A sketch of Argentina

Source: www.maganews.com

A trip around South America

A sketch of Argentina

Maradona, Evita, Carlos Gardel and tango. These are some of the main symbols of Argentina, a country in love with literature and soccer - a country that produces excellent food and wine

  

Argentina has some things in common with Brazil. It is mad about soccer, suffers with corruption, and financial hardship is a problem for many of its people. Argentines also drink tea (chimarrão), just like the gauchos.  In this country of 40 million people, the main religion is Catholicism (92% of the population). Just like Brazilians, Argentines have also been governed by military dictatorships. Culturally speaking, Argentines like reading books and newspapers much more than Brazilians. Argentines are proud that their country has produced five Nobel Prize winners.  Crime rates in Buenos Aires are much lower than in Rio and São Paulo. In cookery, Argentines produce some of the finest meat in the world. The country that produced Maradona and Che Guevara is also famed for its excellent quality wine and also for producing some of the best fudge in the world.

Tango and the Carlos Gardel legend

Tango arose out of the suburbs of Buenos Aires at the end of the 19^th Century. The biggest name in tango was the legendary singer Carlos Gardel (1890-1935).  Gardel helped popularize tango all over the world. He was born in France, but arrived in Buenos Aires when he was two years old. Some historians, however, believe he was born in Uruguay.

Trecho da matéria publicada na edição de número 45 da Revista Maganews, que traz também um perfil da lendária Evita e fotos e informações interessantes sobre Buenos Aires e Bariloche.

Foto – Márcia Pavarini

Vocabulary

1 sketch – retrato / esboço / desenho

2 hardship – dificuldade / sofrimento

3 military dictatorships – ditadura military

4 to be proud – se orgulhar

5 crime rate – índice de criminalidade

6 cookery – cozinha / culinária

7 meat - carne

8 fudge –  um tipo de doce de leite