Argentina Information

General Information

The name Argentina

Argentina's pleasures - stunning natural wonders, an elegant capital with a European-flavored sophistication, and a passionate culture - are as tempting as ever. The silver lining to the financial cloud is that it's now one of the best travel bargains around.
This is one Latin American country where Europeans and North Americans can feel at ease and travel relatively inconspicuously.

Geography

Argentina forms the eastern half of South America's long, tapering tail. It's a big country - the eighth largest in the world, and the second largest in South America.
It borders Chile to the west separated by the Andean Cordilleras range and boasts the highest peak in the Western hemisphere: the 6,959 m high Aconcagua.

To the north and east (separated by rivers) Argentina borders Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. It also shares the offshore island territory of Tierra del Fuego with Chile, and continues to dispute the ownership of the Islas Malvinas (the Falklands to the British). Argentina's topography is affected by both latitude and altitude, and is accordingly varied. The country can be divided into four major physiographic provinces: the Andes to the west (with arid basins, grape-filled foothills, glacial mountains and the Lake District), the fertile lowland north (with subtropical rainforests), the central Pampas (a flat mix of humid and dry expanses) and Patagonia (a combination of pastoral steppes and glacial regions).

Flora

Argentina's diverse landscape preserves unique thorn forests, virgin rainforests, flowering cacti, extensive forests of araucarias (monkey-puzzle trees) and southern beech. These are all protected and managed within the country's extensive national park setup.

Fauna

More than 20 national parks preserve large areas of Argentina's varied and predominantly unique environments, protecting wildlife such as the yacaré (caiman), puma, guanaco (a lowland relative of the upper-Andean llama), rhea (similar to an ostrich), Andean condor, flamingo, various marine mammals, and unusual seabirds such as Magellanic penguins.

Climate

The country’s territory offers a wide variety of climates: subtropical in the North, sub-Antarctic in the southern Patagonia, and mild and humid in the Pampas plains. Media temperature from November to March is 23° C, and 12° C from June to September.

Population

Argentina’s current population is more than 36 million inhabitants, almost half of which live in the city and the province of Buenos Aires. Population density calculated on a national basis is 13 inhabitants per square kilometer.
95% of the population is white and most are descendants of Italians and Spaniards. As a result of the massive European immigration, the white and Indian half-castes were slowly reduced and at the present they amount only to 4.5% of the population.

Language

Spanish is the official language of the Argentine Republic. In Buenos Aires, some “lunfardo” expressions -city slang - are used.

Religion

There is complete religious freedom in Argentina, although the official religion is Roman Catholic. Other religions practiced in the country are Protestant, Jewish, Moslem, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and others.

Currency

The official Argentine currency is the Peso. There are bills of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos, and coins of 1 peso and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents.

Health overview

Travelers to Argentina who follow commonsense precautions usually avoid any health problems. You don’t need any special vaccines when coming to the country.
Urban water supplies are usually potable, making salads and ice safe to consume. Tap water in rural areas is generally not safe to drink.

Dangers and annoyances

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: despite the public's constant dissatisfaction with its government and a lumbering economy that gives rise to occasional crime waves, Argentina remains one of the safest countries in Latin America. Most tourists who visit Buenos Aires leave happy and unscathed. Outside the big cities, serious crime is rare.
In general, the biggest dangers in Argentina are speeding cars and buses: be careful crossing streets, and never assume you have the right of way as a pedestrian. If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, be aware that Argentines are truly addicted to nicotine: they'll light up in banks, post offices, restaurants, cafes and everywhere else. Other small concerns include air pollution (in big cities), cracked sidewalks, ubiquitous dog turds and the occasional hole in the ground. Stray dogs are common, but usually don't bite.

Nationals emblems

The Argentine flag has three horizontal stripes: the one in the middle is white and bears the golden sun, and the two outside stripes are light blue. The national flower is the ceibo, and the national stone is the manganese spar (rodocrosita) or "Inca Rose".

Food

Meat dominates Argentina's menus, and 'meat' means beef. Mixed grills (parrillada) are apparently the way to go if you want to try it all: they serve up a cut of just about every part of the animal: tripe, intestines, udders (along with some more palatable options). In this vegetarian's nightmare, Italian favorites, such as gnocchi (ñoquis), are a welcome alternative. Exquisite Argentine ice-cream (helado) deserves a special mention - again reflecting Italian influences. The sharing of mate, Paraguayan tea, is a deep ritual as well as a very popular beverage - if offered, it's a special expression of acceptance. The leaves, a relation to holly, are elaborately prepared and the mixture is drunk from a shared gourd.

Fine arts

With the education of many Argentines taking place in Europe, Buenos Aires in particular has self-consciously emulated European cultural trends in art, music and architecture. As a result, there are many important art museums and galleries in the city. Argentine cinema has also achieved international stature, and has been used as a vehicle to exorcise the horrors of the Dirty War.

Useful Information

VAT return

At the airport you may obtain a VAT reimbursement corresponding to any purchases made within the country for an amount over $70 (per invoice) and in shops operating with the “Global Refund” system.

Getting to Argentina

All airlines flying to Argentina arrive mainly at Ezeiza (“Ministro Pistarini”) International Airport, which is 37 Km away from the City of Buenos Aires. You can reach the city by Teniente General Ricchieri freeway (Information: Tel. 5480-6111). Please note that when leaving the country, a US$ 18 tax must be paid.

Payment methods

Although US Dollars and Euros are generally taken everywhere, foreign currencies can be exchanged in banks and authorized bureaus. American Express, VISA, Diners and Master Card are widely accepted. There may be difficulties in changing traveler's check outside Buenos Aires.

Traveler’s checks

Travelers checks are very impractical in Argentina, but you can carry some (in US dollars) as backup if you wish. Only the fancier hotels and a few banks and cambios will change them, and they'll charge a hefty commission. American Express checks can be cashed without commission at their central office, though you won't get the best rate.
Amex Center: Arenales St. 707 - Phone number: 011 4312 1661 (info)
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00am-3:00pm

Business hours

• Banks and Exchange Bureaus: Mondays to Fridays from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
• Business Offices: generally from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
• Stores: in the big cities from 9.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m., although in the outskirts and the provinces they generally close at midday. Saturdays, from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
• Cafés, cake shops and pizzerias: open most of the time except between 2.00 and 6.00 a.m.
• Restaurants: lunch is served as from 12.30 p.m. and dinner as from 8.30 hours. Fast-food menus are
served in many restaurants at all times.

Tips

10% of the amount of the check is usually left in cafeterias and restaurants. Doormen, porters, and ushers in cinemas and theatres are also generally tipped.

Documents

When coming into Argentina you must bring valid passport with or without visa depending on your nationality.

Telephone overview

Telecom and Telefónica are the major Argentine phone companies. Locutorios (small telephone offices) are very common in cities; you enter private booths, make calls, then pay at the front counter. These may cost more than street phones, but they're better for privacy and quiet, and you won't run out of coins.
Calling the US, Europe and Australia from locutorios is expensive, but rates are discounted in the evening and on weekends (and remain cheaper than collect or credit card calls). Least expensive is buying credit phone cards at kiosks or making calls over the Internet.

Mobile phone overview

Argentina's main cell phone systems are CDMA and TDMA. It's also possible to use tri-band GSM world cell phones.
To call a cell phone you must first dial 15, unless you're calling from another cell. When calling out of your area code, dial 0 first. Toll-free numbers in Argentina start with 0800.
To call someone in Argentina from outside Argentina, you'll need to dial your country's international access code, then Argentina's country code (54), then the city's area code (leaving out the first 0), then the number itself. When dialing an Argentine cell phone from outside Argentina, dial your country's international access code, then 54, then 9, then the area code and number, leaving out the 15.