II. A SKETCH OF HISTORY.

Early in the 16th century Spain sent many expeditions to this region, and cities were founded. A Colony was well established by the 17th Century, In the next Century the King was represented by a Viceroy and trade was organized under a monopolistic system.
The Napoleonic invasion of Spain left the colonies in America without an effective government. England sent a military expedition to take Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1808 but was expelled by the "criollos"(people born in the colony) and the local militia . Argentina became the first Latin American nation in May 1810 to endeavour in a process of emancipation from Spain. The independence was formally declared on July 9, 1816. In 1833 the British navy took Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) forcing out the Argentine population and establishing its own people. Since then Argentina has peacefully claimed the restitution of the islands.
The Constitution was adopted in 1853 establishing a federal system of government similar to United States of America constitution. A stable system was inaugurated under the 1853 Constitution and into the next century a period of orderly presidential successions took place every six years and the country had an exponential economic growth until 1930. A massive European immigration began in the second half of the XIX century mainly from: Spain, Italy, Germany, Irland, England, Poland, Hungary, Russia, and Greece. The coup d'etat of 1930 interrupted the democratic process and decades of economic growth. It began a period of alternating military rule. Each military failure was followed by short-lived civilian governments.
A military regime launched an invasion in 1982 to regain control of Islas Malvinas that were finally recovered by British forces. The United Nations consider the case of Malvinas as a colonial situation. Before and after the armed conflict the United Nations invited Argentina and Britain to initiate negotiations in order to find as soon as posible a peaceful and just solution to the sovereignty dispute.
In 1983 full democracy was reestablished. Since then Argentina has been undergoing a process of economic transformation. Today Argentina is one of the least protectionist countries, has one of the lowest inflation rates in the world and has a free market economic system. Argentina is among the nations that uphold democracy, human rights, free trade and environmental protection.


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