2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.2% (male 5,153,164/female 4,921,625) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 12,804,376/female 12,798,731) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 1,740,118/female 2,503,819) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock

Airports

1,381 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 50

total

154

under 914 m

9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 49 914 to 1,523 m: 587

total

1,227

under 914 m

587 (2006)

Area

land

2,736,690 sq km

total

2,766,890 sq km

water

30,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Background

In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. Eventually, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their own way, but the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were subsequently 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 since recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002. The government renegotiated its public debt in 2005 and paid off its remaining obligations to the IMF in early 2006. Geography Argentina

Birth rate

16.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$47.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (2006 est.)

revenues

$52.1 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

34 36 S, 58 27 W

name

Buenos Aires

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Coastline

4,989 km

Constitution

1 May 1853; revised August 1994

Country name

conventional long form

Argentine Republic

conventional short form

Argentina

local long form

Republica Argentina

local short form

Argentina

Currency (code)

Argentine peso (ARS)

Currency code

ARS

Current account balance

$5.81 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$106.8 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

address

Unit 4334, APO AA 34034

chief of mission

Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE

embassy

Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires

mailing address

international mail: use street address; APO

telephone

[54] (11) 5777-4533

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON

telephone

[1] (202) 238-6400

Disputes - international

Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement by force; 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 illegal narcotics 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; action by the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.3 (June 2006)

Economic aid - recipient

$0 (2002)

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 twentieth century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. Beginning in 1998, with external debt equivalent to more than 400 percent of annual exports, economic growth slowed and ultimately fell into a full-blown depression, as investors' fears grew in the wake of Russia's debt default, political discord caused by then-President Carlos MENEM's unpopular efforts to run for a constitutionally prohibited third term, and Brazil's devaluation. The government of Fernando DE LA RUA, elected President in late 1999, tried several measures to cut the fiscal deficit and instill confidence and received large IMF credit facilities, but nothing worked to revive the economy. Depositors began withdrawing money from the banks in late 2001, and the government responded with strict limits on withdrawals. When street protests turned deadly, DE LA RUA was forced to resign in December 2001. Interim President Adolfo Rodriguez SAA declared a default, the largest in history, on Argentina's foreign debt, but he stepped down only a few days later when he failed to garner political support from the country's governors. Eduardo DUHALDE became President in January 2002 and announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar. When the peso depreciated and inflation rose, DUHALDE's government froze utility tariffs indefinitely, curtailed creditors' rights, and imposed high taxes on exports. The economy rebounded strongly from the crisis, inflation started falling, and DUHALDE called for special elections. Nestor KIRCHNER was elected President, taking office in May 2003, and continued the restrictions imposed by DUHALDE. With the reemergence of double-digit inflation in 2005, the KIRCHNER administration pressured businesses into a series of agreements to hold down prices. The government also restructured its defaulted debt in 2005, convincing most bondholders to accept a large cut on the value of their holdings, and paid off its IMF obligations from reserves in full in early 2006, both of which have reduced Argentina's external debt burden. Real GDP has continued growing strongly, averaging 9 percent during the period 2003-2006, bolstering government revenues and keeping the fiscal accounts-a key vulnerability in the past-in surplus.

Electricity - consumption

90.93 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

4.143 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

7.7 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

93.94 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

52.2%

hydro

40.8%

nuclear

6.7%

other

0.2% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza)

lowest point

Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)

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

Environment - 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

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Argentine pesos per US dollar - 3.05999 (2006), 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004), 2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

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

election results

results of the presidential election 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

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 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007)

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

Exports

$46 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles

Exports - partners

Brazil 15.8%, US 11.4%, Chile 11.2%, China 7.9% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 332-3171

[54] (11) 5777-4240

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Argentina

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 Economy Argentina

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

9.5%

industry

35.8%

services

54.7% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

8.5% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$210 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$599.1 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

34 00 S, 64 00 W

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 People Argentina

Government type

republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

130,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

35%

lowest 10%

1%

Illicit drugs

used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$31.69 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics

Imports - partners

Brazil 35.9%, US 14.1%, China 7.8%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Independence

9 July 1816 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

8.2% (2006 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

16.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14.73 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (November 2006 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.ar

Internet hosts

1,612,423 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

33 (2000)

Internet users

10 million (2005) Transportation Argentina

Investment (gross fixed)

22.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

15,500 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

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

note

the Supreme Court currently has two unfilled vacancies, and the Argentine Congress is considering a bill to reduce the number of Supreme Court judges to five

Labor force

15.35 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Land boundaries

border countries

Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,261 km, Chile 5,308 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 580 km

total

9,861 km

Land use

arable land

10.03%

other

89.61% (2005)

permanent crops

0.36%

Languages

Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

Legal system

mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ 3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ 9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

elections

Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.05 years (2006 est.)

male

72.38 years

total population

76.12 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.1% (2003 est.) Government Argentina

male

97.1%

total population

97.1%

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

8,883,756 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

8,981,886

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

7,442,589 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

7,316,038

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

334,649 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

344,575

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

30.7 years (2006 est.)

male

28.8 years

total

29.7 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

11 (Chile 6, UK 4, Uruguay 1)

registered in other countries

24 (Bolivia 1, Chile 1, Liberia 7, Panama 9, Paraguay 3, Uruguay 3) (2006)

total

41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767 DWT

Military - note

the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is now implementing "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2005) Transnational Issues Argentina

Military branches

Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2005)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$4.3 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.3% (FY00)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

National holiday

Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)

Nationality

adjective

Argentine

noun

Argentine(s)

Natural gas - consumption

37.85 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

7.83 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

800 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

44.88 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

612.5 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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

Natural resources

fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium

Net migration rate

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

470,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

470,000 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports

39,000 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - production

745,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

2.116 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

gas 29,804 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 10,373 km; refined products 8,540 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Affirmation for an Egalitarian Republic or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including PRO); Justicialist Front or FJ [leader NA]; Justicialist Party or PJ (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Gerardo MORALES]; Republican Proposal or PRO (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio MACRI]); Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); Roman Catholic Church; students

Population

39,921,833 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

31.4% (June 2006)

Population growth rate

0.96% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas Military Argentina

Public debt

62.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

Radios

24.3 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)

narrow gauge

7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

standard gauge

2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)

total

31,902 km

Religions

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$30.24 billion (November 2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways)

total

229,144 km

unpaved

160,335 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

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

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 telecommunications 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 improving; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally available will take time

international

country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 112; Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires (2005)

Telephones - main lines in use

8.8 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

22.1 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

7.95 million (1997)

Terrain

rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Total fertility rate

2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Argentina is primarily a destination country for women and children trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation with most victims trafficked internally, from rural to urban areas, for exploitation in prostitution; foreign women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation come primarily from Paraguay, but also from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Chile; Bolivians are trafficked for forced labor; Argentine women and girls are also trafficked to neighboring countries for sexual exploitation

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Argentina failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking particularly in the key area of prosecutions; government efforts to improve interagency anti-trafficking coordination did not achieve significant progress in moving cases against traffickers through the judicial system; the government made progress in other areas, by submitting anti-trafficking legislation to Congress in August 2005 and sensitizing provincial and municipal government officials to the trafficking problem

Unemployment rate

10.2% (3rd quarter)

Waterways

11,000 km (2005)