The Argentine Republic

by Anonymous

In order to add clearness to the brief description of the Argentine Republic presented in this little work, it has been thought desirable to depart from the traditional method of submitting a mass of statistical and historic matter and, instead, to furnish a rapid, though comprehensive, survey of the main features of interest, such as will at once convey to the reader the actual situation and potentialities of the "Land of the Silver River."

For the fulfilment of this purpose, it has been necessary to closely condense the facts and figures relating to the growth of the Argentine Republic, to its Constitution, laws, commerce, the high standard of its culture and the protection afforded, without distinction, to all residents within its territories, by the national charter of its freedom and by the advanced nature of its legislation.

The character and scope of the Argentine exhibits at the Panama-Pacific Exposition eloquently testify to the importance of the Republic as a field for an interchange of commerce with the United States, and, it is hoped, that the statements and suggestions contained in this volume will add impetus to the obviously growing desire to strengthen the commercial and friendly objects which animates the people of both countries.

THE ARGENTINE COMMISSION.

San Francisco, 1915.

THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC

SOME OF ITS PHYSICAL FEATURES

The evolution of the Argentine Republic of to-day from the position of an obscure Spanish dependency laboring under the disabilities of colonial government, into one of the great countries of the world whose watchwords are "progress" and "freedom," may be said to date from May 25, 1810, when the people of Buenos Aires declared their independence and established the United Provinces of the River Plate. From that date forward, until May 25, 1853, when the Federal Constitution of the Argentine Republic was proclaimed at Santa Fé and even to a later period, the history of that country bears many points of resemblance to the early history of the United States. Just as the United States had to subdue savage Indians, to enter into war and to offer great sacrifices to develop the resources of vast uninhabited territories in order to establish the principles of liberty and justice, the Argentine Republic has successfully conquered the same difficulties and, to-day, is inviting the rest of the world to add to its developments and to share its wealth. In the disposition of its territories, in its form of government and in its constitution and laws, the Argentine Republic has modelled its policy upon that of the United States.

Situated in the southern portion of South America, the Republic, which is divided into fourteen Provinces (States) and ten National Territories, is bounded on the north by Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil; on the east by Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay; and on the south and west by Chile. It embraces the most important sections of the vast estuary of the River Plate, with its entire line of coast on the Atlantic Ocean. Within its extensive areas, covering about 1,150,000 square miles, the possibilities of production are practically unlimited owing to the wealth of the soil and the variety of its climate, which includes the sub-tropical, the temperate and the cold regions. Yet, in none of these is to be found the extreme, as may be judged by health statistics and by the figures of the rates of mortality and longevity, which are respectively lower and higher than in any country of Europe.