Argentina is a very large country on the southeast of South America, running from the polar south to the tropical north. The population is very European in ancestry, with roughly half being pure-European in background, and another large section being mostly European in background.
It has a large Arab population (9±%), but which is intermarried and assimilated into the country’s larger demographic This is because it is heavily Maronite (Catholic) Lebanese who assimilate well.
Interestingly, Argentina has around 180,000 Jews – the seventh largest Jewish population in the world – and they can be politically active.
By Mario Kirlis
Mario Kirlis is a world famous Arab-Argentine Musician and composer.
He has played all over Latin America and the world. His is pidgeonholed as a bellydance musician; but he has an orchestra, and his music can be classical in complexity.
From Bolivia – Apr 25, 2012
Again, Arab culture thoroughly penetrates Latin America.
Again, the Arabes are heavily Christian. Very little Muslims among them.
Bolivia, according to Wikipedia, has only about 2,000 Muslims, out of a population of 10 million. This is equivalent to 1 in 50,000 people. Or actually 0.02% Muslim.
I cannot get a good estimate for the number of Arabs in Bolivia, though obviously, they have affected the culture.
The one exception may be Argentina, but even Argentina’s Arabs are about 90% Christian; and the Muslims in the Arab Community are usually non-practicing.
Muslims in Argentina are about 1% of the population; and that may be exaggerated.
Posted on YouTube: April 11, 2014
Salta, Argentina
Courtesy: Wikipedia
La Beduina (The Bedouin)
A restaurant in Salta, Argentina.
Salta is a subtropical resort city in the Northwest of Argentina.
However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the arrival of Italian, Spanish and Arab immigrants, particularly Syrians and Lebanese, revived trade and agriculture all over the area while further enhancing the city’s multicultural flavor.
It has a large Arab population, so this restaurant should prosper.
At that latitude, Salta should be tropical, as it is just shy of the tropic of capricorn, but it is about 3,780 feet high in the mountains; and so can be affected by Andean cold.
However, even though it might dip below freezing at night in the dead of winter, it will usually shoot up to 20°C (68°F) by noon. So, it is subtropical with a pleasant climate.
Outside the city grow Giant Cactus called the Cardon Grande (Echinopsis terscheckii) which can reach 25 feet, and resemble the Saguaro of Arizona, and Mexico.
May 10, 2017 – Edited: Corrected video link – Corrected some text.
September 2, 2020 – Made mobile friendly.
Here is an interesting website for Horus Arab Music: (Click Here)
This is one of their newer videos by the Orquesta árabe de Argentina (Arab Orchestra of Argentina_).
Arabs are anywhere from 8-10% of Argentina’s population,depending on which statistics you use.
