Statistical information Argentina 1989

Argentina in the World
top of pageBackground: A part of the Spanish empire until independence in 1816, Argentina subsequently experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions. Meantime, thanks to rich natural resources and foreign investment, a modern agriculture and a diversified industry were gradually developed. After World War II, a long period of Peronist dictatorship was followed by rule by a military junta. Democratic elections finally came in 1983, but both the political and economic atmosphere remain susceptible to turmoil.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries:
9,665 km total
Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline: 4,989 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
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
ElevationNatural resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, crude oil, uranium
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 52% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes 1% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil; strategic location relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
top of pagePopulation: 31,914,473 (July 1989), growth rate 1.2% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Argentine(s; adjective - Argentine
Ethnic groups: 85% white, 15% mestizo, Indian, or other nonwhite groups
Languages: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Religions: 90% nominally Roman Catholic (less than 20% practicing), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 6% other
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 20 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: Tucuman and Mendoza areas in Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated soil degradation; desertification
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 32 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 74 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 94%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Argentine Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Buenos Aires (tentative plans to move to Viedma by 1990)
Administrative divisions: 22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 national territory* (territorio nacional), and 1 district** (distrito; Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Distrito Federal**, 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 and Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur*, Tucuman
Dependent areasIndependence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday: National Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution: 1 May 1853
Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government - President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989)
Legislative branch: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture, National Aeronautical Police
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ISO, ITU, IWC - International Whaling Commission, IWC - International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador Enrique J. A. CANDIOTI; Chancery at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,009; telephone (202) 939-6,400 through 6,403; there are Argentine Consulates General in Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles; US - Ambassador Theodore E. GILDRED; Embassy at 4,300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires (mailing address is APO Miami 34,034; telephone Õ54å (1) 774-7,611 or 8,811, 9,911
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Argentina has rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Nevertheless, the economy has encountered major problems in recent years. Economic growth slowed to 2.0% in 1987, down from the 5.5% registered in 1986. The widening public sector deficit and a triple-digit inflation rate dominated the economy in 1987 and into 1988. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to more than $58 billion, creating severe debt-servicing difficulties and hurting the country's creditworthiness with international lenders.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 15% of GDP (including fishing; produces abundant food for both domestic consumption and exports; among world's top five exporters of grain and beef; principal crops - wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets; fish catch estimated at 500,000 metric tons in 1987
Industries: food processing (especially meat packing), motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Industrial production growth rate: - 0.6% (1988)
Labor force:
10,900,000; 12% agriculture, 31%
industry, 57%
services (1985 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1988 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $9.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, hides, wool
Partners: US 14%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands
Imports: $5.8 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, chemical, metals, fuel and lubricants, agricultural products
Partners: US 20%, Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $58.0 billion (December 1988)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: australes (A) per US$1 - 13.3 (end December 1988), 2.1443 (1987), 0.9430 (1986), 0.6018 (1985; black-market rate 550 (July 1989)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 16,058,000 kW capacity; 48,034 million kWh produced, 1,520 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: NA
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 1,834 total, 1,655 usable; 129 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 29 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 336 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: 4,090 km crude oil; 2,900 km refined products; 9,918 km natural gas
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 11,000 km navigable
Merchant marine: 138 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,686,755 GRT/2,655,211 DWT; includes 49 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 52 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 16 bulk; note - in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 naval transport are sometimes used commercially
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: short section of the boundary with Uruguay is in dispute; short section of the boundary with Chile is indefinite; claims British-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas; claims British-administered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs