The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

conventional long form: Argentine Republic

       conventional short form: Argentina

       local long form: Republica Argentina

       local short form: Argentina

      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

       note: 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

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice

       President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is

       both the chief of state and head of government

       head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);

       Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the

       president is both the chief of state and head of government

       cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

       elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket

       by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 27 April

       2003 (next election to be held NA 2007)

       election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April

       2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez

       MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other

       8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was

       awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on

       the eve of the election

      Legislative branch:

       bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the

       Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently

       one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)

       and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by

       direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a

       four-year term)

       elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the

       2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies -

       last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003

       (next to be held NA 2005)

       election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%;

       seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15;

       Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%; seats

       by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6,

       other/provincial parties 38

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are

       appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

      Political parties and leaders:

       Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a

       Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Federal Recreate Movement

       or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Front for a Country in Solidarity

       or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro ALESSANDRO];

       Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12

       parties including RECREAR) [leader NA]; Justicialist Party or PJ

       (Peronist umbrella political organization) [leader NA]; Radical

       Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Socialist Party or PS [Ruben

       GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial

       parties

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

       Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine

       Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural

       Society (large landowners' association); business organizations;

       Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed

       and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT

       (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated

       labor movement; Roman Catholic Church; students

      International organization participation:

       AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CSN, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77,

       IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,

       IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,

       Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,

       UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,

       UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,

       WToO, WTO, ZC

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON

       chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

       telephone: [1] (202) 238–6400

       FAX: [1] (202) 332–3171

       consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,

       New York

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ

       embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires

       mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO

       address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034

       telephone: [54] (11) 5777–4533

       FAX: [54] (11) 5777–4240

      Flag description:

       three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light

       blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a

       human face known as the Sun