Typically Argentina?!
What do you think of Argentina? Why not ask your parents or friends what they think of when they hear the word Argentina! Maybe something of this:
Bovine
There are actually very many cattle in Argentina. In the vast plains of the pampas they have a lot of space. Unfortunately, however, there are now also fattening farms in which the animals stand close together and are quickly fed thick. But you can taste that too, because this meat is nowhere near as good as that of the cattle running around freely. And it’s not good for the animals either.
Unlike ours, beef is cheap to buy. The per capita consumption of beef in Argentina is one of the highest in the world (for a long time it was the highest, now Uruguay has overtaken Argentina). It is around 70 kilograms per person – in Germany it is only 12 kilograms of beef per head. Even abroad, for example to Germany, much less beef is sold today than it was a few years ago.
Gauchos
The gauchos are connected to the cattle on the far ground. That’s the name of the Argentine cowboys. From the 17th century onwards, the first gauchos mainly caught wild cattle and brought them to the landowners for slaughter. Catching was done from the horse with a lasso or a stick with wire. Later the gauchos worked permanently on cattle ranches.
Today the gauchos are employed farm workers. But they still wear their traditional clothing. These include the leather boots with the name Apalgatas, bloomers (bombacha) and a hat (sombrero) or a cap that looks a bit like a French beret. The gaucho knife (Facón) is in the belt.
Tango
Tango is inextricably linked with Argentina. Tango is both a genre and the dance to this music. Tango originated in Buenos Aires in the 19th century. Today there are tango shows and tango events, the milongas, all over Buenos Aires. There are small stages everywhere in the streets and tango is danced even in the streets. A typical instrument in tango is the bandoneon, plus a piano, violins and other string instruments.
The tango, as it is danced in Europe, is by the way a modified type. Tango Argentino, as the tango from Argentina is called, is less jagged, but more flowing and soulful. Dancing has a high priority, not just tango. Young people like to go to the disco and often. It’s called here Boliche (read: Bolitsche). You also enjoy listening to music everywhere.
Penguins
What are the most typical animals of Argentina? Maybe the penguins! They only live in the south of the country and there only on the coast, but they are much sought-after photo objects. Mostly this is the Magellanic penguin. By the way, penguins are called pingüinos in Spanish and that sounds really cute!
What else is typical for Argentina?
Soccer
Argentina is a football crazy country. Either you are a fan of a club, for example the Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires, or you play soccer yourself – or both. You can see football players everywhere on football fields. In 1978 Argentina won the soccer world championship in their own country and in 1986 in Mexico. The most famous players are Diego Maradona, who was part of the 1986 team, and now Lionel Messi. At the 2014 World Cup, Argentina lost the final against Germany.
Evita Perón
Eva Perón was the wife of the Argentine President Juan Perón, who ruled between 1946 and 1955. She was politically active herself and very popular with the people. She was affectionately called Evita. She died very young, only 33 years old. To get more information on AAAAA and Latin America, check proexchangerates.
In 1978 her life story was presented in the musical “Evita”. The song from it is world famous: “Don’t cry for me Argentina”. A film adaptation with Madonna as Evita made it even more popular.
Truco
Truco is a popular Argentine card game and can be called a national game. You usually play it with four players, with two players playing together. You like to give your partner signs to let them know which hand you have. The game is played with a Spanish card hand consisting of 40 cards. The aim is to achieve at least 30 points. Each card has a certain value, you can see the four highest cards in the picture on the left.
Ruta 40
The longest road in Argentina is the Ruta 40. It is 5301 kilometers long. It runs through the country from the Bolivian border to the southern mainland. It leads through a wide variety of landscapes and also over the highest passable pass in the world at an altitude of around 4950 meters. The road is constantly being worked on so that it remains passable. However, snow and floods keep clogging them up and make them impassable.
