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Argentina Country Guide
Explore Argentina in South America
Argentina with the capital city Buenos Aires is located in South America (Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 2,766,890 square kilometres (slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US) with 40,677,000 citizens.
The topography includes rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border. The average density of population is approximately 15 per km². The notable climate conditions in Argentina can be described as mostly temperate with arid in southeast and subantarctic in southwest. Possible natural disasters include San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes or pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast or heavy flooding in some areas.
To reach someone in Argentina dial +54 prior to a number. There are 9,764,000 installed telephones. And there are 51,891,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 850/1900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".ar". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Argentina
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; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun.
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, with Italy and Spain providing 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 populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force, 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 successive resignations of several presidents. In January 2013, Argentina assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: South America Neighbours: Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil Capital: Buenos Aires |
| Size | 2,766,890 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 1,068,302 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US |
| Population | 40,677,000 |
| Currency | Name Peso, Currency Code:ARS |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .ar |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +54 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 51,891,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 9,764,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 2,780,400 (sq km) | 8 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,610,981 | 32 |
| Population growth rate | 0.98 (%) | 118 |
| Birth rate | 17.12 (births/1,000 population) | 113 |
| Death rate | 7.35 (deaths/1,000 population) | 119 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 77.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 84 |
| Infant mortality rate | 10.24 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 143 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.32 (years) | 68 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.27 (children born/woman) | 97 |
| Health expenditures | 8.10 (% of GDP) | 58 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.50 (%) | 69 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 110,000 | 39 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 2,900 | 46 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 29.70 (%) | 29 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 2.30 (%) | 113 |
| Education expenditures | 5.80 (% of GDP) | 44 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 18.70 (%) | 66 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 755,300,000,000 | 23 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.90 (%) | 141 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 18,400 | 74 |
| Labor force | 17,070,000 | 36 |
| Unemployment rate | 7.20 (%) | 79 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 45.80 | 36 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 19.20 (% of GDP) | 109 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 24.70 (% of GDP) | 127 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.20 (% of GDP) | 116 |
| Public debt | 41.60 (% of GDP) | 87 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 25.00 (%) | 219 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 14.09 (%) | 56 |
| Stock of narrow money | 60,660,000,000 | 45 |
| Stock of broad money | 148,600,000,000 | 50 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 158,700,000,000 | 45 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 63,910,000,000 | 50 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6.50 (%) | 44 |
| Current account balance | 1,433,000,000 | 40 |
| Exports | 85,360,000,000 | 45 |
| Imports | 67,330,000,000 | 45 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 41,200,000,000 | 45 |
| Debt - external | 141,100,000,000 | 36 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 100,400,000,000 | 40 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 32,730,000,000 | 41 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 116,000,000,000 (kWh) | 33 |
| Electricity - consumption | 104,200,000,000 (kWh) | 32 |
| Electricity - exports | 1,701,000,000 (kWh) | 45 |
| Electricity - imports | 10,300,000,000 (kWh) | 22 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 32,070,000 (kW) | 27 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 65.40 (% of total installed capacity) | 125 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 3.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 26 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 28.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 80 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 0.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 98 |
| Crude oil - production | 734,000 (bbl/day) | 27 |
| Crude oil - exports | 93,600 (bbl/day) | 39 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 2,820,000,000 (bbl) | 33 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 604,200 (bbl/day) | 31 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 678,100 (bbl/day) | 28 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 66,700 (bbl/day) | 52 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 37,260 (bbl/day) | 79 |
| Natural gas - production | 40,100,000,000 (cu m) | 26 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 43,290,000,000 (cu m) | 23 |
| Natural gas - exports | 420,000,000 (cu m) | 43 |
| Natural gas - imports | 3,610,000,000 (cu m) | 39 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 378,800,000,000 (cu m) | 37 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 169,800,000 (Mt) | 32 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 10,140,000 | 22 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 55,000,000 | 24 |
| Internet hosts | 11,232,000 | 13 |
| Internet users | 13,694,000 | 28 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 1,149 | 6 |
| Railways | 36,966 (km) | 8 |
| Roadways | 231,374 (km) | 21 |
| Waterways | 11,000 (km) | 11 |
| Merchant marine | 36 | 80 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 0.50 (% of GDP) | 163 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas The Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas, contains an exceptional assemblage of cave art, executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. It takes its name (Cave of the Hands) from the stencilled outlines of human hands in the cave, but there are also many ... | 1999 |
| Iguazu National Park The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of ... | 1984 |
| Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks These two contiguous parks, extending over 275,300 ha in the desert region on the western border of the Sierra Pampeanas of central Argentina, contain the most complete continental fossil record known from the Triassic Period (245-208 million years a ... | 2000 |
| Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba The Jesuit Block in Córdoba, heart of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay, contains the core buildings of the Jesuit system: the university, the church and residence of the Society of Jesus, and the college. Along with the five estancias, or farmi ... | 2000 |
| Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil) The ruins of São Miguel das Missões in Brazil, and those of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor in Argentina, lie at the heart of a tropical forest. They are the impressive remains of five Jesuit missions, b ... | 1983 |
| Los Glaciares National Park The Los Glaciares National Park is an area of exceptional natural beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes, including Lake Argentino, which is 160 km long. At its farthest end, three glaciers meet to dump their effluvia into ... | 1981 |
| Península Valdés Península Valdés in Patagonia is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to an important breeding population of the endangered southern right whale as well as important breeding populations of southern elephan ... | 1999 |
| Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System This site is an extensive Inca communication, trade and defence network of roads covering 30,000 km. Constructed by the Incas over several centuries and partly based on pre-Inca infrastructure, this extraordinary network through one of the world’s mo ... | 2014 |
| Quebrada de Humahuaca Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the line of a major cultural route, the Camino Inca, along the spectacular valley of the Rio Grande, from its source in the cold high desert plateau of the High Andean lands to its confluence with the Rio Leone some 150 ... | 2003 |