Geography

Location
Southern South America, bordering the south athantic Ocean
between Chile and Uruguay
Area
Total area: 2,766,890 sq km
Land area: 2,736,690 sq km
Costline
4,989 km
Climate
mostly temperate; arid in southeast;subantartic in southwest
Terrain
rich plain of the Pampas in northern half,
flat to rolling plateaun of Patagonia in south,
rugged Andes along western bordert
Natural Resources
fertile plains, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
Land use
arable: 9%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 52%
forest and woodland: 22%
others: 13%
Irrigated land
17,600 sq km (1989 estimate)





People

Population
34.3 million (estimate 1995)
Population growth rate
1.11% ( 1995 estimate)
Birth rate
19.51 births/1000 population ( 1995 est.)
Death rate
8.62 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.51 yeras
male: 68.22 years
female: 74.97 years (1995 est)
Ethnic division
White 85%, mestizo, Indian or other nonwhite groups 15%
Religion
IRoman catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 6%
Language
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1992)
total population: 95%
Male: 96%
Female: 95%
Labour force
10.9 million
by occupation: services: 57%
industry and commerce: 31%
agriculture 12% (1985)





Goverment

Type
Republic
Capital
Buenos Aires
Administrative divisions
23 regions
Independence
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holidays
Revolution Day, 25 May 1810
Executive branch
chief of state and head of goverment:
Presidente Carlos Saul MENEM
Legislative branch
bicameral National Congress:
Senate: 48 total number of seat.
Chamber of Deputies: 257 total number of seats
Judicial branch
Supreme Court





Economy

National Product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $270.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$7,990 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate
3.9% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate
12% (1994 est.)
Budget
revenue: $48.46 billion
expenditure: $46.5 billion, including capital expenditure of $3.5 billion
Export
$15.7 billion (1994 est.)
Import
$21.4 billion (1994 est.)
External debt
$73 billion (1994 est.)
Currency
Argentinian peso
Exchange rate
US$1= 0.99870 pesos
£1=....... pesos