The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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:

       territorial sea: 12 nm

       continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

       exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

       contiguous zone: 24 nm

      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: Laguna del Carbon −105 m (located between Puerto San

       Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa

       Cruz)

       highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern

       corner of the province of Mendoza)

      Natural resources:

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

       manganese, petroleum, uranium

      Land use: arable land: 12.31% permanent crops: 0.48% other: 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 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, 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

       Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

      People Argentina

      Population:

       39,144,753 (July 2004 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 25.9% (male 5,179,236; female 4,947,234)

       15–64 years: 63.6% (male 12,452,566; female 12,457,451)

       65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,685,371; female 2,422,895) (2004

       est.)

      Median age:

       total: 29.2 years

       male: 28.3 years

       female: 30.1 years (2004 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       1.02% (2004 est.)

      Birth rate:

       17.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Death rate:

       7.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 15.66 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

       male: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 75.7 years

       male: 71.95 years

       female: 79.65 years (2004 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       2.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.7% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       130,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       1,500 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Argentine(s)

       adjective: Argentine

      Ethnic groups:

       white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo, Amerindian, or

       other nonwhite 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:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 97.1%

       male: 97.1%

       female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

      Government Argentina

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Argentine Republic

       conventional short form: Argentina

       local short form: Argentina

       local long form: Republica Argentina

      Government type:

       republic

      Capital: