Argentina
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Argentina. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) or ARGENTINE RE- PUBLIC, formerly called the United Provinces of La Plata, a vast country of South America; extreme length 2,300 miles; average breadth a little over 500 miles; total area, 1,138,000 square miles. It is bounded on the N. by Bolivia; on the E. by Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic; on the S. by the Antarctic Ocean; and on the W. by Chile. Pop. (1918) 8,280,266. Natural Divisions. It comprises four great natural divisons: (1) The Andine region, containing the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, Rioja, Catamarca, Tucuman, Salta, and Jujuy. (2) The Pampas, containing the provinces of Santiago, Santa Fé, Cordova, San Luis, and Buenos Aires; with the territories Formosa, Pampa, and Chaco. (3) The Argentine Mesopotamia, between the rivers Parana and Uruguay, containing the provinces of Entre Rios and Corrientes, and the territory Misiones. (4) Patagonia, including the eastern half of Tierra del Fuego. With the exception of the N. W., where lateral branches of the Andes run into the plain for 150 or 200 miles, and the province of Entre Rios, which is hilly, the characteristic feature of the country is the great monotonous and level plains called pampas. In the N. these plains are partly forest-covered, but all the central and S. parts present vast treeless tracts, which afford pasture to immense herds of horses, oxen, and sheep. Water Courses. - The great water course of the coutry is the Paraná, having a length of fully 2,000 miles from its source in the mountains of Goyaz, Brazil, to its junction with the Uruguay, where begins the estuary of La Plata. The Paraná is formed by the union of the Upper Paraná and Paraguay rivers, near the N. E. corner of the country. Important tributaries are the Pilcomayo, the Vermejo, and the Salado. The Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay are valuable for internal navigation. Not connected with the La Plata system are the Colorado and the Rio Negro, Negro, the latter formerly the S. boundary of the country, separating it from Patagonia. The source of the Negro is Lake Nahuel Huapi, in Patagonia (area, 1,200 square miles), in the midst of magnificent scenery. The level portions of the country are mostly of tertiary formation, and the river and coast regions consist mainly of alluvial soil of great fertility. In the pampas clay have been found the fossil remains of extinct mammalia, some of them of colossal size. Productions.--European grains and fruits, including the vine, have been successfully introduced, and are cultivated to some extent in most parts of the republic, but the great wealth of the state lies in its countless herds of cattle and horses and flocks of sheep, which are pastured on the pampas, and which multiply there very rapidly. Gold, silver, nickel, copper, tin, lead, and iron, besides marble, jasper, precious stones, and bitumen are found in the mountainous districts of the northwest, while petroleum wells have been discovered on the Rio Vermejo. Argentina has developed in the last decade greatly in agriculture and stock raising, which are the principal sources of wealth of the country. There are estimated to be over 250,000,000 acres suitable for agriculture and grazing, and an additional 10,000,000 acres can be made available by irrigation. The acreage and production of the principal crops in 1918- 1919 was as follows: wheat 17,175,000 acres, 5,015,000 tons; oats, 3,015,000 acres, 640,000 tons; flax, 3,466,625 acres, 705,000 tons. The production of maize and corn in 1917 was 4,335,000 tons. There were in the country in 1918 about 3,000,000 head of cattle. The world demand for grain and meat, following the end of the World War, conditioned great prosperity in Argentina, Commerce. The total value of the trade in 1917 was 1,307,392,000 pesos, gold (a peso equals 96.4 cents). The imports amounted to 480,896,000 pesos, and the exports to 826,496,000 pesos, leaving a balance in favor of Argentina of 345,600,000 pesos. The exports exceeded those of any former year both in bulk and value. The chief imports were from the United States, amounting to 169,500,000 pesos. The chief exports were to the United Kingdom, amounting to 305,800,000 pesos. The large increase in the exports to the United Kingdom during 1917 was due largely to shipments of wheat. The exports to the United States were valued at 165,- 100,000 pesos. In addition to wheat, the chief exports were flour, linseed, corn, oats, and meat. Education.- Education in the elementary grades is free and is carried on under subsidiaries by provincial boards of education. There are nearly 9,000 public primary schools, with over 1,000,000 pupils and about 32,000 teachers. There are also about 1,000 private primary schools, with about 77,000 pupils and about 4,000 teachers. Secondary education is carried on through 37 national colleges, which are attended by about 12,000 pupils. There are also many normal schools and schools for special instruction, etc. There are 5 national universities, those of Buenos Aires, La Plata, Cordova, Santa Fé and Tucuman. There are over 10,000 students at the University of Buenos Aires. The total expenditure for educational purposes in 1918 was about 60,000,000 paper dollars. Finance. The total revenue in 1918 was 373,412,306 paper dollars, and the expenditures 390,989,480 paper dollars. The paper dollar has the value of about 42c. in American money. The chief expenditures are for the public debt, education, army, navy, and pensions. Transportation. - There were in 1918 about 22,500 miles of railway, of which about 4,000 belonged to the state. Vessels entering the harbors and ports number nearly 50,000 annually. There were about 3,500 post offices and about 44,000 miles of telegraph, of which about 24,000 are national. sory military law which has produced an efficient army. There are five military districts, each of which supplies a division of 20,000 men, with a reserve of about 250,000. The navy includes two large dreadnoughts of nearly 30,000 tons each. There are also armored cruisers, protective cruisers, gun boats, torpedo boats and miscellaneous craft. People. As a whole, this vast country is very thinly inhabited, some parts of it as yet being very little known. The native Indians were never very numerous, and have given little trouble to the European settlers. Tribes of them yet in the savage state still inhabit the less known districts, and live by hunting and fishing. Some of the Gran Chaco tribes are said to be very fierce, and European travelers have been killed by them. The European element is strong in the republic, more than half of the population being Europeans or of pure European descent. The typical inhabitants of the pampas are the Gauchos, a race of half-breed cattle-rearers and horsebreakers. History. The river La Plata was discovered in 1512 by the Spanish navigator Juan Diaz de Solis, and the La Plata territory had been brought into the possession of Spain by the end of the 16th century. In 1810 the territory cast off the Spanish rule, and in 1816 the independence of the United States of the Rio de la Plata was formally declared. The present constitution dates from 1853, being subsequently modified. The executive power is vested in a President, elected by the representatives of the 14 provinces for a term of six A National Congress of two years. chambers-a Senate and a House of Deputies-yields the legislative authority. The capital of the republic is BUENOS AIRES (q. v.). Argentina was the only important South American country which did not break off diplomatic relations with Germany during the war. This caused great discontent among the people of the country. The failure to sever relations with Germany was at tributed largely to the activities of Count Carl Luxburg, the German minister. He was extremely active carrying on German propaganda and this came to a head in September, 1917, when telegrams from him to the German War Office were made public. These telegrams contained extremely damaging g matter, the most famous containing the advice from Luxburg to the German Government to sink Argentine ships "spurlos" (without leaving trace), if they were to be attacked at tartar. 17-Vol. I-Cyc Army and Navy. There is a compul- all. The publication of this correspondence caused great excitement both in the United States and in Europe. Luxburg was recalled. Public sentiment before this had been strongly even against neutrality, and President Irigoyen, who had apparently strong German sympathies, was bitterly attacked. In April a mob wrecked the offices of the German newspapers in Buenos Aires and attacked the German legation. These disturbances were quieted, but broke out again on the publication of the Luxburg correspondence. There were serious industrial disturbances in 1919, including strikes in the port of Buenos Aires. Collisions between strikers and police occurred and many persons were killed. The strike spread throughout the country and threatened to be general, but was finally ended without more serious trouble. During the year there were over 260 strikes, involving about 265,000 workmen.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
ar'jen-ti'na, or Argentine Republic, a country of South America . The name is Spanish from the Latin argentum, meaning silver. HISTORY. The history of the country is in many respects that of our original thirteen states. At first a Spanish settlement on the west bank of the La Plata , it had its full share of trouble with Indians. Settlements were wiped out by midnight attacks, and tribes were exterminated. In common with other South American states, Argentina extended and prospered as a colony of Spain. The settlers engaged largely in the raising of cattle. With growing strength, Argentina incited its neighbors to join in a revolutionary war that lasted for seven years. July 9, 1816, a declaration of independence was issued, and Argentina ceased to be a province of Spain. In 1853 a constitution modeled on that of the United States was adopted. The president and vice-president hold office for six years and senators are chosen for a term of nine years. The republic consists of fourteen states and ten territories. Buenos Ayres is the capital. Spanish is the official language. Catholicism is the national religion. EXTENT OF TERRITORY. Argentina claims the credit of helping its neighbors to throw off the yoke of Spain, and protecting Uruguay and Paraguay from the encroachments of Brazil, having engaged at one time in a costly war to maintain the independence of these states. At the same time the original boundaries of the republic have been extended northward and southward, until Argentina now includes that part of South America, lying east of the Andes as far as the La Plata, from Bolivia to Darwin Sound. Patagonia no longer appears on a map as a no man's land , having been divided--rocks, ice, penguins, Patagonians, and all--between Argentina and Chile. The extreme width of the republic is 1,000 miles. From the southern boundary to the northern is a distance of 2,000 miles. The total area is 1,135,840 square miles, far exceeding that of our Atlantic States. CLIMATE. The range of climate and variety of productions are even greater than is the case on our Atlantic coast. The northeast portion of Argentina lies low, and is no farther from the equator than is Florida. Cotton, olives, figs, lemons, oranges, grapes, tobacco, sugar-cane, and orchard fruits are produced in abundance. Ships rounding the southern extremity of Patagonia pass within ten degrees of the Antarctic Circle. MINERALS. The eastern slope of the Andes, from the Strait of Magellan northward to Bolivia, contains mineral wealth,--gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, bismuth, borate of lime, salt, coal, and petroleum, mercury, marble, and asphalt. AGRICULTURE. In disposing of public lands, Argentina has been more liberal even than the United States. In addition to free homestead grants, the government has loaned the settler $1,000 for the purchase of a team, implements, stock, and seed, to be repaid in five years. Vast districts are devoted to grazing. Butter, beef, tallow, hides, and leather are produced in enormous quantities and are sold largely to England. Seventy-seven million sheep, 28,000,000 cattle, and 5,000,000 horses and mules feed on the grassy pampas of Argentina. Four hundred and eighty million pounds of wool are produced annually. Frozen meats are sent to England by the ship load. In grain producing too, high rank is taken. In addition to flax and lucern, $20,000,000 worth of Indian corn and $95,000,000 worth of wheat are produced each year. COMMERCE. Being in the southern hemisphere, the spring season comes at the time of our autumn, summer at the time of our winter. The wheat harvest falls in January, and the new wheat is thrown on the market at a time when northern fields are covered with snow. Argentina has so much produce to sell, timber, minerals, products of the stock ranges, fruits, and grains, that, although the merchants of that country buy over $250,000,000 worth of cloth, paper, beverages, chemicals, and pottery abroad, there is still at the end of the year $75,000,000 coming to them from foreign countries. About one-tenth of this business is done with the United States. They buy petroleum oil and agricultural implements and many other articles of us, and sell us a good share of the hides and leather that go into the shoe factories of Lynn and other New England towns. The population of Argentina was estimated in 1907 to be 6,210,428. Argentina has twenty lines of railway with 15,000 miles of track, and corresponding extensions of telegraph and telephone lines. A system of free public schools and normal schools has been established with care, the latter partly under the direction of instructors obtained from the United States. Manufactures are getting under way. The republic has the resources, the thrift, and the intelligent public spirit that insures national greatness. It is destined to be the second country of the New World. STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources: Land area, square miles . . . . . 1,135,840 Population (1909) . . . . . 6,500,000 Buenos Ayres . . . . . 1,129,286 Cordoba . . . . . 53,000 Rosario . . . . . 150,000 Tucuman . . . . . 55,000 La Plata . . . . . 80,000 Bahia Blanca . . . . . 37,755 Parana . . . . . 27,000 Mendoza . . . . . 32,000 Italian and Spanish immigrants (1907) . . . . . 172,000 Number of provinces . . . . . 14 Members of senate . . . . . 30 Representatives . . . . . 120 Salary of president . . . . . $72,000 Soldiers in time of peace . . . . . 17,000 National revenue . . . . . $107,000,000 Bonded indebtedness . . . . . $380,000,000 Acres under plow . . . . . 36,106,323 Corn, bushels . . . . . 137,120,000 Wheat, bushels . . . . . 201,502,000 Oats, bushels . . . . . 30,520,000 Linseed, bushels . . . . . 42,695,000 Rice, tons (in the husk) . . . . . 13,000 Cotton, pounds . . . . . 1,650,000 Grapes, tons . . . . . 6,334,937 Sugar, " . . . . . 109,000 Horses . . . . . 5,462,170 Asses and mules . . . . . 545,870 Cattle . . . . . 25,844,800 Sheep . . . . . 77,581,100 Goats . . . . . 2,566,800 Swine . . . . . 2,841,700 Imports . . . . . $285,860,683 Exports . . . . . 296,204,369 Copper ore mined, tons . . . . . 419 Miles of railway . . . . . 14,738 Teachers in public schools . . . . . 14,118 Pupils enrolled . . . . . 544,000 Newspapers . . . . . 200 Number of postoffices . . . . . 2,188 Letters handled, 1908 . . . . . 552,000,000 See Buenos Ayres ; Cold Storage 2026 Editor's Note: The entry catches Argentina on the rise — around 1900 it was among the richest nations on earth , drawing millions of immigrants. A century of coups, populism and economic crises reversed much of that, a famous cautionary tale. Its cultural exports conquered the world anyway: the tango, Evita Perón, Maradona and Messi, and in 2013 the first Latin American pope, Francis. (Ed: BR 2026-07-21)