People and Places^237
FIND OUT MORE. • Dance 336–337 • Endangered Species 124 • Politics 306–307 • South American Independence 420
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL DANCE OF ARGENTINA?
The tango began in the slums of the Argentine capital
Buenos Aires in the late 1800s, but is now danced
worldwide. It is a passionate dance for two people and
has a distinctive stop-start rhythm. It was traditionally
accompanied by a type of concertina known as a
bandoneon, together with a piano and a violin.WHAT IS SOUTH AMERICA’S
MOST SOUTHERLY TOWN?
The town of Ushuaia lies at the southern tip of
Argentina, so close to the Antarctic that it is bitterly
cold for much of the year. The town is situated on a
chain of islands called Tierra del Fuego, or “land of
fire” in Spanish, named after the Indian fires seen
there by the first explorers. Once a port for whaling
ships, Ushuaia is now a bustling modern town.WHY HAVE SO MANY EUROPEANS
SETTLED IN ARGENTINA?
About 98 per cent of the population in Argentina are
descended from European settlers. This includes the
descendants of the two million people who came from
Italy to escape poverty in the years before World
War I and many people from Wales. Immigrants were
attracted by the relative wealth of the country and the
almost unlimited areas of fertile land for farming.4 SANTIAGO, CHILE
Although the Chilean capital
of Santiago is a rich and
modern city, wealth is unevenly
distributed and one-third of
all Chileans live on or below
the poverty line.BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL 3
Football is an all-consuming
passion for Brazilians. From an
early age, Brazilians play on every
back street and open space, and
footballers like Pelé, Ronaldo, and
Ronaldinho are national heroes.
In 2002 Brazil won the World Cup
for a record fifth time.BRAZIL
Capital city: Brasília
Area: 8,511,965 sq km
(3,268,470 sq miles)
Population: 191 million
Official language: Portuguese
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Real
CHILE
Capital city: Santiago
Area: 756,950 sq km
(292,258 sq miles)
Population: 16.6 million
Official language: Spanish
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Chilean peso
BOLIVIA
Capital city: La Paz
(administrative);
Sucre (judicial)
Area: 1,098,580 sq km
(424,162 sq miles)
Population: 9.5 million
Official languages: Spanish,
Quechua, and Aymara
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Boliviano
ARGENTINA
Capital city: Buenos Aires
Area: 2,766,890 sq km
(1,068,296 sq miles)
Population: 39.5 million
Official language: Spanish
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Argentine peso
PARAGUAY
Capital city: Asunción
Area: 406,750 sq km
(157,046 sq miles)
Population: 6.4 million
Official language: Spanish
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Guaraní
URUGUAY
Capital city: Montevideo
Area: 176,220 sq km
(68,039 sq miles)
Population: 3.5 million
Official language: Spanish
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Uruguayan pesoSOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA1 CAR INDUSTRY, BRAZIL
Brazil is a major industrial nation, producing iron, steel, computers,
aircraft, and cars, such as this Volkswagen/Audi assembly line at San
Jose dos Pinhais. The country is also rich in minerals and is a major
exporter of coffee, sugar, and other products.southern
South
America