Argentines
Argentinos

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1strow (19th century politics): José de San Martín • Manuel Belgrano • Mariano Moreno • Domingo Faustino Sarmiento • Juan Manuel de Rosas • María Sánchez de Thompson • Leandro N. Alem 2nd row (20th, 21st century politics): Evita • Che Guevara • Juan Perón • Arturo Illia • Hipólito Yrigoyen • Raúl Alfonsín • Néstor Kirchner 3rd row (Pop culture): Alberto Olmedo • Carlos Gardel • Mercedes Sosa • Charly García • Susana Giménez • Sandro • Tita Merello 4th row (Arts and Science): Ernesto Sábato • Bernardo Houssay • Jorge Luis Borges • Luis Leloir • Lola Mora • René Favaloro • Julio Cortázar 5th row (Sports):Maradona • Juan Manuel Fangio • Emanuel Ginóbili • Luciana Aymar • Lionel Messi • Gabriela Sabatini • Gabriel Batistuta
Total population
c. 42,000,000 Argentines
Regions with significant populations
Argentina        40,134,425
Spain 229,009[1]  United States 144,023[1]  Paraguay 61,649[1]  Chile 59,637[1]  Israel 43,718[1]  Bolivia 36,231[1]  Brazil 25,826[1]  Uruguay 23,943[1]  Canada 14,877[1]  Mexico 13,696[1][2]  Italy 11,576[1]  Australia 10,826[1]  France 10,795[1]  Venezuela 8,556[1]  United Kingdom 7,554[1]  Germany 7,140[1]  Switzerland 5,372[1]  Japan 3,762[1]  Peru 3,310[1]  Sweden 2,755[1]  Colombia 2,257[1]  Netherlands 2,189[1]  Ecuador 2,148[1]  Dominican Republic 1,420[1]  Portugal 1,218[1]  Austria 1,098[1]  Denmark 1,046[1]
Languages
Rioplatense Spanish
Religion
Predominantly Catholic. Also Protestants, Jews and other religions.
Related ethnic groups
Latin Americans, Italians, Spaniards, French, Germans and Others (Irish, Arabs and Mapuche).

Argentines (argentinos in Spanish), also called Argentinians, are the citizens of Argentina, or their descendants abroad. Argentina is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. As a result, Argentines do not consider their nationality as an ethnicity but as a citizenship with various ethnicities. Aside from the indigenous population, nearly all Argentines or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries.

According to the 2010 census [INDEC], Argentina had a population of 40,091,359 inhabitants, of which 1.805.957 or 4.6%, were born abroad. The population growth rate in 2008 was estimated to be 0.917% annually, with a birth rate of 16.32 live births per 1,000 inhabitants and a mortality rate of 7.54 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.^[3]

Argentina's population has long had one of Latin America's lowest growth rates (recently, about one percent a year) and it also enjoys a comparatively low infant mortality rate. Strikingly, though, its birth rate is still nearly twice as high (2.3 children per woman) as that in Spain or Italy, despite comparable religiosity figures.^[4][5] The median age is approximately 30 years and life expectancy at birth is of 75 years

Ethnic groups[link]

Argentina is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. As a result, the people there usually treat their nationality as a citizenship, but not an ethnicity.

Overview[link]

Argentina is, along with other areas of new settlement like Canada, Australia or the United States, a melting pot of different peoples.^[6] Most Argentines are descendents of colonial-era settlers and of the 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe, with about 90% of the population being of European descent.^[7][8] Recent decades immigration includes mainly Paraguayans, Bolivians and Peruvians, among other Latin Americans, Eastern Europeans and East Asians.

The most common ethnic groups are Italian and Spaniard (including Galicians and Basques). It is estimated that up to 25 million Argentines are of Italian descent, up to 60% of the total population.^[9] There are also Germanic, Slavic, British and French populations.^[10] Smaller Jewish, Native American, Arab, East Asian, Gypsy, and African communities contribute to what has been referred to as a "crucible of races".

Population Genetics[link]

While the vast majority of Argentines self identify as being of European descent, genetic studies show that a considerable part of Argentinians are partially descended from the pre-Columbian Amerindian population, with a much smaller proportion also showing some African ancestry.

MTDNA studies show that 53.7% of Argentines carry an Amerindian MTDNA lineage, passed through the female line, whereas 94.1% of Argentine men carry Y-chromosomes of European origin. This result is consistent with mass male immigration, and reproductive advantages for male European immigrants over native men. ^[11]

Studies conducted by researchers from Argentine and French scientific institutions attained that: The average genetic admixture of Argentina's population is of 79.9% European, 15.8% Amerindian and 4.3% African. Another study by Argentine, Swedish, Guatemalan, and North American scientific institutions, under the direction of Michael F. Seldin from the University of California attained that: The genetic average of Argentine's population is 78% European, 19.4% Amerindian and 2.5% African.^[12]

However, most of the previous studies involved large sample sizes taken from Buenos Aires and the surrounding areas, which were regions of large historic European immigration into the country. Other studies shows that Argentina's genetic footprint is not overwhelmingly European. In one of the most comprehensive genetic studies involving the population of Argentina, 441 Argentinians from across the North East, North West, Southern, and Central provinces (especially the urban conglomeration of Buenos Aires) of the country, it was observed that the Argentinian population comprised on average of 65% European, followed by 31% Amerindian, and finally 4% of African ancestry. ^[13] It was also found there were great differences in the ancestry amongst Argentinians as one traveled across the country.

For example, the population in the North West provinces of Argentina (includes the province of Salta) were on average of 66% Amerindian, 33% European, and 1% of African ancestry. ^[14] The European immigration to this North West part of the country was limited and the original Amerindian population largely thrived after their initial decline owing to the introduction of European diseases and colonization.

Similarly, the study also showed that the population in the North Eastern provinces of Argentina (for example, Misiones, Chaco, Corrientes, and Formosa) were on average 43% of Amerindian, 54% European, and 3% of African ancestry. ^[15]. The population of the Southern provinces of Argentina, such as Rio Negro and Nequen, were on average 40% of Amerindian, 54% European, and 6% of African ancestry. ^[16]. Finally, only in areas of massive historical European immigration in Argentina, namely the Central provinces, Buenos Aires and the surrounding urban areas, were Argentinians overwhelmingly of European ancestry, with the average person having 17% Amerindian, 76% European, and 7% of African ancestry. ^[17]

In another study, that was titled the the Regional pattern of genetic admixture in South America, the researchers included results from the genetic study of several hundreds of Argentinians from all across the country. The study indicated that Argentinians were as a whole made up of 38% Amerindian, 58.9% of European, and 3.1% of African ancestry. Again, there were huge difference in the genetic ancestry from across the various regions of the country. ^[18] For example, Argentines who hailed from Patagonia were 45% Amerindian and 55% of European ancestry .^[19] The population in the North West part of the country were made up of 68.6% of Amerindian, 22.8% of European, and 8.5% of African ancestry. ^[20] The population in the Gran Chaco part of the country were made up of 37.9% of Amerindian, 53.1% of European, and 8.9% of African ancestry. ^[21] The population in the Mesopotamian part of the country were made up of 30.5% of Amerindian, 63.0% of European, and only 6.4% of African ancestry. ^[22] Finally, the population in the Pampa region of the country were made up of 21.9% of Amerindian, 67.8% of European, and only 10.3% of African ancestry. ^[23]

Finally in another study involving the North Western provinces of the country, a total of 1293 individuals from Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca and La Rioja were used. ^[24] This study showed that the Spanish contribution (50%) predominated in Argentina's North West, followed by the American Indian (40%) and African (10%) contributions. ^[25] According to this study, Argentinians from Jujuy were made up of 53% Amerindian, 46.9% European, and 0.1% African ancestry. ^[26] Argentinians from Salta were made up of 41.4% Amerindian, 55.5% European, and 3.1% African ancestry. ^[27] Those from Catamarca were made up of 37% Amerindian, 52.9% European, and 10.1% African ancestry. ^[28] Those from La Rioja were on average 31% Amerindian, 50.3% European, and 18.7% African ancestry. ^[29] The inhabitants of Santiago del Estero were on average 30.4% Amerindian, 46.0% European, and 23.6% African ancestry. ^[30] The inhabitants of Tucuman were on average 24.2% Amerindian, 66.9% European, and 8.9% African ancestry. ^[31]

European Argentines[link]

Argentines of European descent constitute the majority of Argentina's population. They are the Argentine descendants of colonists from Spain and Portugal during the colonial period prior to 1810, and mainly of immigrants from Europe and the Middle East in the great immigratory wave during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Although a named category "Argentines of European descent" is not officially used, and no official census data exist, some international sources claim that they make up between 82.9%^[32] up to 86.4%^[7] of Argentina's population.

The current most numerous immigrant European communities are: Spanish (including Basque and Galician), Italian, French, German, Irish, Croat, Ukrainian and Polish, among many others. Arabs and Caucasians (mainly Armenian) are usually considered White population in Argentina.

Mestizo Argentines[link]

Within these totals there may be an imprecise amount of mixed "mestizo" population. Some sources provide estimates that state that Mestizo people represent between 6.5%^[7] up to 30%.^[33]

Arab Argentines[link]

Arabs, who are considered as White population, comprise between 2.9%^[32] and 3.3%^[7] of Argentina's population. They represent about 1.3 million people whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity, originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria, but also there are some individuals from the twenty-two countries which comprise the Arab World. Due to the fact that many Arab countries were under Ottoman control by the time the immigration took place, most Arabs entered the country with Turkish passport, and so they are colloquially referred to as turcos.

Amerindian Argentines[link]

Contemporary Amerindian cultures are represented in the country mainly by the Mapuche, Kolla, Wichí and Toba peoples. According to the provisional data of INDEC's Complementary Survey of Indigenous Peoples (ECPI) 2004 - 2005, 600,329 indigenous persons (about 1.6% of the total population) reside in Argentina. The most numerous of these communities are the Mapuches, who live mostly in the south, the Kollas and Wichís, from the northwest, and the Tobas, who live mostly in the northeast.^[10] Some Mestizo population may identify with indigenous ethnicity.

Asian Argentines[link]

Argentines of Asian ancestry are defined as either born within Argentina, or born elsewhere and later to become a citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian-Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 20th century. Primarily living in their own neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, many currently own their own businesses of varying sizes - largely textiles, grocery retailing, and buffet-style restaurants. The small Asian-Argentine population has generally kept a low profile, and is accepted by greater Argentine society.

Afro Argentines[link]

Blacks in Argentina might be about 67,000 people; this figure includes 53,000 direct descendants from slaves,^[32] plus 12,000-15,000 Caboverdian Mulatto immigrants and their descendants, who arrived in the 1950s and 1960s.^[34] With thousands of immigrants from Europe arriving to Argentine soil, and most black women intermarrying with them, noting that their populations were already low, the Afro-Argentine population faded into oblivion.

Languages[link]

Although Spanish is dominant, being the national language spoken by virtually all Argentines, the spoken languages of Argentina number at least 40. Languages spoken by at least 100,000 Argentines include Native American languages such as Southern Quechua, Guaraní and Mapudungun, and immigrant languages such as German, Italian, or Levantine Arabic.

Two native languages are extinct (Abipón and Chané), while some others are endangered, spoken by elderly people whose descendants do not speak the languages^[35] (such as Vilela, Puelche, Tehuelche and Selknam).

Welsh is also spoken by over 35,000 people in the Chubut Province. This includes a dialect called Patagonian Welsh, which has developed since the start of the Welsh settlement in Argentina in 1865.

There are also other communities of immigrants that speak their native languages, such as the Chinese language spoken by at least half of the over 60,000 Chinese immigrants (mostly in Buenos Aires) and an Occitan-speaking community in Pigüé, Buenos Aires Province.

Religion[link]

A majority of the population of Argentina is Christian. According to CONICET survey on creeds, about 76.5% of Argentines are Roman Catholic, 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses, and 0.9% Mormons.^{[citation needed]}

Although Jews account for less than 1% of Argentina's population, Buenos Aires has the second largest population of Jews in the Americas, second only to New York City. Argentina also has the largest Muslim minority in America (see Islam in Argentina).

Emigration[link]

The rate of Argentine emigration to Europe (especially to Spain and Italy^[36]) and, to a lesser degree, to South America (mostly to Uruguay and the Brazil) peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is noteworthy.^[37]

Most Argentines outside Argentina are people who have migrated from the middle and upper middle classes. The most popular immigration destinations in America are: USA, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Canada, but other communities' stationed in Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica. In Europe, Spain and Italy have large communities but also in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. There are also significant communities in Israel and Australia. According to official estimates there are 600,000 worldwide Argentine, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration are about 806,369 since 2001. It is estimated that their descendants would be around 1,900,000.

The first wave of emigration occurred during the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, with the main destinations in Spain, USA, Mexico and Venezuela. During the 1990s, due to the abolition of visas between Argentina and the United States, thousands of Argentines emigrated to the North American country. The last major wave of emigration occurred during the 2001 crisis, the main destination in Europe, especially Spain, although there was also an increase in emigration to neighboring countries, particularly Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.

See also[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• About Argentine population at www.Argentina.gov.ar (English)

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Argentines who are famous or notable include:

Writers[link]

Roberto Arlt

Adolfo Bioy Casares

Jorge Luis Borges

Juan Gelman

Beatriz Guido

José Hernández

Leopoldo Lugones

Silvina Ocampo

Ernesto Sabato

María Elena Walsh

Rodolfo Walsh

• César Aira
• Almafuerte (Pedro Bonifacio Palacios)
• Juan Argerich
• Roberto Arlt
• Hilario Ascasubi
• Enrique Banchs
• Roni Bandini
• Héctor Bianciotti
• Adolfo Bioy Casares
• Isidoro Blaisten
• Jorge Luis Borges
• Elsa Bornemann
• Silvina Bullrich
• Susana Calandrelli
• Eugenio Cambaceres
• Miguel Cané
• Martín Caparrós
• Evaristo Carriego
• Leonardo Castellani
• Abelardo Castillo
• Julio Cortázar
• Estanislao del Campo
• Haroldo Conti
• Gabino Coria Peñaloza
• Roberto Cossa
• Agustín Cuzzani
• Marco Denevi
• Antonio di Benedetto
• Osvaldo Dragún
• Esteban Echeverría
• Samuel Eichelbaum
• Fogwill
• Jorge Fondebrider
• Luis Franco
• Rodrigo Fresán
• Silvio Frondizi
• Griselda Gambaro
• Juan Gelman
• Alberto Gerchunoff
• Oliverio Girondo
• Angélica Gorodischer
• Carlos Gorostiza
• Juana Manuela Gorriti
• Paul Groussac
• Eduardo Gudiño Kieffer
• Beatriz Guido
• Ricardo Güiraldes
• Eduardo Gutiérrez
• Tulio Halperín Donghi
• José Hernández
• Guillermo Enrique Hudson
• Enrique Anderson Imbert
• José Ingenieros
• Isol (Marisol Misenta)
• Roberto Juarroz
• Joseph Kessel
• Igor Sergei Klinki
• Alejandro Korn
• Osvaldo Lamborghini
• Alfredo Le Pera
• Vicente López y Planes
• Leopoldo Lugones
• Félix Luna
• Benito Lynch
• Eduardo Mallea
• Leopoldo Marechal
• Guillermo Martínez
• Tomás Eloy Martínez
• Ezequiel Martínez Estrada
• Carlos Mastronardi
• José Nicolás Matienzo
• Leonardo Moledo, science writer, novelist
• Ricardo Molinari
• Eduardo Montes-Bradley
• Manuel Mujica Láinez
• Rafael Obligado
• Silvina Ocampo
• Victoria Ocampo
• Pacho O'Donnell
• Héctor Germán Oesterheld
• Olga Orozco
• Juan L. Ortiz
• Calixto Oyuela
• Alicia Partnoy
• Ivo Pelay
• Ricardo Piglia
• Felipe Pigna, historian
• Alejandra Pizarnik
• Antonio Porchia
• Juan Carlos Portantiero
• Manuel Puig
• Andrés Rivera
• Arturo Andrés Roig
• Ricardo Rojas
• Ernesto Sabato
• Juan José Saer
• Beatriz Sarlo
• Osvaldo Soriano
• Rafael Squirru
• Alfonsina Storni
• Mario Trejo
• Alberto Vaccarezza
• Luisa Valenzuela
• Florencio Varela
• David Viñas
• María Elena Walsh
• Rodolfo Walsh
• Juan Rodolfo Wilcock

Composers[link]

Juan de Dios Filiberto

Ástor Piazzolla

Ariel Ramírez

Lalo Schifrin

• Ernesto Acher
• Eduardo Arolas
• Amancio Jacinto Alcorta
• Eduardo Alonso-Crespo
• Agustín Bardi
• Esteban Benzecry
• Enrique Cadícamo
• Francisco Canaro
• Juan José Castro
• Mario Davidovsky
• Julio de Caro
• Carlos di Sarli
• Homero Expósito
• Gabino Ezeiza
• Eduardo Falú
• Juan de Dios Filiberto
• Roberto Firpo
• Gilardo Gilardi
• Alberto Ginastera
• Osvaldo Golijov
• Carlos Guastavino
• Martín Irigoyen
• Rubén Juárez
• Mauricio Kagel
• Emilio Kauderer
• Carlos López Buchardo
• Enrique Maciel
• Homero Manzi
• Rodolfo Mederos
• Juana Molina
• Mariano Mores
• Sixto Palavecino
• Polo Piatti
• Ástor Piazzolla
• Ariel Ramírez
• Waldo de los Ríos
• Gustavo Santaolalla
• Vicente Scaramuzza
• Lalo Schifrin
• Oscar Strasnoy
• Alicia Terzian
• Alejandro Viñao
• Ezequiel Viñao
• Alberto Williams