Background: 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 with Italy and Spain providing 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 populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force 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 successive resignations of several presidents.

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 S 64 00 W

Area
Rank: 8
Comparative: slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Coastline: 4,989 km

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

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

Irrigated land: 15,500 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 814 km³ (2000)

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 in some areas

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); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Population: 42,192,494 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 32
Growth rate: 0.997% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 116
Below poverty line: 30%

Ethnic groups: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97% mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) Amerindian or other non-white groups 3%

Languages: Spanish (official) Italian English German French indigenous (Mapudungun Quechua)

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

Demographic profile:

Population growth rate: 0.997% (2012 est.)
Rank: 116

Birth rate: 17.34 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 113

Death rate: 7.36 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 118

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 74

Environment
Current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation soil degradation desertification air pollution and water pollution

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 143

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 69

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 97

Physicians density: 3.155 physicians/1000 population (2004)

Hospital bed density: 4 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 66
People living with hivaids: 110,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 39
Deaths: 2,900 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 46

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.3% (2005)
Rank: 106

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 63

Government type: republic

Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (provincias singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city*; Buenos Aires Catamarca Chaco Chubut Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires* 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 (Tierra del Fuego) Tucuman

Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)

National holiday: Revolution Day 25 May (1810)

Constitution: 1 May 1853; amended many times starting in 1860

Legal system: civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - efforts at civil code reform begun in the mid-1980s has stagnated

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age - optional

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 serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to serve four-year terms)

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

Political parties and leaders: Broad Progressive Front or FAP [Hermes BINNER]; Civic Coalition or CC (a broad coalition loosely affiliated with Elisa CARRIO); Dissident Peronists (PJ Disidente) or Federal Peronism (a sector of the Justicialist Party opposed to the Kirchners); Front for Victory or FpV (a broad coalition including elements of the PJ UCR and numerous provincial parties) [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER]; Peronist (or Justicialist) Party or PJ [vacant]; Radical Civic Union or UCR [Mario BARLETTA]; Republican Proposal or PRO [Mauricio MACRI]; Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; numerous provincial parties

International organization participation: AfDB (nonregional member) Australia Group BCIE BIS CAN (associate) CD CELAC FAO FATF G-15 G-20 G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAES LAIA Mercosur MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH NAM (observer) NSG OAS OPANAL OPCW Paris Club (associate) PCA SICA (observer) UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina (observer) UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

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; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti the Inca god of the sun

National symbols: Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol)

Economy overview: 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 an unprecedented 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 8.5% annually over the subsequent six 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 also increased however during the administration of President Nestor KIRCHNER which responded with price restraints on businesses as well as export taxes and restraints and beginning in 2007 with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as President in late 2007 and the rapid economic growth of previous years began to slow sharply the following year as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. The economy in 2010 rebounded strongly from the 2009 recession but has slowed since late 2011 even as the government continued to rely on expansionary fiscal and monetary policies which have kept inflation in the double digits.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 22

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 124

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 67

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5%
Rank: 49

Labor force: 17.07 million
Rank: 36

Unemployment rate: 7.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 80

Population below poverty line: 30%

Distribution of family income gini index: 45.8 (2009)
Rank: 35

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 112

Taxes and other revenues: 24.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 128

Public debt: 41.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 85

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 21% (2011 est.)
Rank: 220

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.09% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 57

Stock of narrow money: $50.25 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Stock of broad money: $123.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 50

Stock of domestic credit: $132.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 50

Current account balance: -$6 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 40

Exports: $84.32 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 45
Commodities: soybeans and derivatives petroleum and gas vehicles corn wheat
Partners: Brazil 21.6% China 7.3% Chile 5.5% US 5.5% (2011)

Imports: $70.76 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 45
Commodities: machinery motor vehicles petroleum and natural gas organic chemicals plastics
Partners: Brazil 33.2% US 14.4% China 12.4% Germany 4.7% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $46.35 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 44

Debt external: $136.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $93.93 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 40

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $31.33 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 40

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 116 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 31
Consumption: 104.2 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 31
Exports: 1.701 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 50
Imports: 10.3 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 24
Installed generating capacity: 32.07 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 27
Generation sources fossil fuels: 65.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 126
Generation sources nuclear: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 26
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 28.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 81
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 97

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 734,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 26
Crude oil exports: 93,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 38
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 155
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.82 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 33

Refined petroleum
Products production: 604,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 30
Products consumption: 678,100 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 29
Products exports: 66,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 52
Products imports: 37,260 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 79

Natural gas
Production: 40.1 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 25
Consumption: 43.29 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 23
Exports: 420 million m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 44
Imports: 3.61 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 39
Proven reserves: 378.8 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 37

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 169.8 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 32

Telephones
Main lines in use: 10.14 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 22
Mobile cellular: 55 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 24

Broadcast media: government owns a TV station and a radio network; more than 2 dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately-owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ar
Hosts: 11.232 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 13
Users: 13.694 million (2009)
Users rank: 28

Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 146

Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription (2001)

Airports: 1149 (2012)
Rank: 6

Heliports: 2 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 29,401 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 6,166 km; refined products 3,631 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 8

Roadways
Rank: 21

Waterways: 11,000 km (2012)
Rank: 12

Merchant marine
Rank: 80

Ports and terminals: Arroyo Seco Bahia Blanca Buenos Aires La Plata Punta Colorada Rosario San Lorenzo-San Martin Ushuaia

Disputes international: Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982 but in 1995 agreed to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; in 2010 the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regime; the joint boundary commission established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur); contraband smuggling human trafficking and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Bolivia

Illicit drugs: a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe heroin headed for the US and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008)