Environment

Argentina is a wedge-shaped country, the second largest

(after Brazil) in South America. In the west, it has
the Andes Mountains, but the majority of Argentina's land
is low. Because Argentina lies in the Southern
Hemisphere, the winter months are May through August,
and the warmest summer month is January. Argentina's
climate and rich, lowland regions combine to make it one
of the world's greatest food-producing nations. More than
4 percent of the world's cattle are raised by Argentine
cattle ranchers. Argentina is also South America's largest
producer of honey, an ingredient that makes its way into
many delicious Argentine desserts.

Food
Native Indians lived in Argentina many years before
the European explorers arrived. Members of an
Indian tribe in the northern part of Argentina were
farmers who grew squash, melons, and sweet
potatoes. Spanish settlers came to Argentina in 1536.
Between 1880 and 1890, nearly one million
immigrants came from Europe to live in Argentina.
Most were from Italy and Spain. The Italians
introduced pizza, as well as all kinds of pasta dishes,
including spaghetti and lasagna. British, German,
Jewish, and other immigrants also settled in
Argentina, all bringing their styles of cooking and
favorite foods with them. The British brought tea,
starting the tradition of teatime. All of these cultures
influenced the dishes of Argentina.

The Tango
The tango is a sultry and intimate dance for two people.
Its moves and music are seductive and passionate. Easily
recognized by the close embrace between dance partners
and its quick decisive movements, Argentina lays claim to
inventing the world-famous dance. Tango took its first
steps by the Rio de la Plata, the river that separates
Argentina from Uruguay. It spread to the working-class
port communities of the city until it caught on in dance
halls. It was the first couple dance that called for
improvisation. In 1912, Paris fell in love with the dance,
marking the beginning of its rise to international fame.

Football
It was not until 1899 that the first team of
Argentinian footballers was created:
Argentinos de Quilmes. This was officially
the first Argentinian football club and ever
since, football has become a national
passion par excellence and it has been
practiced by men and women of all ages in
Argentina.
Already in 1934, the organization
called Asociacin de Ftbol Argentino
(AFA) -which stands for Argentinian
Football Association in Spanish- was
created. Some of the many best-known and
most popular clubs are: River Plate, Boca
Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club and
San Lorenzo.