Culture of Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous capital city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.

Argentina’s culture developed mainly from the immigrant population, mostly the Europeans. This has resulted in the dilution, or even demise, of the native cultures. 

-     Music

The symbol of the music scene in Argentina has to be tango. Tango, to most of the world, means the sexual dance, but in Argentina tango refers to the music, the lyrics, and also the dance itself. This form of music expresses the combination of many different groups – mainly the Africans, the indigenous and Spanish influences. It was originated from the lower-class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires city. This generation of tango players are also known as the “Guardia Vieja”.

-     Football 

In the 1860s, football was introduced into the city of Buenos Aires by the British citizens. However, it was not only until 1920s that football gained popularity and rise to prominence after the deliberate promotion of the sports by the Argentine politicians.

In modern days, the word football in Argentina definitely associates with one man, Diego Maradona. The international top scorer has gone on to become the symbol of football in his country, with his famous “hand of god” incident that helped his country to knock out England in the 1986 World Cup tournament.

Food 

In terms of food, one culture that has developed in Argentina throughout the years is mate (pronounced mah-teh) drinking. Mate is served with a specially designed metal straw, known as the bombilla, in a gourd known as the mate. Yerba mate leaves are dried, chopped and grounded into a powdery mixture called yerba. Hot water is then added into the mate with the yerba, completing the drink. The bombilla is specially designed in a way where you can drink the mate without any of the yerba going through the straw; it serves as a straw and sieve. The yerba mate plant was cultivated in northern Argentina, giving rise to the now symbolised mate drinking.