Follow the jump links to learn more about Argentina:
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun Facts
Lifestyle and Family Living
Family life plays a central role in the social structure of Argentina. Families tend to be close-knit, are warm, and affection is shown regularly. Grandparents often live at home and many extended family members are always nearby.
Argentines are generally sociable people who value courtesy and respect, especially toward their elders. Lunch and dinner are important family meeting times.
Argentine families are protective of their children and expect to know when and where their children are going out.
Argentines are very respectful and, although Argentina is a strongly Catholic country, families and society welcome people of other beliefs.
Many people smoke in Argentina and, while it may be common to have someone in the house who smokes, families strongly prefer that their children not do so.
Both parents generally work, although they probably come home for lunch and a quick nap, or siesta. Lifestyles may vary, especially in Buenos Aires where families as diverse as in any metropolis.
You may be placed in any region of Argentina, from the southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego, to downtown Buenos Aires. Most students are placed with middle-class families in cities ranging in population from 10,000 to 3,000,000 inhabitants. Few participants are placed in rural areas.
Argentine host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are unpaid volunteers. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Teen Life
Having friends and a social life is very important in Argentina. Sometimes you may feel a lack of privacy as you will spend a lot of time with your friends and schoolmates. Even personal belongings may be considered shared property.
After you get home from school and have lunch with your family, you will have spare time that, in addition to studying and doing homework with your friends, you can fill with many activities.
Argentines often attend a gym or other sports club (soccer is very popular) in the afternoon. Many teenagers also study a second language at a special school. But what they enjoy the most is getting together at friends’ houses or in the central town square, going to parties or just hanging out in the local café.
You may also be able to join other groups involved in music or arts activities. Teenagers generally walk, bike or, when in major cities, take public buses.
Around 8-9:30 p.m. the whole family gathers for dinner. During the weekends, Argentine teenagers enjoy going out to movies, to eat and especially to dance.
Dress and Appearance
Argentine teenagers like to dress casually (i.e. jeans and T-shirts) but are also careful about fashion.
Shorts are very popular during the summer.
You should also pack some warm clothes (jacket, gloves, scarf, boots) because, despite the myth that Argentina is a tropical country, the winter (from June to September) can be cold .
You should think about bringing one or two nice outfits (shirt and tie for men, dresses for women) for special occasions.
Cleanliness is valued; taking a shower every day is very important. Due to the somewhat conservative dressing style, earrings on men and other non-traditional looks are not always well accepted.
Diet and Meals
Meals carry strong social significance, and whole families customarily eat together.
As Argentina is a great (and proud) cattle-raising country, meat—which means mainly beef to Argentines—is a base of the Argentine diet. Therefore vegetarians are very difficult to place.
Parillada (mixed grills of all parts and cuts of cow) are very popular, especially during social gatherings. Milanesas (breaded fried cutlet) or bife (grilled steak) are other popular dishes that reveal the strong influence of Italians, who are more likely to be considered part of the Argentine heritage rather than a minority.
Other examples of Italian influence are the ñoquis (gnocchi), which are traditionally eaten on the 29th of every month for good luck, or the highly popular Argentine helado (gelato). Guiso (rice or pasta with vegetable and meat sauce) is a common winter meal.
In addition to their high consumption of beef and pastas, Argentines are also known to be great consumers of yerba maté (local green tea). This is more a socializing element than a beverage served with a meal; maté is shared among people during any kind of gathering and the special gourd it comes in is offered from person to person.
It is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator, although your appreciation of and request for some particular dishes will be happily received.
Educational System
In Argentina, school is one of the best places to meet people and make friends.
Argentina has both public and private schools. They may be academic, vocational-commercial or vocational-technical. Most AFSers are placed in public coeducational schools in the fourth or fifth year (last or second-to-last year) with classmates ages 16 and 17. Most schools require uniforms (you should bring approximately US$100 to cover the cost).
The school system has seven years of elementary school and five of high school. The school year is divided into two semesters starting in mid-March and ending in early December. There is a two-week winter vacation in July.
You will attend classes Monday through Friday either in the morning (from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or in the afternoon (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.), not both, depending on the school. Unlike the United States, teachers change rooms while you will remain with your classmates.
You will be required to take up to 11 core subjects including Spanish-language (Castellano), Spanish or Argentine literature, geography, biology, foreign language and math as compulsory courses and various other subjects depending on the school and the scholastic focus chosen (such as humanities, technical-business, industrial or pedagogical).
Extracurricular activities are limited mostly to sports clubs. Generally, a school will organize a class trip that you will be invited to join (your participation is option but if you choose to go, the cost is usually about US$350).
Although most year and semester program participants obtain credit for the academic coursework they successfully complete while abroad, AFS cannot guarantee academic credit for courses. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, after India. It is best known for its fertile prairies called pampas, which are found in the country’s central region. It occupies the majority of South America’s long southern tail.
In the west, are the Andes Mountains, whose foothills contain beautiful valleys and canyons. In the north, Argentina borders Bolivia and Paraguay. To the east are Brazil, Uruguay and the long coastline of the southern Atlantic Ocean. It also shares with Chile the islands of Tierra del Fuego in the south.
Seasons are those of the southern hemisphere with summer between November and April and winter from June through August. Although the climate is generally temperate, the great north-south sweep of the country means regional climates vary from subtropical in the northern regions to sub-arctic in southern Patagonia. Therefore, you should research the climate of your host community once it is assigned.
Population
Argentina’s population of 40 million people, is 97% of European descent (mostly Spanish and Italian), with mestizo, Amerindian, and other Native American groups making up 3%.
There is a substantial middle class. Buenos Aires, the capital city, has a population of 14 million and a particularly European atmosphere that differs deeply from the rest of the country, known as the interior.
Language
Spanish is the official language of Argentina. Reflecting the influence of its single largest immigrant group, Italian is widely understood. English, German and French are also spoken.
Government
Argentina is a federal republic made up of 24 provinces and the Federal Capital. There is an elected civilian president and a bicameral legislature, the Congreso Nacional (National Congress) and the Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies).
Religion
Argentina is a major Roman Catholic country (92% nominally; less than 20% practicing) but is very accepting of other religious groups. Significant minorities are Protestant 2% and Jewish 2%.
Spending Money
The peso is the official currency in Argentina
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month.
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- Iguazu Falls of Argentina are even higher than the Niagara Falls.
- Argentina is also the home of Diego Armando Maradona, the world-famous soccer player whom Argentines love to talk about, and Che Guevara, the famous revolutionary.
- The Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, discovered in the 1520s, is said to owe its name to fires that the indigenous people would light on the coastline.
- Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets
- Welsh is spoken in parts of Argentina.
- Argentina shares with Uruguay the widest river on earth: “Río de la Plata.”
- Argentina has the highest mountain in the Americas: the “Aconcagua” (6959 meters).
- Mt. Aconcagua of Argentina is the tallest mountain in the whole of South America.
- Moreno Glacier of Argentina is amongst the few glaciers in the world that are advancing.
- The popular dance form ‘Tango’ belongs to Argentina.
