Read down about the population and immigration of Argentina.
Population
With an estimated 36,000,000 population, the third largest in South America after Brazil and Colombia, Argentina is one of the least densely populated countries in the continent. Thirty six per cent of the population lives in the urban area of Gran Buenos Aires, leaving most of Patagonia, for example, with 2 km sq per inhabitant. In the province of Buenos Aires, the people are mainly of European origin and the classic Argentine background is of Spanish and Italian immigrants. In Patagonia and the Lake District there's a considerable smattering of Scottish, Welsh, French, German and Swiss inhabitants, with Eastern Europeans to be found in the northeast of the country.
In the northwestern provinces, at least half the people are indigenous, or of indigenous descent, mixed in Salta Province, for example, with a long line of criollo stock. Although mestizos form about 15% of the population of the whole country, the existence of different ethnic groups wasn't recognized until the mid 1990s. There are 13 indigenous groups, totalling about 500,000 people, 3% of the total population, many living in communities in the northwest, and scattered throughout the country. The largest minorities are the Toba (20%), the Wichi or Mataco (10%), the Mapuche (10%) and the Guaraní (10%). Several of the smaller groups are in danger of extinction: in 1987 the Minority Rights Group reported the death of the last Ona in Tierra del Fuego and noted that the 100 remaining Tehuelches were living on a reservation in southern Patagonia.
Immigration
The city of Buenos Aires and the surrounding province was transformed through immigration in the 19th century, to a society of predominantly European origin. White immigration was encouraged by the 1853 Constitution and the new political stability after 1862 encouraged a great wave of settlers from Europe. Between 1857 and 1930 total immigration was over 6,000,000, almost all from Europe. About 55% of these were Italians, followed by Spaniards (26%), and then, far behind, groups of other Europeans and Latin Americans. British and North Americans normally came as stockbreeders, technicians and business executives. By 1895, 25% of the population of 4,000,000 were immigrants. Over 1,300,000 Italians settled in Argentina between 1876 and 1914. Their influence can be seen in the country's food, its urban architecture and its language, especially in Buenos Aires where the local vocabulary has incorporated Lunfardo, a colourful slang of largely Italian origin, which started out as the language of thieves. Today it is estimated that 12.8% of the population are foreign born.
