World Facts Index > Argentina > Buenos Aires
 In
1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from
Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area
that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were
heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly
Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860
to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was
dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and
Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an
era of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent governments
was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned
in 1983, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of
which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public
protests and the resignation of several interim presidents. The economy has
recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002.
Geography of Argentina
|
Location:
|
Southern South America,
bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay |
|
Coordinates:
|
34 00 S, 64 00 W |
|
Area:
|
total: 2,766,890 sq
km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly less than
three-tenths the size of the US |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 9,665 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150
km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km |
|
Coastline:
|
4,989 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental
margin |
|
Climate:
|
mostly temperate; arid in
southeast; subantarctic in southwest |
|
Terrain:
|
rich plains of the Pampas
in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged
Andes along western border |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Salinas Chicas -40 m (located on Peninsula Valdes)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
fertile plains of the
Pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium |
|
Natural hazards:
|
San Miguel de Tucuman and
Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent
windstorms that can strike the Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
environmental problems
(urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as
deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and
water pollution
note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse
gas targets |
|
Geography - note:
|
second-largest country in
South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes
between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of
Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South
America's tallest mountain, while the Valdes Peninsula is the lowest
point on the continent
|
Population of Argentina
|
Population:
|
40.482 million (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 5,341,642/female
5,095,325)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 12,807,458/female 12,884,745)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 1,784,652/female 2,568,176) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 29.7 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 30.8 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
0.938% |
|
Birth rate:
|
17.19 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
7.57 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality:
|
14.73 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 76.36 years
male: 73.11 years
female: 79.77 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.16 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%,
mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 3% |
|
Religions:
|
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20%
practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% |
|
Languages:
|
Spanish (official), English, Italian,
German, French |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 97.1%
female: 97.1%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Argentine
Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
Buenos Aires |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
23 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia), and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La
Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa
Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico
Sur, Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica |
|
Independence:
|
9 July 1816 (from Spain) |
|
National holiday:
|
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810) |
|
Constitution:
|
1 May 1853; revised August 1994 |
|
Legal system:
|
mixture of US and West European legal
systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal and mandatory |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE
KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007); Vice President Julio COBOS (since 10 December
2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December
2007); Vice President Julio COBOS (since 10 December 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular
vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 28
October 2007 (next election to be held in 2011)
election results: Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER elected president; percent of
vote - Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER 45%, Elisa CARRIO 23%, Roberto LAVAGNA
17%, Alberto Rodriguez SAA 8% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists
of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the
members elected every two years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257
seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years
to a four-year term) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine
Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate) |
Economy
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population,
an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base.
Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina
suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises,
persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting
external debt, and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and
external indebtedness, and a bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious
economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history.
Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - the largest in
history - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and
abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo
DUHALDE, announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar
in early 2002. The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller
than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. Real GDP
rebounded to grow by an average 9% annually over the subsequent five years,
taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, an audacious
debt restructuring and reduced debt burden, excellent international financial
conditions, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation, however,
reached double-digit levels in 2006 and the government of President Nestor
KIRCHNER responded with "voluntary" price agreements with businesses,
as well as export taxes and restraints. Multi-year price freezes on electricity
and natural gas rates for residential users stoked consumption and kept private
investment away, leading to restrictions on industrial use and blackouts in
2007.
|
GDP:
|
$526.4 billion |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
8.5% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$13,100 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 9.5%
industry: 35.8%
services: 54.7% |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
26.9% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
3.7% |
|
Labor force:
|
15 million |
|
Unemployment:
|
16.3% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $42.63 billion
expenditures: $39.98 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 52.2%
hydro: 40.8%
other: 0.2%
nuclear: 6.7% |
|
Industries:
|
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer
durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel |
|
Agriculture:
|
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes,
corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock |
|
Exports:
|
edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals,
feed, motor vehicles |
|
Export partners:
|
Brazil 15.8%, US 10.7%, Chile 10.3%, China 8.2% |
|
Imports:
|
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics |
|
Import partners:
|
Brazil 35.6%, US 16.6%, China 5.4%, Germany 5.2% |
|
Currency:
|
Argentine peso (ARS) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |