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$Unique_ID{COW00149}
$Pretitle{273}
$Title{Argentina
Statistical Profile of Argentina}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Central Intelligence Agency}
$Affiliation{United States Government}
$Subject{km
rate
argentine
national
billion
labor
south
total
december
election}
$Date{1990}
$Log{National Anthem*50000010.aud
Map of Argentina*0014901.scf
Flag of Argentina*0014902.scf
}
Country: Argentina
Book: CIA World Factbook
Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Affiliation: United States Government
Date: 1990
[Hear National Anthem]
[See Map of Argentina]
[See Flag of Argentina]
Statistical Profile of Argentina
Geography
Total area: 2,766,890 km2; land area: 2,736,690 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 9,665 km total; Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km,
Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline: 4,989 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond
12 nm)
Disputes: short section of the boundary with Uruguay is in dispute; 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
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, crude oil, uranium
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 52% meadows and pastures;
22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: Tucuman and Mendoza areas in Andes subject to earthquakes;
pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated
soil degradation; desertification
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
Population: 31,914,473 (July 1989), growth rate 1.2% (1989)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1989)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1989)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 74 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1989)
Nationality: noun--Argentine(s); adjective--Argentine
Ethnic divisions: 85% white, 15% mestizo, Indian, or other nonwhite groups
Religion: 90% nominally Roman Catholic (less than 20% practicing), 2%
Protestant, 2% Jewish, 6% other
Language: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Literacy: 94%
Labor force: 10,900,000; 12% agriculture, 31% industry, 57% services
(1985 est.)
Organized labor: 3,000,000; 28% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Argentine Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Buenos Aires (tentative plans to move to Viedma by 1990)
Administrative divisions: 22 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia),
1 national territory* (territorio nacional), and 1 district** (distrito);
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 and Antartida e Islas del
Atlantico Sur*, Tucuman
Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Constitution: 1 May 1853
Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 25 May (1810)
Branches: executive (president, vice president, Cabinet); legislative
(National Congress--Senate, Chamber of Deputies); national judiciary
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Raul Ricardo ALFONSIN
Foulkes (since 10 December 1983); Vice President Victor MARTINEZ (since
10 December 1983); President-elect Carlos Saul MENEM (inauguration date
scheduled for 10 December 1989)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: general election held 30 October 1983; congressional
election held 3 November 1983; Senate election held November 1986;
gubernatorial and congressional elections held 6 September 1987;
next general election 14 May 1989
Political parties: operate under statute passed in 1983 that sets out
criteria for participation in national elections; Radical Civic Union
(UCR)--moderately left of center; Justicialist Party (JP)--Peronist umbrella
political organization; Intransigent Party (PI)--leftist party; Union of the
Democratic Center (UCEDE)--conservative party; several provincial parties
Voting strength: 1987 Congressional election--JP 41.4% (107 seats),
UCR 37.3% (117 seats), UDC 5.7% (7 seats), PI 2%
Communists: some 70,000 members in various party organizations, including
a small nucleus of activists
Other political or pressure groups: Peronist-dominated labor movement,
General Confederation of Labor (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
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOOC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission,
IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Enrique J. A. CANDIOTI; Chancery at
1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 939-6400
through 6403; there are Argentine Consulates General in Houston, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates
in Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles;
US--Ambassador Theodore E. GILDRED; Embassy at 4300 Colombia,
1425 Buenos Aires (mailing address is APO Miami 34034);
telephone [54] (1) 774-7611 or 8811, 9911
Flag: 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
Overview: Argentina has rich natural resources, a highly literate
population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified
industrial base. Nevertheless, the economy has encountered major
problems in recent years. Economic growth slowed to 2.0% in 1987, down
from the 5.5% registered in 1986. The widening public sector deficit
and a triple-digit inflation rate dominated the economy in 1987 and
into 1988. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to more
than $58 billion, creating severe debt-servicing difficulties and hurting
the country's creditworthiness with international lenders.
GNP: $74.3 billion, per capita $2,360; real growth rate 2.0% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 188% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $9.5 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities--meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, hides, wool;
partners--US 14%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands
Imports: $5.8 billion (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities--machinery and equipment, chemical, metals, fuel and
lubricants, agricultural products;
partners--US 20%, Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands
External debt: $58.0 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 0.6% (1988)
Electricity: 16,058,000 kW capacity; 48,034 million kWh produced,
1,520 kWh per capita (1988)
Industries: food processing (especially meat packing), motor vehicles,
consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petr