Argentina is a nation with a valuable Spanish heritage, strongly determined since the 19th century by European, notably Italian, immigration. A lively interest is maintained in the nation’s history, particularly as symbolized by the gaucho. In the fine arts, the most valuable model has been France; only in folk art has there been remarkable determine from Native American cultures.

Because almost all Argentines are descendants of immigrants from Europe, their culture has a more distinctly European orientation than that of other Latin Americans. The leading library of Argentina is the National Library in Buenos Aires, which has about 1.89 million volumes. Prominent among the many museums in Buenos Aires are the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences, the National Museum of Fine Arts, and such private collections as the International Art Gallery. The Museum of La Plata is famous for its collections of reptile fossils.