ARGENTINE
703
ARGENTINE
Seal ok AKoii.NTUNE Rki'uulic
States, united by a federal Constitution framed on
the same linos as the Constitution of the United
States of America. The provinces are: Buenos Aires,
Santa I'Y-, Entre Ktos, Corrientes, CYjriloba, San
Luis, Santiago del Estero, Mendoza, San Juan,
La Rioja, Cata-
marca, Tucunuin,
Salta, and Jujuy.
Each one has it own
constitution, and its
own autonomic gov-
ernment. The fed-
eral Constitution was
promulgated 25 Sep-
tember, ISGO. The
(illicial name of the
union, under the
federal Constitution,
is "The Argentine
Nation". In addi-
tion to the fourteen
conuiionwealths con-
stituting the union,
there are ten " na-
tional territories",
depending upon the
federal executive,
the government of
which is entrusted to governors appointed by the Presi-
dent with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Those territories are called Misiones, Formosa, Chaco,
Los .\ndos. La Pampa, NeuiuKf-n, Rto Negro, Chubut,
Santa Cruz, and Tiorra del Fucgo. There is also,
and this completes the similarity of organization
between the .Vrgentine and the American Union, a
"Federal District", namely, the city of Buenos Aires,
which is also the capital of the State of the same name.
Geogkaphical Situation, .\kea, Popul.vtion. —
The .\rgentine Republic is situated in the .south-
eastern part of South .-Vmcrica and is bounded on
the north by BoUvia, Paraguay, and Brazil; on the
east by Paraguay, Brazil, llruguay, the River Plata,
and the .Vtlantic Ocean; on the south by Chile and
the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Chile, from
which it is separated by the Cordillera de los Andes.
Nearly all its area, roughly estimated at 3,000,000
squarb kilometres (about 1,17.">,000 stjuare miles), is
iiuludod between 21° 30' S. lat. and 54° 52' S. lat.
With tlio exception of a small strip of land on the
north, which is in the tropics, the entire country is
within the temperate zone. From east to west the
country lies between 52° and 74° W. long.
According to the last official census, which was taken 10 May, 1895, the total popidation of the Republic was 3,945.911, distributed as follows: Argentines, 2,950,384; foreigners, 1,004,527. The male population was given as 2.088,919; the female as 1,8(>5,992. Of the foreign pop\dation, 492,630 were Italians; 198,685, Spaniards; 94,098, French; 91.167, Spanish .\mericans (Bolivians, Chilians, I'ruguayans, and Paraguayans), 24,725, Brazilians; 21, 7NS, "British; 17,142, Germans; 12,803, .\ustrians; anil 1,:$S1, citizens of the United States of .\merica. Foreign immigration to the Argentine Republic, be- tween 1857 and 1903, was as follows:
The immigra
tion in
903
was:
Italians
42,358
Germans
1,000
Spaniards
21,917
Swiss
272
French
2,491
Belgians
174
English
560
Others
5,077
Total
73,849
Yf
A us
iMMir.UANTS
N.VTIONALITIES
1857-
-1S60
20,0' KJ
Italians
1,331,536
1S61-
-1.S70
1,")9,570
Spaniards
414.973
1S71-
-1880
260,613
French
170,293
1S81-
-18S)0
846.568
English
35,435
1891
-1900
648, .326
.Austrians
37,953
1901
-1903
223,346
Germans
Swiss
Belgians
Others
30,699
25,775
19,521
92,238
2,158,423
2,158,423
HisTOKY. — The territory of the .Argentine Re-
public was origiiudly inhabited by Indian tribes of
fierce disposition who were "reduced" to civilization
thrciugli the Catliolic religion. The mis-sions founded
in tlicsc Rginns were called " Reducciones" (Reduc-
tions) by the Spaniards to convey the idea that these
establishments were intended to tame the wild
spirit of the savages and "reduce" them to a con-
dition of relative civilization. The first Spanish
establishment in the region of the Rfo de la Plata,
or Plate River, was the fort called La Sancti Spiritus,
crertcd by Seba.stian Cabot, a Venetian m the
.service of Spain, and son of John Cabot the cele-
bratecl navigator who cruised along the eastern coast
of North .\merica. This fort was erected in 1526
at the confluence of the Paraiul and Carcaraiia Rivers,
and was garrisoned with 170 men. Four years later
it was destroyed by Timbu Indians, who killed the
men, carried away the women and children, and
burned all the buildings. Together with the report
of his trip to these regions Cal)()t forwarded to Spain
some silver jewels which the Guarani Indians had pre-
sented to him; wlicnce comes the name of Rio de la
Plata (River of Silver), given to the .stream through
the mistaken idea that silver mines abounded on its
banks. In l.')35 Don Pedro de Mendoza, a Spanish
general in the service of Charles V, came with a
powerful expedition consisting of 14 ships and 2,000
soldiers, and on 6 January hiid the foundations of a
city which he called Santa Maria de Buenos .Vires.
Some time afterwards this settlement was attacked
and partially destroyed by the Indians. The work of
rebuilding it was begun 11 June, 1580, by Don Juan
de tiarayi The city of La .\sunci6n, now the capital
of Paraguay, was founded by Juan de Ayohis, a lieu-
tenant of Mendoza, 15 August, l.')36. T'nderthe rule
of Hernando .\rias de Saavedra, generally called Iler-
nanilarias, who was born on Argentine soil, and had
been elected governor by the .settlers, the Jesuits were
called to civilize the Indians. The first Fathers landed
at Salta in 1586, and established a college at C6rdoba,
from which they .sent missionaries to all parts of the
Argentine territory. Fathers Montoya and Cataldino
went to Paraguay and settled, in 1610, at La Asun-
cion. Seven years after the landing of the Jesuit
Fathers, over "100,000 Indians had been congregated
in four ilifferent towns and were engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits and useful arts and trades. They
built houses, hospitals, and asylums; learned to
read and write, and became acquainted also with
painting, sculpture, and music. Even at this early
date they hatl established a printing office with type
made by themselves. In course of time, this work
of civilization was greatly extended. The "Geo-
grafia .Vrgentina" of Sefiores Urien and Colombo says
that in or about 1631 there were not less than thirty
centres of population under the rule of the Jesuits.
V.'M-h town had a curate who was at the same time
the governor, the judge, and the spiritual adviser of
the inhabitants. But the expulsion of the Jesuits
from the Spanish dominions by the Government of
Charles III put an end to this prosperous condition.
The expulsion took place in Buenos .Vires, 3 July,
1767. Governor Don Francisco de Paula Bucarelli
was the official entrusted with the execution of the
di.sastrous measure. On 1 August, 1776, the Govern-
ment of Spain derided to establish what it called the
vice-royalty of the River Plate, under Don Pedro
de Zeb'allos, the first viceroy. The last viceroy was
