Map of Argentina | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Following independence from Spain in 1816 Argentina experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War II a long period 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 numerous elections since then have underscored Argentina's progress in democratic consolidation.


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Location: Southern South America bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Chile and Uruguay

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 S 64 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 2,766,890 km²
Land: 2,736,690 km²
Water: 30,200 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Land boundaries
Total: 9,665 km
Border countries: (5) Bolivia 832 km; , Brazil 1,224 km; , Chile 5,150 km; , Paraguay 1,880 km; , Uruguay 579 km

Coastline: 4,989 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)
Extremes highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza)

Natural resources: fertile plains of the pampas lead zinc tin copper iron ore manganese petroleum uranium

Land use
Arable land: 12.31%
Permanent crops: 0.48%
Other: 87.21% (2001)

Irrigated land: 15,610 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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 Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere


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Population: 39,144,753 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.02% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 51.7% (May 2003)

Nationality
Noun: Argentine
Adjective: Argentine

Ethnic groups: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97% mestizo Amerindian or other nonwhite groups 3%

Languages: Spanish (official) English Italian German French

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing) Protestant 2% Jewish 2% other 4%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 5,179,236; female 4,947,234)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 12,452,566; female 12,457,451)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,685,371; female 2,422,895) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 29.2 years
Male: 28.3 years
Female: 30.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 17.19 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 7.57 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.61 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.66 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 17.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.63 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.7 years
Male: 71.95 years
Female: 79.65 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 1500 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.1%
Male: 97.1%
Female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Argentine Republic
Conventional short form: Argentina
Local long form: Republica Argentina
Local short form: Argentina

Government type: republic

Capital: Buenos Aires

Administrative divisions
Note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; the last election held was the presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be held NA 2007)
Election results: results of the presidential primary of 27 April 2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other 8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6, other/provincial parties 38

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

Political parties and leaders: Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro ALESSANDRO]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA]; Justicialist Party or PJ [leader NA] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties

International organization participation: AfDB Australia Group BCIE BIS FAO G-6 G-15 G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU LAES LAIA Mercosur MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH NSG OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO UNMIK UNMOVIC UNTSO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
In the us chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 238-6,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-3,171
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ
From the us embassy: Avenida Colombia 4,300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
From the us mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO address: Unit 4,334, APO AA 34,034
From the us telephone: [54] (11) 5,777-4,533
From the us fax: [54] (11) 5,777-4,240

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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources a highly literate population an export-oriented agricultural sector and a diversified industrial base. Over the past decade however the country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation external debt capital flight and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8% as both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds massive withdrawals from the banks and a further decline in consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a 'zero deficit' to stabilize the banking system and to restore economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002 and the peso was floated in February; the exchange rate plunged and inflation picked up rapidly but by mid-2002 the economy had stabilized albeit at a lower level. Strong demand for the peso compelled the Central Bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets to curb its appreciation in 2003. Led by record exports the economy began to recover with output up 8% in 2003 unemployment falling and inflation reduced to under 4% at year-end.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8.7% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.1%
Industry: 34.8%
Services: 54.1% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: sunflower seeds lemons soybeans grapes corn tobacco peanuts tea wheat; livestock

Industries: food processing motor vehicles consumer durables textiles chemicals and petrochemicals printing metallurgy steel

Industrial production growth rate: 16.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 14.92 million (2003)
By occupation: agriculture NA industry NA services NA

Unemployment rate: 17.3% (2003)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 51.7% (May 2003)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $26.62 billion
Expenditures: $26 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 65.7% of GDP (2003 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 13.4% (2003)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $7.855 billion (2003)

Exports: $29.57 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: edible oils fuels and energy cereals feed motor vehicles
Partners: Brazil 15.8% Chile 12% US 10.6% China 8.4% Spain 4.7% (2003)

Imports: $13.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment motor vehicles chemicals metal manufactures plastics
Partners: Brazil 34% US 16.4% Germany 5.6% China 5.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $145.6 billion (2003 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9003 (2003) 3.0633 (2002) 0.9995 (2001) 0.9995 (2000) 0.9995 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 97.17 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 92.12 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 5.662 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 7.417 billion kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 37.15 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 31.1 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 6.05 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 768 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,009,400 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 6.5 million (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment with the 'Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998,' Argentina encouraged the growth of modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally available will take time
Domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone use is rapidly expanding
International: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ar
Hosts: 742,358 (2003)
Users: 4.1 million (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.3 billion (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1.3% (FY00)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1335 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 144
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 26
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 62
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 44
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1,190
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 50
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 569
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 567 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 27,166 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified)
Broad gauge: 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)

Roadways

Waterways: 11,000 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 149,007 GRT/212,620 DWT
By type: cargo 9, petroleum tanker 9, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: Uruguay 1
Registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: UK continues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina whose constitution still claims UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands but in 1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by force; Beagle Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984 but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering smuggling arms and drug trafficking and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; some money-laundering activity especially in the Tri-Border Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing