Argentina ( Republica Argentina) is a country in Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay. Argentina geographic coordinates 34 00 S, 64 00 W; area 30,200 sq km; area comparative slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US; land boundaries Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km; coastline 4,989 km; maritime claims 20; 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 An; elevation extremes Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis; natural resources fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium; land use 87.21% (2001); irrigated land 15,610 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent wi; environment current issues environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets; environment international agreements Marine Life Conservation; geography note second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South America's tallest mounta;

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Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, a long period 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 numerous elections since then have underscored Argentina's progress in democratic consolidation. government type republic; capital Buenos Aires; administrative divisions 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, 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 - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Tucuman the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica; independence 9 July 1816 (from Spain); national holiday Revolution Day, 25 May (1810); constitution 1 May 1853; revised August 1994; legal system mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory;

people

Argentina population 39,537,943 (July 2005 est.); age structure 10.6% (male 1,712,117/female 2,463,197) (2005 est.); median age 30.4 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 0.98% (2005 est.); birth rate 16.9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 7.56 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 17.07 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 79.85 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 0.7% (2001 est.); hiv people with aids 130,000 (2001 est.); hiv deaths 1,500 (2003 est.); nationality Argentine; ethnic groups white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%; religions nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%; languages Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French; literacy 97.1% (2003 est.);

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Cities