History of Latin America - Argentina

FLAG Within Latin America the nation of Argentina is second in area only to Brazil and fourth in population only to Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. This large land covers more than 1 million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers), in the southern part of South America east of the Andes Mountains. It extends from the Tropic of Capricorn south to the tip of the continent within about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) of Antarctica. Argentina claims a portion of that continent as well as the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and several other islands of the South Atlantic Ocean. The country is bounded by Chile on the west and south, Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.
The official language of Argentina is Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population is Roman Catholic. The country was settled from the 16th through the 18th centuries by colonists from Spain and other parts of South America. Emmigrants from many European countries, including Italy and Germany, settled in the central plains and south during the 19th century. Agriculture, based on grain and livestock, became the dominant factor in the Argentine economy and accounts for most of its exports. Industry in general has not kept pace with the country's population growth. A United States-style constitution was adopted in 1853, but military government and political instability have been the norm.


Official Name. Argentine Republic.
Capital. Buenos Aires.
Argentina. From Latin Argentum, meaning "silver."
Coat of Arms. Adopted 1813. Cap is symbol of liberty; hands clasping each other symbolize brotherhood and unity.
Anthem. 'Oid, mortales, el grito sagrado Libertad!' (Hear mortals, the sacred cry of Liberty!)
NATURAL FEATURES
Mountain Range. Andes.
Highest Peaks. Aconcagua, 22,831 feet (6,959 meters); Bonete, 22,546 feet (6,872 meters); Mercedario, 22,211 feet (6,770 meters).
Largest Lake. Mar Chiquita.
Major Rivers. Bermejo, Carcarana, Paraguay, Parana, Pilcomayo, Rio de la Plata, Salado, Uruguay.
Natural Regions. Pampa: vast fertile plain covering about one quarter of the country. Northeast: including the warm, moist plains of the Chaco and an area between the Parana and Uruguay rivers called Mesopotamia. Northwest: Andean highlands, including Cuyo and Pampean Sierras. Patagonia: semiarid plateau.
Climate. Mostly temperate; great variations because of latitudinal extension and varying altitudes. Extreme heat in Chaco region; mild climate in central Pampa; mild to cold in southern Patagonia. Seasons the reverse of those in Northern Hemisphere.
PEOPLE
Population (1993 estimate). 33,502,000; 31.2 persons per square mile (12.1 persons per square kilometer); 86.2 percent urban, 13.8 percent rural.
Major Religion. Roman Catholicism (official).
Major Language. Spanish (official).
Literacy. 95 percent.
Major Cities (1980 census).
Buenos Aires (city, 2,960,976; metropolitan area, 9,967,826). Capital of Argentina; chief port; industrial, commercial, railroad, and cultural center.
Cordoba (1,179,067). Processing and commercial center; auto manufacturing; resort; railway and highway hub.
Leading Universities. National Universities at Bahia Blanca, Cordoba, Corrientes, La Plata, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, San Miguel de Tucuman; University of Buenos Aires.
GOVERNMENT
Form of Government. Federal republic.
Chief of State and Head of Government. President.
Legislature. National Congress.
Voting Qualifications. Compulsory over 18 years of age except for clergymen, army personnel, and those deprived for legal reasons.
Political Divisions. 22 provinces: Buenos Aires, 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, Tucuman. 1 national territory: Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic and the South Atlantic Islands. 1 federal district: Buenos Aires.
ECONOMY
Chief Agricultural Products. Crops sugarcane, wheat, soybeans, corn (maize), sunflower seeds, grapes, potatoes, sorghum, tomatoes. Livestock cattle, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, sheep.
Chief Mined Products. Barites, beryllium, coal, copper, crude petroleum, gold, iron ore, lead, limestone, manganese, mica, natural gas, silver, tin, tungsten, uranium, zinc.
Chief Manufactured Products. Automobiles, beer, cattle and buffalo hides, cement, commercial vehicles, cotton yarn, crude steel, lumber, man-made fibers, merchant vessels, paper, petroleum products, plastics and resins, refined sugar, steel tubes, sulfuric acid, synthetic rubber, textiles, wine, wheat flour, wood pulp.
Monetary Unit. 1 peso = 100 centavos.