The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

glaciers in western Greenland and extreme

       northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked

       from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from

       October to May

      Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack

      Geography - note:

       major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to

       the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between

       North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes

       of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated

       by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20

       to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10

       months

      Economy Arctic Ocean

      Economy - overview:

       Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural

       resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

      Transportation Arctic Ocean

      Ports and harbors:

       Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)

      Transportation - note:

       sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest

       Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are

       important seasonal waterways

      Transnational Issues Arctic Ocean

      Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

      ======================================================================

      @Argentina

      Introduction Argentina

      Background:

       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.

      Geography Argentina

      Location:

       Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between

       Chile and Uruguay

      Geographic coordinates:

       34 00 S, 64 00 W

      Map references:

       South America

      Area:

       total: 2,766,890 sq km

       land: 2,736,690 sq km

       water: 30,200 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

      Land boundaries:

       total: 9,665 km

       border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,

       Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

      Coastline:

       4,989 km

      Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

      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

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Salinas Chicas −40 m (located on Peninsula Valdes)

       highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m

      Natural resources:

       fertile plains of the Pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,

       manganese, petroleum, uranium

      Land use: arable land: 9.14% permanent crops: 0.8% other: 90.06% (1998 est.)

      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 windstorms that can strike the

       Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding

      Environment - current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living

       Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate

       Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered

       Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the

       Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship

       Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

       signed, but not ratified: 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 mountain, while

       the Valdes Peninsula is the lowest point on the continent

      People Argentina

      Population:

       38,740,807 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 26.2% (male 5,185,548; female 4,955,551)

       15–64 years: 63.4% (male 12,274,625; female 12,282,772)

       65 years and over: 10.4% (male 1,659,641; female 2,382,670) (2003

       est.)

      Median age:

       total: 29 years

       male: 28 years

       female: 29.9 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       1.05% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       17.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       7.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)