Argentina

Republica Argentina

republicIndependence 9 July 1816 (from Spain)

Argentina as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 101 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBuenos Aires
Position34 00 S, 64 00 W
Area2,766,890 sq km
LocationSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean,
1997

Every edition of Argentina

Populationas each edition published it
35.8 million July 1997 est. · 32.29m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.3% 1997 est. · 1.13% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 29 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
74.31 years 1997 est. · 71.19 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.69 children per woman 1997 est. · 2.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 32 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$8,600 1996 est. · $3,400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.4% 1996 · 7% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields
Area
2,766,890sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq kmwater : 30,200 sq kmslightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Coastline
4,989km
contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
6,962m
Cerro Aconcagualowest point: Salinas Chicas -40 m
Land boundaries
9,665km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

34 00 S, 64 00 W

Map references

South America

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

Land use

arable land:
9%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
52%
forests and woodland:
19%
other:
19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

17,000 sq km (1993 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

Environment - current issues

  • erosion results from inadequate flood controls and improper land use practices;
  • irrigated soil degradation;
  • desertification;
  • air pollution in Buenos Aires and other major cities;
  • water pollution in urban areas;
  • rivers becoming polluted due to increased pesticide and fertilizer use

Environment - international agreements

party to :
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note

  • 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)

People

15 fields
Population
35,797,985
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 1.3% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
20.01Death
7.68Net migration
0.67

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 90% (less than 20% practicing)Protestant 2%Jewish 2%other 6%
Literacy
96.2%
definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale : 96.2%female: 96.2% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
28% (male 5,042,521; female 4,855,874) 15-64 years : 62% (male 11,133,884; female 11,155,104)
65 years and over:
10% (male 1,499,538; female 2,111,064) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

19.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
74.31 years
male:
70.67 years
female:
78.12 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.69 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Argentine(s)
adjective:
Argentine

Ethnic groups

white 85%, mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 15%

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989)

21 fields

Senate, 257 seats, elected NA May 1995one dot, one seat

PJ 132UCR 68Frepaso 26other 31

Country name

conventional long form :
Argentine Republic
conventional short form:
Argentina
local long form:
Republica Argentina
local short form:
Argentina

National capital

Buenos Aires

Administrative divisions

  • 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 federal district* (distrito federal);
  • 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, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur;
  • Tucuman

note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Independence

9 July 1816 (from Spain)

National holiday

Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)

Constitution

1 May 1853; revised August 1994

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state :
  • President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989);
  • Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995);
  • note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
  • President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989);
  • Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995);
  • 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; election last held 14 May 1995 (next to be held May 1999)
election results :
Carlos Saul MENEM reelected president; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; three members appointed by each of the provincial legislatures, one-third of the members appointed every three years to a 9-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; one-half of the members elected every two years to four-year terms)

elections:
  • Senate - last held NA May 1995 (next to be held NA 1998);
  • Chamber of Deputies - last held 14 May 1995;
  • (next to be held NA October 1997)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - PJ 38, others 34;
  • Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - PJ 132, UCR 68, Frepaso 26, other 31

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

  • Justicialist Party or PJ [Carlos Saul MENEM] (Peronist umbrella political organization);
  • Radical Civic Union or UCR [Rodolfo TERRAGNO] (moderately left-of-center party);
  • Union of the Democratic Center or UCD (conservative party);
  • Dignity and Independence Political Party or MODIN [Aldo RICO] (right-wing party);
  • Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four party coalition) [leader Carlos ALVAREZ];
  • several provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • Peronist-dominated labor movement;
  • General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization);
  • Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association);
  • Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association);
  • business organizations;
  • students;
  • the Roman Catholic Church;
  • the Armed Forces

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, BCIE, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G- 6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MTCR, NSG (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission :
Ambassador Raul Enrique GRANILLO OCAMPO
chancery:
1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 939-6400 through 6403

FAX

[1] (202) 332-3171; consulate(s) general : Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador James R. CHEEK has returned to Washington; replacement not yet appointed
embassy:
4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires
mailing address :
Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone:
[54] (1) 777-4533, 4534

FAX

[54] (1) 777-0197

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 benefits from rich natural resources, a | highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, | and a diversified industrial base.

22 fields
Real growth rate
4.4%
(1996)industrial production growth: 5% (1996 est.)
Inflation, consumer prices
0.1%
(yearend 1996)
Unemployment rate
17.3%
(October 1996)
Labor force
14.5million
(1995 est.)by occupation : agriculture 12%, industry 31%, services 57% (1985 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 7%industry 29%services 64% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$50.3 billionExpenditures
$51.7 billion (1995 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $3.2 billion

Economy - overview

Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Nevertheless, following decades of mismanagement and statist policies, the economy in the late 1980s was plagued with huge external debts and recurring bouts of hyperinflation.

Elected in 1989, in the depths of recession, President MENEM has implemented a comprehensive economic restructuring program that shows signs of putting Argentina on a path of stable, sustainable growth. Argentina's currency has traded at par with the US dollar since April 1991, and inflation has fallen to its lowest level in 50 years.

Argentines have responded to price stability by repatriating capital and investing in domestic industry. Growth averaged more than 8% between 1991 and 1994, then fell to 4.6% in 1995, largely in reaction to the Mexican peso crisis. The economy grew at 4.4% in 1996, with the strongest growth occurring in the second half of the year.

Unemployment increased slightly - to over 17% - and Buenos Aires was forced to renegotiate fiscal targets with the IMF. Although the economy is expected to grow by at least 5% in 1997, unemployment and fiscal concerns will continue to challenge the MENEM administration.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $296.9 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,600 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

20.207 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production

67.369 billion kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets; livestock

Exports

total value:
$23.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities :
meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, manufactures, fuels
partners:
Brazil 26.1%, US 8.5%, Chile 7.0%, Netherlands 5.7%, Italy 3.5% (1995)

Imports

total value:
$23.7 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, transport equipment, agricultural products
partners:
Brazil 20.8%, US 20.7%, Italy 6.3%, Germany 6.2%, France 5.2% (1995)

Debt - external

$95 billion (1996 est.)

Currency

1 nuevo peso argentino = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

pesos per US$1 - 0.99950 (January 1997), 0.99966 (1996), 0.99975 (1995), 0.99901 (1994), 0.99895 (1993), 0.99064 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
4.6 million
(1990)

Telephone system

  • 12,000 public telephones;
  • extensive modern system but many families do not have telephones;
  • despite extensive use of microwave radio relay, the telephone system frequently grounds out during rainstorms, even in Buenos Aires
domestic:
microwave radio relay and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network
international :
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 171, FM 0, shortwave 13

Radios

22.3 million (1991 est.)

Televisions

7.165 million (1991 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 36 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)

cargo 11chemical tanker 1container 2oil tanker 14railcar carrier 1refrigerated cargo 6roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
469
over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 55 914 to 1,523 m : 44

Networkskm

Railways
37,910Waterways
11,000
Railways: broad gauge: 24,124 km 1.676-m gauge (142 km electrified) · standard gauge: 2,765 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 11,021 km 1.000-m gauge (26 km electrified)

Railways

total:
37,910 km
broad gauge:
24,124 km 1.676-m gauge (142 km electrified)
standard gauge:
2,765 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
11,021 km 1.000-m gauge (26 km electrified)

Highways

total :
216,100 km
paved:
61,589 km (including 600 km of expressways)
unpaved :
154,511 km (1995 est.)

Pipelines

  • crude oil 4,090 km;
  • petroleum products 2,900 km;
  • natural gas 9,918 km

Ports and harbors

Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe, Ushuaia

Airports

1,202 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total:
604
over 3,047 m:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m : 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 59 914 to 1,523 m: 542 (1996 est.)

Military

Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, | Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture | (Coast Guard only), National Aeronautical Police Force

7 fields

Military branches

Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture (Coast Guard only), National Aeronautical Police Force

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 8,932,491 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • 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

Illicit drugs

increasing use as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US ARMENIA

Introduction

1 field

Current issues

Armenia's leaders remain preoccupied by Armenia's nine-year old conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Although a cease-fire has been in effect since May 1994, the sides have not made substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. President TER-PETROSSIAN's latitude on the issue may be further constrained by his controversial reelection in September 1996.

When supporters of the main opposition candidate stormed the parliament following the announcement of TER-PETROSSIAN's victory, MVD forces were called in to restore order. The subsequent political standoff between government and opposition supporters diminished in late 1996 as the government has gradually attempted reconciliation.

Despite these political problems, the Armenian government has been pursuing its aggressive economic reform program, although implementation of its privatization program stalled in late 1996.

Central Intelligence Agency. “Argentina.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/argentina/1997.

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