Argentina

Full name of country: Argentine Republic

Region: South America

Official language: Spanish

Population: 46,994,384 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Argentine(s) (noun), Argentine (adjective)

Land area: 2,736,690 sq km (1,056,641 sq miles)

Water area: 43,710 sq km (16,877 sq miles)

Capital: Buenos Aires

National anthem: "Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem), by Vicente Lopez Y Planes/Jose Blas Parera

National holiday: Revolution Day, May 28 (1810)

Population growth: 0.79% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –3

Flag: The flag of Argentina features three horizontal bands: two light blue bands framing a center band of white. The blue represents the sky, while the white represents the snow of the Andes Mountains. An image of the sun is located in the center of the flag, in the middle of the white horizontal band. This image, depicted as the Inca sun god, represents the country’s movement for independence, which began on May 25, 1810.

Motto: “En Union y Libertad” (In Union and Liberty)

Independence: July 9, 1816 (from Spain)

Government type: republic

Suffrage: 18–70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16–17 years of age - optional

Legal system: civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - in 2015, Argentina adopted a new civil code that replaced the one in force since 1871

Argentina, known formally as Republica Argentina (Argentine Republic), is the second-largest country in South America by area. It is located in the southern half of the continent and borders the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern side. Its neighbors are Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay to the east; Bolivia to the north; and Chile, which runs along its entire western border. Argentina lays claim to the Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas) off its southeastern coast, but this is disputed with Great Britain, which oversees the island. Argentina achieved independence from Spain in 1816.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: At the time of the 2010 census, around 97.2 percent of the population of Argentina was of European descent or Mestizo (mixed White and Indigenous ancestry). Italian and Spanish heritage was most common. Other ethnic groups included Amerindians (2.4 percent) and those of African descent (0.4 percent).

Like most of the population of Latin America, the majority of Argentines are Roman Catholics, who constituted 62.9 percent of the population according to 2019 estimates. Approximately 15.3 percent of the population adhered to Evangelical Christian denominations, while other faiths such as Judaism, Jehovah's Witness, and Mormonism each accounted for less than 2 percent. An estimated 18.9 percent of Argentinians belonged to no religion, including agnostics and atheists.

The official language of Argentina is Spanish, but some European and indigenous languages are spoken as well. The most common are English, Italian, German, French, Mapudungun, Guarani, and Quechua.

The largest city in Argentina is Buenos Aires, with an urban area population of 15.49 million in 2023. The capital sits on the south side of the Rio de la Plata River (across from the Uruguayan capital city, Montevideo) on the eastern coast of South America. Other large cities in Argentina include Córdoba (population 1.612 million), Rosario (population 1.594 million), Mendoza (population 1.226 million), San Miguel de Tucuman (1.027 million), and La Plata (914,000) (2023 estimates).

Argentina ranked forty-eighth on the United Nations' 2024 Human Development Index, which measures quality of life indicators.

Indigenous People: The largest groups of Indigenous peoples in Argentina include the Collas, Chiriguanos, Tobas, Selk'namgon, and Mapuches. Most live in the northern part of Argentina near the borders with Paraguay and Bolivia, but there are settlements found throughout the country. Quechua, Mapudungun, Chiringua, Guaraní, and other languages are spoken by Indigenous Argentines.

The conditions for Indigenous Argentines were dismal for centuries. Since the earliest contact with European colonizers, Indigenous Argentines were forced from their land. Populations have been decimated by disease and genocidal attacks or otherwise marginalized by the majority-White population. Argentina maintains a National Plan of Indigenous Policy, which allows some protections, but there are still many unaddressed grievances involving the political, environmental, and social conditions of Indigenous peoples throughout the country.

Education: Education in Argentina is compulsory from ages five to seventeen. Public schooling is free, but private education is available to those with the means to pay for it. Students progress from early childhood education to primary schooling, and secondary schooling; from there, they may enter into higher education. Primary education lasts for six years and is followed by three years of lower secondary education. General upper-secondary education is three years, while technical schooling goes for four. Argentina has many public and private colleges and universities, including the Universidad de Buenos Aires, the country's largest.

The country's literacy rate was estimated at 99 percent in 2018. However, this number may not be an accurate reflection of literacy outside of Buenos Aires and its environs.

Health Care: The health care system in Argentina is divided into three subsystems: public, private, and social security (obras sociales). Life expectancy for Argentines is 78.8 years (2024 estimate). Argentina has a relatively low infant mortality rate, at 9 deaths per 1,000 live births according to 2024 estimates.

Food: The heavy Spanish and Italian influence on Argentine culture can be seen in the country's cuisine. Argentines are fond of such dishes as alfajors (a type of cookie with caramel), asado (grilled barbecue), empanadas (turnovers that contain a variety of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and other ingredients) and pasta dishes. Lasagna and other traditional Italian dishes are quite popular among Argentines.

Meat is an important component in Argentine cuisine, owing in part to the country's historical dependence on cattle and livestock ranching. Argentines are also fond of the drink yerba mate, which is a type of tea served in a gourd and sipped through a straw. Argentines often eat four meals a day, with cena, or dinner, being the most important meal. Argentina is also renowned for its fine wines.

Arts & Entertainment: Argentine arts and entertainment are influenced by both Europe and the United States. The gaucho culture of Argentina is quite strong; in Argentina, a gaucho is similar to the cowboy of North America, and the image has appeared constantly in literature, art (particularly folk art), dance, and music since the mid-eighteenth century.

Argentina has a diverse national literature. One of the nation's most renowned works is the poem "El Gaucho Martin Fierro" (1872), by José Hernández. Important writers of the twentieth century include the novelist and short story writer Julio Cortázar (1914–84), whose novel Rayuela (1963, translated into English as Hopscotch) is considered one of the finest works of not only Argentine literature, but Latin American literature in general; and Manuel Puig (1932–90), author of Kiss of the Spider Woman (1976), which was adapted into a motion picture in 1985. Another widely known author to come from Argentina was Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986). His short story collections, including Ficciones (1945), are highly regarded worldwide and have been compared to the works of other important twentieth-century authors such as Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, and Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

The gaucho theme is quite prevalent in Argentine folk music, but perhaps the best-known example of Argentine native arts is the tango, a dance and song style that grew out of Buenos Aires ballroom culture. Argentine musicians and composers have played important roles on the world stage, including the jazz and classical composer Lalo Schifrin (b. 1932), tango composer Astor Piazzolla (1921–92), and musician Daniel Barenboim (b. 1942). Other popular musical genres in Argentina include Argentine rock and Western dance club music.

Popular sports in Argentina include association football (soccer) and the equestrian sports of horse racing and polo. Argentina won the World Cup soccer tournament in 1978, 1986, and 2022. It also won Olympic gold medals in soccer in 2004 and 2008. Several Argentine footballers are widely considered among the best ever to play the sport, including Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Holidays: Argentine public holidays include National Memorial Day (March 24); Malvinas Day (April 2), which honors veterans of war; Revolución de Mayo (May 25), which celebrates one of Argentina's earliest attempts at independence; the Death of Martin Miguel de Güemes (June 15); Independence Day (July 9), which commemorates its 1810 independence from Spain; the Anniversary of General San Martin (August 17), which celebrates one of Argentina's founders; and National Sovereignty Day (November 23). Catholic holidays are also commonly celebrated, including Carnival during the season of Lent, Holy Week in March or April, and Immaculate Conception Day and Christmas in December. Internationally recognized holidays commemorated in Argentina include New Year's Day (January 1), Labor Day (May 1), and Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity (October 12), recalling the first voyage of explorer Christopher Columbus to the Americas.

Environment and Geography

Topography: There are three distinct topographical regions in Argentina: the Andes region along the western border; the Pampas, or treeless grasslands of central Argentina; and Patagonia, which stretches from central to southern Argentina, south of which lies the extreme tip of Argentina (and South America), Tierra del Fuego.

The Andes mountain range is shared with six other nations in South America, including neighboring Chile. The Argentine Andes contains the highest peak in the entire system, Aconcagua (also the highest in the Western Hemisphere), which rises to 6,962 meters (22,841 feet).

Central Argentina contains the Pampas region, which is home of several of Argentina's agricultural industries, including cattle farming and soybeans. The Patagonian region is a resource-rich semiarid plateau that has been a place of lasting fascination for world travelers and adventurers since Europeans first came across it in the early sixteenth century.

Argentine rivers include the Rio de la Plata, the Paraguay, and the Uruguay, and the Rio Parana, which flows southward from Brazil and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Natural Resources: Petroleum and natural gas deposits, timber, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, and uranium are Argentina's chief natural resources. The Pampas region, where most of the country's agriculture takes place, boasts some of the richest soil in the world.

Issues of environmental concern in Argentina include deforestation, desertification, and air and water pollution.

Plants & Animals: Each of the regions of Argentina has distinct flora and fauna. The Pampas region is grassy and has the largest variety of indigenous plant life in the country. The treeless regions (the plains and Patagonia, principally) of Argentina have several types of herbs and shrubs. Tropical plants such as palm, rosewood, and lignum are found in the northeastern region, while cacti are common in the northwest. Carob and quebracho (white and red varieties) trees are also common in forested areas. Oak, araucaria, and cypress trees are also common.

Common animals found in the north include such large cats as jaguars, ocelots, and puma. In addition, the region includes monkeys, peccaries (known as javelinas in the southwestern United States), and tapirs. The mountainous regions are home to llamas, guanacos, alpaca, and vicunas. Common animals found in the plains region include hawks, armadillos, foxes, martens, and foxes.

Endangered species of Argentina include the short-tailed chinchilla, the Chacoan peccary, the South Andean deer (or Patagonian huemul), and the blue whale.

Climate: Because of Argentina's topographic length from the midpoint of the South American continent to its tip near the South Pole (roughly equivalent in climate to the stretches of North America near the North Pole), its climate varies from subtropical in the north to subantarctic in the south.

The average annual temperatures in various regions range from 11 to 24 degrees Celsius (51 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) in Buenos Aires, a sea-level city, to 8 to 24 degrees Celsius (46 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mendoza, which is higher in elevation than the capital. The average annual precipitation is 97 centimeters (38 inches).

Economy

After emerging from repressive military rule in 1983, Argentina experienced major economic struggles through the 1980s and 1990s, including high levels of unemployment and inflation, decline in the value of its currency, and problems within its banking sector. Important economic reforms in the early twenty-first century, however, helped to improve Argentina's economic health. One of the strengths of the Argentine economy is its diversity of natural resources, including rich agricultural regions. A US$32 billion public works program was initiated in 2008 in response to the adverse economic effects of the global financial crisis.

Argentina's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$1.235 trillion and its per capita GDP at US$26,500 in 2023. The major employment sectors are services and industry (2017 estimates). The unemployment rate in 2023 stood at 6.18 percent of the country's labor force.

Industry: The major industries of Argentina include food processing, chemicals, textiles, and printing. Important Argentine exports include edible oils, petroleum products and natural gas, cereals and feed, and automobiles. Its major trade partners are Brazil, China, the United States, Chile, and Germany.

Agriculture: Traditionally, agriculture has been a mainstay of the Argentine economy, owing in part to the richness and diversity of what can be grown or raised in the vast Pampas region. Among the most important crops are sunflower seeds, wheat and cereal grains, livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses), wool, lemons, grapes, and tobacco. Argentina ranks among the largest producers of grain and livestock in the world. The country is also a big producer of soybeans. Nearly 53.9 percent of the country's total area is devoted to agriculture (2018 estimate).

Tourism: Argentina is rich in tourist attractions and sustains a sizeable tourist industry. Among the most notable destinations are Patagonia, the Andes, and the city of Buenos Aires, which is considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South America. Other popular destinations include Iguazu Falls in the far northeast near the borders with Brazil and Paraguay, the beaches of Mar del Plata, and the city of Cordoba, which contains many unique examples of Argentine architecture.

Government

Argentina is a presidential republic, with twenty-three provinces and one federal district (Buenos Aires). The province of Tierra del Fuego, separated physically from the rest of Argentina by the Strait of Magellan, includes disputed territories in Antarctica and the Malvinas Islands, also known as the Falkland Islands. In 1982, Great Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falklands; the result of the war was a British victory, but Argentina still claims the territory as its own.

The current constitution was written in 1853 and amended several times, most recently in 1994. There have been several periods in Argentine history when the government has either rescinded or otherwise altered the original constitution, but this practice ended after 1983.

There are three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The president is elected to a four-year term, and may seek reelection once. The vice president is elected on the same ballot as the president. The president appoints his own cabinet officers and serves as the commander-in-chief of the military.

The legislative body is called the National Congress and is separated into the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies (elected for four-year terms). The seventy-two senators serve six-year terms. There are 257 members in the Chamber of Deputies. The president nominates justices to serve in the Supreme Court; the Senate then approves the nominees.

Controversial former president Juan Perón (in office 1946–55 and 1973–74) was one of the most powerful political figures of twentieth-century Latin American politics. The nationalist policies (known as Peronism) espoused by Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón, were very popular among the Argentine working class, and their influence is still felt many years later. After his death in 1974, Juan Perón was succeeded as president by his third wife, Isabel Perón, who also proved controversial. She was deposed in a 1976 coup and Argentina was run by a US-backed military junta until 1983. Under the junta thousands of political dissidents and others were murdered in a state-sanctioned campaign of violence known as the Dirty War.

Interesting Facts

• The name Argentina is derived from argentum, the Latin word for silver, due to the belief by explorers that the country was rich in silver.
• Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires is one of the widest streets in the world.
• The varied ecosystems throughout Argentina have made it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.
• Argentina was one of just two countries in the world, along with Chile, to witness a total eclipse of the sun in July 2019.
• Pope Francis, who became head of the Catholic Church in 2013 and the first pope from the Americas, was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina.

Bibliography

"Argentina." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/ARG. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"Argentina." The World Bank, data.worldbank.org/country/argentina. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"Argentina." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 24 Oct. 2023, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/argentina/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

“Argentina: Overview of the Education System (EAG 2021).” OECD Education GPS, OECD, 2021, gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=ARG&treshold=10&topic=EO. Accessed 2 Jun. 2022. ‌

“2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Argentina.” US Department of State, 2021, www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/argentina/. Accessed 2 June 2022.‌