ARGENTINE

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the  frontier.  Early  in  its  history  Argentine
encouraged  emigration  from  Europe,  using
as  an  inducement  the  free  grant  of  public
lands,  which  proved  especially  attractive  to
the  Italian  and  Spaniard.  In  fact  the  preponderance ­
  of  the  Italian  in  the  business  and
social  life,  due  to  this  movement  has  had  a
noticeable  effect  on  the  Spanish  language  as
spoken  in  this  country.  From  1857  to  1913
the  total  of  newcomers  amounted  to  4,781,653,
many  of  whom  became  landholders  and  began
at  once  to  contribute  to  the  growth  and  wealth
of  the  country.  The  population  to-day  is
7.8  persons  per  square  mile  as  against  32.31
per  square  mile  in  the  United  States.  More
than  300,000  persons  migrate  to  this  country
each  year.
The  chief  characteristic  of  the  physical
formation  of  the  Argentine  is  its  vast  pampas
or  plains  stretching  from  the  Rio  de  la  Plata
to  the  west,  terminating  in  the  foothills  of  the
Andes,  or  the  Cordilleras.  Perhaps  no  part
of  the  earth’s  surface  has  such  flat,  smooth,
treeless  plains  as  here  confront  the  traveller.