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

$25.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)

      Exports - commodities:

       edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles

      Exports - partners:

       Brazil 23.6%, US 10.9%, Chile 9.7%, Spain 4.3% (2002)

      Imports:

       $9 billion f.o.b. (2002)

      Imports - commodities:

       machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal

       manufactures, plastics

      Imports - partners:

       Brazil 42%, US 12.8%, Germany 4.4% (2002)

      Debt - external:

       $155 billion (2001 est.)

      Economic aid - recipient:

       $10 billion (2001 est.)

      Currency:

       Argentine peso (ARS)

      Currency code:

       ARS

      Exchange rates:

       Argentine pesos per US dollar - 3.06 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1

       (1999), 1 (1998)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Argentina

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       7.5 million (1998)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       3 million (December 1999)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to

       competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications

       Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of

       modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines

       are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are

       entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being

       improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and

       making telephone service universally available will take time

       domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic

       satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;

       more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone

       use is rapidly expanding

       international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic

       Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international

       gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than

       1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

      Radios:

       24.3 million (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

       42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)

      Televisions:

       7.95 million (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .ar

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       33 (2000)

      Internet users:

       3.88 million (2001)

      Transportation Argentina

      Railways:

       total: 34,463 km (168 km electrified)

       broad gauge: 20,736 km 1.676-m gauge (142 km electrified)

       standard gauge: 3,115 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)

       narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2002)

      Highways:

       total: 215,471 km

       paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways)

       unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)

      Waterways:

       10,950 km

      Pipelines:

       gas 26,797 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined

       products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2003)

      Ports and harbors:

       Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del

       Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario,

       Santa Fe, Ushuaia

      Merchant marine:

       total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 141,851 GRT/208,821 DWT

       ships by type: cargo 9, petroleum tanker 8, railcar carrier 1,

       refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1,

       specialized tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered

       here as a flag of convenience: United Arab Emirates 1, Uruguay 1

       (2002 est.)

      Airports:

       1,342 (2002)

      Airports - with paved runways:

       total: 145

       over 3,047 m: 4

       2,438 to 3,047 m: 26

       1,524 to 2,437 m: 62

       914 to 1,523 m: 44

       under 914 m: 9 (2002)

      Airports - with unpaved runways:

       total: 1,197

       over 3,047 m: 2

       2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

       1,524 to 2,437 m: 50

       914 to 1,523 m: 572

       under 914 m: 571 (2002)

      Military Argentina

      Military branches:

       Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval

       aviation and Marines), Coast Guard, Argentine Air Force, National

       Gendarmerie, National Aeronautical Police Force

      Military manpower - military age:

       20 years of age (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - availability:

       males age 15–49: 9,780,063 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - fit for military service:

       males age 15–49: 7,942,837 (2003 est.)

      Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

       males: 331,011 (2003 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $4.3 billion (FY99)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       1.3% (FY00)

      Transnational Issues Argentina

      Disputes - international:

       claims UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South

       Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, but in

       1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by force; Beagle Channel

       islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984, but