Italian Argentines (; , or tanos in Rioplatense Spanish) are Italian-born people (born in Argentina or Italy) or non-Italian citizens of Italian descent residing in Argentina. Italian is the largest single ethnic origin of modern Argentines, surpassing even the descendants of Spanish immigrants. Italian immigration to Argentina was the largest and most important migratory movement that the current Argentine Republic has historically received, surpassing that of the Spanish conquerors and the descendants of that population who settled in today's Argentine territory before independence. In 2011, it was estimated that at least 25 million Argentines (62.5% of the country's population) have some degree of Italian ancestry. Argentina has the second-largest community of Italians outside of Italy, after Brazil. Contingents of Italian immigrants arrived in Argentina from all regions of Italy, mainly from Northern Italy in the 19th century and mostly from Southern Italy in the 20th century. Italians began arriving in Argentina in large numbers from 1857 to 1940, totaling 44.9% of the entire postcolonial immigrant population, more than from any other country (including Spain, at 31.5%). In 1996, the population of Argentines of partial or full Italian descent numbered 15.8 million when Argentina's population was approximately 34.5 million, meaning they represented 45.5% of the population. Italian settlements in Argentina, along with Spanish settlements, formed the backbone of modern Argentine society. Argentine culture has significant connections with Italian culture in terms of language, customs, and traditions. Argentina is also a strongly Italophilic country as cuisine, fashion, customs, traditions, and lifestyle have been sharply influenced by Italian immigration. History During the Spanish conquest of what would be present-day Argentine territory, an Italian from the region of Sardinia (Leonardo Gribeo) accompanied Pedro de Mendoza to the place where Buenos Aires would be founded. He brought to that place, from Cagliari to Spain and then to the Río de la Plata, an image of Saint Mary of Good Air, to which the "miracle" of having reached a good place was attributed, giving the founded city its name in Spanish: Buenos Aires ( "good airs"). The presence of Italians in the Río de la Plata Basin predates the birth of Argentina. Small groups of Italians began to emigrate to the present-day Argentine territory already in the second half of the 17th century. There were already Italians in Buenos Aires during the May Revolution, which started the Argentine War of Independence. In particular, Manuel Belgrano, Manuel