About Argentina
Argentina is a massive South American nation with terrain encompassing Andes Mountains, glacial lakes and Pampas grassland, the traditional grazing ground of its famed beef cattle. The country is famous for tango dance and music. Its big, cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, is cantered on the Plaza de Mayo, lined with stately 19th-century buildings including Casa Rosada, the iconic, balconied presidential palace. Argentina became an independent nation in 1810 seceding from Spain, since then it has had various Juntas and a civil war that lasted from 1810 to 1861 when Bartolomé Mitre secured Buenos Aires predominance and was elected as the first president of the reunified country. He was followed by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Nicolás Avellaneda; these three presidencies set up the bases of the modern Argentine State. During the 1930s and up until the end of the WWII Argentina again went through coup and counter coup. This was ended by Juan Domingo Perón, and his popular wife Eva who brought stability and full employment back to the count. Tourism in Argentina is characterized by its cultural offerings and its ample and varied natural assets. The country had 5.57 million visitors in 2013. The country's capital city, Buenos Aires, is the most visited city in South America. There are 30 National Parks of Argentina including many World Heritage Sites in Argentina.
Jewish History, POI & Kosher Establishments in Argentina
The history of the Jews in Argentina goes back to the early sixteenth centuries, following the Jewish expulsion from Spain. Sephardi Jews fleeing persecution immigrated with explorers and colonists to settle in what is now Argentina. In addition, many of the Portuguese traders in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata were Jewish. An organized Jewish community, however, did not develop until after Argentina gained independence from Spain in 1810. The Buenos Aires Jewish community was established in 1862, and held its first traditional Jewish wedding in 1868. The first synagogue was inaugurated in 1875. After WWII the Jewish community worried about Peron’s intentions as a former sympathiser with fascist Germany, but also a great admirer of the Jewish community before the war this was not unfounded. Peron let many fleeing Nazis into Argentina but he also gave great backing to the Jewish community and had full diplomatic relations with Israel. Today, approximately 181,500 Jews live in Argentina, down from 310,000 in the early 1960s. Most of Argentina's Jews live in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Rosario, although kosher restaurants can only be found in the first two places.
