When you visit another country, it helps to have some historical perspective to understand the culture a bit better. In the case of Argentina, if you only know that it's a Spanish-speaking country in the Western Hemisphere, you would normally make assumptions about the country based on whatever knowledge you have about other Latin American countries. But you would quickly find, upon visiting, that some of your assumptions would be wrong. Here's a brief look at the history of Argentina, that will give you some clues as to its unique culture and what it shares (and doesn't share) with other countries.
Click on the image and it will bring up an interactive timeline. Scroll your mouse over the dots to see highlights. You can also click on each image for more details.
I'm an enthusiastic but amateur historian, and although I've used multiple sources for confirming facts and for a balanced analysis, I welcome your comments and/or corrections.
Born in Argentina, Paula Crerar moved to the United States as a child. She continued to visit Argentinean relatives every year in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Córdoba and Salta. With the seasons reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, most of her stints in Argentina were spent in Patagonia skiing, and soon her shelf space was filled with ski racing trophies.
She has also lived and traveled extensively in the Caribbean and Latin American countries. Paula is currently a marketing executive in the technology industry and lives in Boston.
