A country of illegal aliens, meat and wine: what surprises tourists in Argentina

The birthplace of tango and the official ambassador of the world's most delicious steaks. This is how you can describe Argentina, which combines a lot of things: from noisy parties to holy places and from the sale of illegal substances to preaching tours. What surprises tourists in this country?

• Meat. A lot of meat

Argentina is the world record holder in terms of meat consumption. Every citizen of this country eats about 50 kilograms of beef alone per year, not including poultry, pork, or game.

At the same time, Argentines practically do not eat fish. Almost all of the catch, which is measured in hundreds of tons daily, is exported.

• The world capital of wine

Argentina produces more wine than any other country in Latin America. It ranks fourth in the global ranking after Italy, France, and Spain.

Wine connoisseurs note that local varieties are unique in many ways. First of all, this is due to the fact that wine is made from grapes that were imported from Europe in colonial times. Nowadays, these varieties are not grown in the EU because they cannot withstand cold winters. In Argentina, however, they have taken root very well.

No wonder the locals drink this alcoholic beverage very often. It is even customary in restaurants to serve a glass of wine with almost any dish.

• Longevity and a passion for plastic surgery

Argentines boast a very good average life expectancy of 77 years. They themselves believe that the secret to such longevity is good ecology and plenty of meat. But most foreigners see it differently.

This country has a well-developed healthcare system, and it is accessible to almost everyone. In addition, psychological health is taken very seriously here. According to publicly available data, there are 150 psychologists for every 100,000 people in the country. Some cities are even so-called "psychological districts" as clinics are located there at every turn.

Plastic surgery is also very popular here. Every thirtieth Argentine has changed something in their appearance at least once in their life. Plastic surgery is so cheap here that even foreigners come here to correct some flaws.

• A large number of illegal immigrants

About 750 thousand people live in Argentina illegally. However, they are not punished for this. There is no deportation law in the country, so migrants are not touched here. They can easily get a job, rent or buy housing, and get married. The only thing is that the state does not provide them with any social guarantees and does not pay sick leave or pensions.

In general, a lot of people come to Argentina as tourists or workers. Ukrainians, for example, do not need to apply for a visa to enter and can stay here for as long as 90 days. By the way, the same conditions apply to neighboring Uruguay, so you can spend as much as six months in the hot Latin American country (or even more).

• A lot of rules of behavior

Argentines are incredibly polite people who always try to follow the rules. It is customary to kiss on the cheek or just shake hands when you meet people. Everyone here is greeted: shop assistants, unfamiliar neighbors, and just people passing by. Saying goodbye is also mandatory.

And there is one gesture that is incomprehensible to us. If an Argentine twirls his finger at his temple during a conversation, don't be in a hurry to be offended. This is his way of promising to think about what you have said, not a hint at any psychological disorders.

• Football vacations

Argentina is a football country. Almost 100% of its population loves this game. And it's not surprising as the national team has won the World Cup twice, and Buenos Aires has the largest concentration of football clubs on the planet.

The city is home to such devoted fans that school and university students are officially allowed to skip classes during important matches to cheer on their teams.

• Perez the mouse instead of the tooth fairy

Argentine children believe that Perez the mouse takes their baby teeth from under their pillows at night. Instead, the furry animal puts a few coins under their pillow. This was even the subject of a cartoon called The Adventures of Perez the Mouse, which was watched by all the country's children in 2006.

• A few more facts in the end
  

Political parties in Argentina have their own beers.

The country is one of the largest lemon exporters in the world. Argentina accounts for more than 20% of the total production of these citrus fruits.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told what surprises tourists in Italy.

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