Area: 1 million square miles.
Neighbouring countries
:
Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay.
Environment
:
Argentina’s climate, although mainly temperate, varies from subtropical in the north to subantarctic in the south-west. Its terrain ranges from fertile Pampas in the north to Patagonian steppes in the south. The Andes lie to the west (Aconcagua 6,960 metres).
Population
:
38 million.
Infant mortality
:
18 deaths/1,000 live births.
Life expectancy
:
75 years.
Capital
:
Buenos Aires conurbation (17.9 million).
Other cities
:
Cordoba (1.4 million); San Justo (1.2 million); Rosario (1.2 million).
Urbanisation
:
88%.
Ethnic groups
:
European (especially Spanish and Italian) 81%; Mestizo 10%; Amerindian, including Quechua 4%; others, including Arabs, Jews, Korean, Japanese and Chinese 5%
Languages
:
Spanish (official), other European, indigenous.
Literacy
:
95%.
Economy
:
Argentina has rich natural resources. Its rolling grasslands produce beef, dairy products and grain. In the north-east, rice, tea and citrus fruit are grown; in the west, peaches, plums, apples, wine and olives. Copper and gold are mined in the north-west, oil and natural gas in the southern cold desert. But unemployment stands at 16%, and 37% of the population are below the poverty line.
Exports include meat, oil seeds, cereals, animal feed, petroleum products and motor vehicles.
Religions
:
Roman Catholic 91% (mainly nominal); non religious 3%; Protestant 2%; Muslim 1%; Jewish 1%; cults 1%; others 1%. Roman Catholicism is officially favoured.
Protestant denominations
:
Various Pentecostal and Baptist, Christian Brethren, Evangelical Lutheran, Anglican, and over 100 others.
History
:
Argentina gained independence from Spain in 1816. After World War 2, there was a long spell of Peronist dictatorship, followed by a military junta from 1976. Argentina disputes ownership of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) with the UK.
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