip in the same way as in all Latin American countries. As a rule, they make up 5-10% of the service bill; in expensive establishments, they are often already included in the bill.
Argentine cuisine
Since the Spaniards brought cattle to the fertile pastures of Argentina, meat has become the main specialty of this country. The excellent local beef is rightfully considered the best in the world and allows you to fry the best steaks in the world. The favorite dish of Argentine cowboys (gauchos) is carne asado, grilled meat and the insides of a young lamb with spices. As for seafood, it prevails on the ocean coast, where they cook shrimp, fish and other seafood, and in the area of lakes in the area of lakes in Patagonia, trout is cooked very tasty. Thanks to Italian immigrants, pizza, spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna are very popular and very tasty. And yet, from the point of view of the Argentines, lunch without meat is not lunch. Vegetarian cuisine appeared only a quarter of a century ago, so there are such restaurants only in large cities. The national drink, pride and one of the symbols of Argentina is the local analogue of tea, the Mate drink. This is a hot drink brewed from the dried leaves of a shrub that grows in the jungle on the border of Argentina with Paraguay and Brazil. The first to appreciate the taste and magical properties of this plant were the Guarani Indians who lived in these places. It is not surprising that the best mate in the world can only be tasted here, in the homeland of the drink, because the technology of its preparation has been perfected in Argentina for centuries. Mate is drunk from special dishes: brewed in calabash, made from gourds – the fruits of the local lagenaria plant, using a special metal or silver tube called bombilla. As for the most popular alcoholic drinks in Argentina, they are wine and beer. This country is considered one of the leading wine producers. Dry red wines are particularly good, such as Lopez, Weinert, Orfila, Sutter, San Felipe, Etchart, Navarro Correas and Nieto Senetiner.
Communications and telephones
Telephone code 54, Buenos Aires – 11. To call Russia, you can use pay phones. The cost of a call to Moscow is approximately $2/minute. Dialing order: 00 + 7 (Russian code) + area code + phone number. In Argentina, only GSM 1900 mobile phones work.
National holidays: January 1 – New Year’s Day, April 20 – Maundy Thursday, April 21 – Good Friday, May 1 – Labor Day, May 25 – Independence Day, June 10 – Falklands Celebration, June 20 – Flag Day, July 9 – Independence Day (1816), August 17 – St. Martin’s Day, October 12 – Columbus Day, Day of the Holy Virgin Concepción – December 8, December 25 – Christmas.
