from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Argentina
Introduction
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 conservatives and liberals 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. Successful
negotiations with the IMF allowed Argentina to sidestep
some fiscal discipline measures normally imposed in
such circumstances. Since 2003, the government's
efforts to stem the crisis have led to rapid economic
recovery.
Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Geographic 34 00 S, 64 00 W
coordinates:
Map South America
references:
Area: total: 2,766,890 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km
Area - slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
comparative:
Land total: 9,665 km
boundaries: 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 territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between
extremes: Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in
the province of Santa Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the
northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza)
Natural fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper,
resources: iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
Land use: arable land: 10.03%
permanent crops: 0.36%
other: 89.61% (2005)
Irrigated 15,500 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes
hazards: subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms
that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy
flooding
Environment - environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an
current industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil
issues: degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water
pollution
note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary
greenhouse gas targets
Environment - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
agreements: 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
Geography - second-largest country in South America (after Brazil);
note: 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
Population: 39,921,833 (July 2006 est.)
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.)
Median age: total: 29.7 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.96% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 14.73 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 76.12 years
expectancy at male: 72.38 years
birth: female: 80.05 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.7% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 130,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 1,500 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Ethnic groups: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed
white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other
non-white 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% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Buenos Aires
geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 27 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1
divisions: 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 Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
holiday:
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 compulsory
Executive chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May
branch: 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
(eligible for a second term); election last held 27
April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007)
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
Legislative bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
branch: 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)
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)
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
Judicial Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court
branch: judges are appointed by the president with approval by
the Senate)
Political Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa
parties and CARRIO]; Front for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER];
leaders: Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of
approximately 12 parties including RECREAR);
Justicialist Front or FJ [Eduardo DUHALDE];
Justicialist Party or PJ (Peronist umbrella political
organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Roberto
IGLESIAS]; Republican Initiative Alliance 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 Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA);
pressure Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers'
groups and association); Argentine Rural Society (large
leaders: 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
International ABEDA, AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN
organization (associate), CSN, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
participation: IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO,
MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN
Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
representation chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE
representation embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
from the US: mailing address: international mail: use street
address; APO address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240
Flag three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top),
description: 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
Economy - Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a
overview: highly literate population, an export-oriented
agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base.
Over the past decade, however, the country has suffered
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 real GDP fell by 10.9% in
2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized,
albeit at a lower level. GDP expanded by about 9% per
year from 2003 to 2005. Growth is being led by a
revival in domestic demand, solid exports, and
favorable external conditions. The government boosted
spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm
congressional elections, but strong revenue performance
allowed Argentina to maintain a budget surplus.
Inflation has been rising steadily and reached 12.3
percent in 2005.
GDP $543.4 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $182 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $13,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 9.5%
composition by industry: 35.8%
sector: services: 54.7% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 15.34 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: NA%
by occupation: industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment 11.6% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 38.5% (June 2005)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA
income or highest 10%: NA
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 52.2 (2001)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 9.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $42.63 billion
expenditures: $39.98 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 72.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn,
products: tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock
Industries: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables,
textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing,
metallurgy, steel
Industrial 7.7% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 87.16 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 52.2%
production by hydro: 40.8%
source: nuclear: 6.7%
other: 0.2% (2001)
Electricity - 82.97 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 2.07 billion kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 1.561 billion kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 745,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 450,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 2.95 billion bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 41.04 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 34.58 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 6.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 663.5 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $5.448 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $40 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor
commodities: vehicles
Exports - Brazil 15.3%, US 10.8%, Chile 10.5%, China 8.3% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $28.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals,
commodities: metal manufactures, plastics
Imports - Brazil 34.6%, US 16.8%, China 5.4%, Germany 5.3% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $28.09 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $118.2 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $10 billion (2001 est.)
recipient:
Currency Argentine peso (ARS)
(code):
Currency code: ARS
Exchange Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233
rates: (2004), 2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002), 0.9995 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 8.8 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 22.1 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: by opening the telecommunications
system: 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
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 - 112; Atlantis II and Unisur submarine
cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires
(2005)
Radio AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA
broadcast (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed),
stations: shortwave 6 (1998)
Radios: 24.3 million (1997)
Television 42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 7.95 million (1997)
Internet .ar
country code:
Internet 1,612,423 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 33 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 10 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 1,381 (2006)
Airports - total: 154
with paved over 3,047 m: 4
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 50
under 914 m: 9 (2006)
Airports - total: 1,227
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 49
914 to 1,523 m: 587
under 914 m: 587 (2006)
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)
Railways: total: 31,902 km
broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m
gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 229,144 km
paved: 68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 160,335 km (2004)
Waterways: 11,000 km (2005)
Merchant total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767
marine: DWT
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)
Ports and Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La
terminals: Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin,
San Nicolas
Military
Military Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic
branches: (includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2005)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
service age conscription (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 8,981,886
available for females age 18-49: 8,883,756 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 7,316,038
for military females age 18-49: 7,442,589 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 344,575
reaching females age 18-49: 334,649 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $4.3 billion (FY99)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.3% (FY00)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - the Argentine military is a well-organized force
note: 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
Disputes - Argentina continues to assert its claims to the
international: 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
Trafficking in current situation: Argentina is primarily a destination
persons: 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
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