Country Profile Argentina

• Capital: Buenos Aires
• Population: 40.913 million (July 2009 est.)
• Currency: Argentine peso (ARS)                                   
• Language: Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
• Time zone: UTC-3
• Government: Republic
• Chief of State: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER

• GDP real growth rate:
  

  • 7.1% (2008 est.)
  • 8.7% (2007 est.)
  • 8.5% (2006 est.)
• Exports:  $73 billion f.o.b. (2008 est)

• Export Partners:

  • Brazil 19.1%
  • China 9.4%
  • USA 7.9%
  • Chile 7.6%
  • Spain 4.1%
• Imports:  $59.9 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

• Import Partners:

  • Brazil 34.6%
  • USA 12.6%
  • China 12%
  • Germany 5.0%
• Country Dialing code: +54
• Emergency numbers:  101 to contact the police 107 for medical assistance
• National Airlines:  Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR)
• Voltage: 220V

Detailed Country Profile

ECONOMY

GDP real growth rate:          

• 7.1% (2008 est.)
• 8.7% (2007 est.)
• 8.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - Composition by sector

• Agriculture: 9.2%
• Industry: 34.1%
• Services: 56.7% (2008 est.)

Labor force by occupation:

• Agriculture: 1%
• Industry: 23%
• Services: 76% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products:

• Sunflower seeds
• Lemons
• Soybeans
• Grapes
• Corn
• Tobacco
• Peanuts
• Tea
• Wheat
• Livestock

Industries:

• Food processing
• Motor vehicles
• Consumer durables
• Textiles
• Chemicals and petrochemicals
• Printing
• Metallurgy
• Steel

Exports: $73 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Export Commodities

• Soybeans and derivatives
• Petroleum and gas
• Vehicles
• Corn
• Wheat

Main Export Partners (2008):

• Brazil                     19.1%
• China                     9.4%
• USA                       7.9%
• Chile                      7.6%
• Spain                     4.1%

Imports: $59.90 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Import commodities:

• Machinery
• Motor vehicles
• Petroleum and natural gas
• Organic chemicals
• Plastics

Import partners:

• Brazil 34.6%
• US 12.6%
• China 12%
• Germany 5%

Ports and Terminal:

• Arroyo Seco
• Bahia Blanca
• Buenos Aires
• La Plata
• Punta Colorada
• Rosario
• San Lorenzo-San Martin

Unemployment rate: 7.8% (2008 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Government Type: Republic

Executive Branch:

Chief of state: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007) Vice President Julio COBOS (since 10 December 2007)
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 28 October 2007 (next election to be held in 2011)

Legal system: Mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

GEOGRAPHY

 Land Boundaries:Total: 9,861 km

Border countries:

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

Climate: Mostly temperate; arid in southeast; sub Antarctic 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 Extremes:

• Lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between 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 resources:

• Fertile plains of the pampas
• Lead
• Zinc
• Tin
• Copper
• Iron ore
• Manganese
• Petroleum
• Uranium

Environment and international agreement:

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

Environment and current issues:

• Deforestation
• Soil degradation
• Desertification
• Air pollution
• Water pollution

Note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

PEOPLE

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

Religion:

• nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing)
• Protestant 2%
• Jewish 2%
• Other 4%

HISTORY

Express History

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, 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 recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002.

Source: The world factbook www.cia.gov

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