General Information

Geographic Location

Argentina is located in South America, and is the eighth largest country in the World, covering area of 3.761.274 sq. Km, including the Malvinas Islands, other islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, and Antarctica. From north to south, it covers an area of 3,800 km, and from east to west, 1,425 km. Argentina borders Bolivia and Paraguay to the north; Brazil, Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean and Chile to the south and west.

Population

Argentina is a country with a low population density. Of its 39.921.833 inhabitants (census 2006) most live in urban centers. Unlike most Latin American countries, 95% of Argentina´s population is white, 95 % being descendants of Europeans (mainly Italians and Spaniards).

Language

Spanish is the official language and it is spoken by all Argentineans. English, French and Italian are also spoken within the country.

Climate

Continental Argentina stretches from the Tropic of Capricorn in the north to 55º latitude in the south, giving the country a wide range of climatic zones, from tropical in the northern provinces, where temperatures can reach up to 49º centigrade, to subartic in southern Tierra del Fuego, where tempartures drop to as low as -35º centrigade. Between these extremes, the middle of the country is temperate and the regions of Chaco and Formosa are subtropical.

There are also wide regional variations with regard to precipitation. More than 1,520 mm (60 in) fall annually in the northern provinces but in the the west and south the land is semi-arid.

Economy

Agriculture

Argentina is Latin America's second largest food and agricultural exporter after Brazil. The Pampas, largely made up of a fine sand and clay. are ideal for the cultivation of cereals. Wheat, corn, oats, rye, rice and sunflowers are grown in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and La Pampa. The natural grasslands of this region are also used as pasture for livestock.

Potatoes, tomatoes, beans and garlic are also cultivated in the central provinces. Grapes for wine are grown in the provinces of Mendoza, San Luis, La Rioja and San Juan. Sugar cane is grown in Tucumán. Yerba mate is cultivated in Misiones and cotton is produced in Chaco province. Tobacco is grown in Corrientes, Misiones and Salta. Rice is grown in Entre Ríos and Corrientes.

Cattle

Cattle farming is one of the biggest industries in the country. First brought into the country when the Spaniards attempted to found Buenos Aires in 1536, cows, sheep, horses and pigs proliferated on the pampas. Large herds of sheep also developed in the Patagonia region.

Manufacture

Refined petroleum products, motor vehicles, Portland cement, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, steel, wine, beer, steel tubes, cigarettes, wood, paper and electrical appliances, among others, are the main manufactured items.

Money

Between 1991 and 2001, the Argentine peso was pegged one-to-one to the US dollar by the Convertibility Law. In January 2002, the government of Eduardo Duhalde announced an end to the peso's parity and Argentina adopted a free floating exchange rate. Click Here

Education

Argentina enjoys a 96% literacy rate. Education is free and compulsory for Argentine children between six and fourteen years old and the country boasts more than 70 public and private universities. The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) was founded in 1821 and is the largest institution of higher education in the country. Other major national universities are the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA - 1958), the National Technological University (UTN - 1959) and the National University of Córdoba (1613). The major library of Argentina is the National Library (1810) in Buenos Aires, with about 2 million volumes.

Sports

Football is Argentina's greatest passion. There are 17 stadiums in the city, most of them big enough to hold 40,000 spectators or more. The sport of pato (duck, in Spanish) is native to Argentina. Originally played with a live duck, pato consists of two teams on horseback battling for control of a ball with handles. Argentina is also home to the world's finest polo players. Other popular sports are tennis, field hockey, rugby, volleyball, basketball, and skiing.

Music

Traditional Argentine music includes gaucho folk songs and dance. But Argentina is best know for tango, music and dance which has become popular worldwide.

Tourism

Argentina has been recently discovered by the European tourists; but it is already very popular among Spanish and Italian visitors. Its wide scope of possibilities -which go from skiing in the harsh Patagonian winter to the tropical attractions in Jujuy and Salta -- satisfy tourists from all over the world. Accommodation Buenos Aires is a huge city and has a wide range of hotels which are rated according to the number of stars they display (from 5 to 1 in decreasing order). There are also residenciales (A, B or C), hosterías, cabañas, motels and camping areas.

Transport

Ezeiza International Airport (also know as Ministro Pistarini International Airport) is located 35 km away from Buenos Aires City, and is easily reachable via regular bus and taxi services. Domestic airlines -- Aerolínes Argentinas, Austral, Dinar, LADE, LAPA and SW, among others - serve dozens of cities around the country. Bus transportation is also available to every region of the country. The Buenos Aires bus terminal is next to Retiro station, 400 meters away from the Retiro stop on the subway "C" line. Argentina has an extensive train network, but passenger service is slow and limited.

Argentina Inland - Aconcagua (Mendoza)

With its vast area, Argentina contains many climates and geographies. The Andes, the impressive mountain range of the South American continent, stretches to the west and includes Cerro Aconcagua, at 6,959 meters the highest peak in the world after those in the Himalayas. Argentinas long east coast features many beautiful and enchanting beaches.

Atlantic Coast

It also features an endless coastline of beautiful enchanting beaches towards the east of the country.

South

Few places in the World offer the possibility of seeing so many animals in their natural habitat. In the Atlantic Ocean, huge whales appear, and just a few meters from the shore sea lions, sea elephants, penguins, a myriad of odd birds, guanacos and other land species gather in this 3600,000 hectare nature reserve. The fauna is so outstanding that this was declared "World Heritage" by the UNESCO.

The South of Argentina features countless attractions to please tourists. Southern Right Whale sightings are one of the incredible experiences a visitor can have, and the Natural Park "Los Glaciares" (The Glaciers) is impressive.

Government and Administration

The Federal and Representative Republic of Argentina is ruled by the National Constitution of 1853, which was ammended in 1860 and 1994. The country is organized into 23 provinces and the Federal Capital of Buenos Aires (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires).

Executive power: The president and the vicepresident are elected every four years. Voting is obligatory for all citizens over 18 years of age. Both the president and the vice-president can serve no more than two consecutive terms.

National Congress: Argentina has a bicameral legislature. Representation in the Chamber of Deputies is proportional, based on the population of each province. Members serve two-year terms. Each province is represented by three Senators in the upper house. Senators serve six-year terms.

Judiciary: Supreme Court judges are appointed for life by the President.

National Holidays