Argentina

Argentine RepublicRepublica Argentina

republicIndependence 9 July 1816 (from Spain)

Argentina as the 1998 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,
1998

Every edition of Argentina

Populationas each edition published it
36.27 million July 1998 est. · 32.29m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.3% 1998 est. · 1.13% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 29 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
74.54 years 1998 est. · 71.19 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.68 children per woman 1998 est. · 2.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19.03 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 32 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$9,700 1997 est. · $3,400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
8.4% 1997 est. · 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, Desertification, 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:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
36,265,463
(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 1.3% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth
19.96Death
7.67Net migration
0.66

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)74.54
70.9 · 78.34
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)96.2%
96.2% · 96.2%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 90% (less than 20% practicing)Protestant 2%Jewish 2%other 6%

Age structure

0-14 years:
27% (male 5,078,061; female 4,888,883)
15-64 years:
62% (male 11,299,155; female 11,315,522)
65 years and over:
11% (male 1,526,682; female 2,157,160) (July 1998 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 (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

19.03 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.68 children born/woman (1998 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); President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989)

21 fields

Legislature, 257 seatsone dot, one seat

PJ 119UCR 69Frepaso 36other 33

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 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; formerly, three members appointed by each of the provincial legislatures; presently transitioning to one-third of the members being elected every three years to a nine-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 26 October 1997 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results:
  • Senate-percent of vote by party-NA;
  • seats by party-PJ 39, UCR 1, others 32;
  • Chamber of Deputies-percent of vote by party-NA;
  • seats by party-PJ 119, UCR 69, Frepaso 36, other 33

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 [Fernando DE LA RUA];
  • Union of the Democratic Center or UCD (conservative party);
  • Dignity and Independence Political Party or MODIN (right-wing party);
  • Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four party coalition) [leader Carlos ALVAREZ];
  • Action for the Republic [Domingo CAVALLO];
  • New Leadership [Gustavo BELIZ];
  • 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);
  • Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA);
  • 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, MINUGUA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MTCR, NSG (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Diego Ramiro GUELAR
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 York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador James R. CHEEK has retired; replacement to be appointed in 1998
embassy:
4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires
mailing address:
International mail: use street address; APO 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.

28 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
-$348.2billion
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
-$9,700
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
Real growth rate
8.4%
(1997 est.)industrial production growth: 8.7% (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 7%industry 36%services 57% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$55 billionExpenditures
$59 billion (1997 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA
Fixed lines
4.6 million
(1990)

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 has put 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 4.6% in 1995, largely in reaction to the Mexican peso crisis. The economy has since recovered strongly. However, unemployment remains nearly 14%, and Buenos Aires still depends on foreign capital to meet the bulk of its financing needs. The IMF has urged additional economic reforms to ensure equitable long-term growth.

Labor force

total:
14.5 million (1995 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 12%, industry 31%, services 57% (1985 est.)

Unemployment rate

13.7% (October 1997)

Industries

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

Electricity-capacity

19.61 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production

65.72 billion kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:
$25.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
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:
$30.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
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

$115 billion (1997 est.)

Currency

1 nuevo peso argentino = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

pesos per US$1-0.99950 (January 1998), 0.99950 (1997), 0.99966 (1996), 0.99975 (1995), 0.99901 (1994), 0.99895 (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

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 260, FM 100, shortwave 6

Radios

22.3 million (1991 est.)

Televisions

7.165 million (1991 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 34 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)

cargo 11container 2oil tanker 13railcar carrier 1refrigerated cargo 6roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
8
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

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
570
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 635

Networkskm

Highways
218,276Railways
37,910Waterways
11,000
Highways: paved: 63,518 km (including 567 km of expressways) · unpaved: 154,758 km (1996 est.) · 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:
218,276 km
paved:
63,518 km (including 567 km of expressways)
unpaved:
154,758 km (1996 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

1,411 (1997 est.)

Military

Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic | (includes Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Argentine Air | Force, National Gendarmerie, National Aeronautical Police Force

7 fields

Military branches

Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Aeronautical Police Force

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 9,056,532 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-fit for military service

males: 7,344,910 (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes-international

  • short section of the southwestern boundary with Chile is indefinite;
  • claims UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas);
  • claims UK-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 10-year 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. In January 1998, differences between President TER-PETROSSIAN and members of his cabinet over the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process came to a head.

With the prime minister and defense and security ministers arrayed against him, an isolated TER-PETROSSIAN resigned the presidency on 3 February 1998. Robert KOCHARIAN, TER-PETROSSIAN's prime minister, was elected president in March 1998. Concerns about Armenia's economic performance rose in 1997 with a slowdown in growth and an increase in inflation.

Central Intelligence Agency. “Argentina.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/argentina/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →