The passenger trades between Europe and South America never developed the glamour of the North American run, perhaps because of a lack of Hollywood stars on the ships, but a great many fine vessels were built for the South Atlantic route. Almost all of the major European liner operators took part and, after World War II, even Argentina built up a small fleet of passenger/cargo vessels. Because of early immigration trends, which have resulted in nearly two-thirds of all Italian descendants now living in South America, Italian shipping lines predominated. However,rnthere was also British, Welsh and Irish immigration to South America and this, along with considerable activity by British business interests in the region, generated a strong demand for British flag services.
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