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Compare Spain (2005) - Argentina (2003)

Compare Spain (2005) z Argentina (2003)

 Spain (2005)Argentina (2003)
 SpainArgentina
Administrative divisions 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)


note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all located off the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)
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
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,994,124/female 2,815,456)


15-64 years: 68% (male 13,762,281/female 13,664,762)


65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,965,859/female 4,138,980) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 26.2% (male 5,185,548; female 4,955,551)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 12,274,625; female 12,282,772)


65 years and over: 10.4% (male 1,659,641; female 2,382,670) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock
Airports 156 (2004 est.) 1,342 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 95


over 3,047 m: 15


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.)
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: 61


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.)
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)
Area total: 504,782 sq km


land: 499,542 sq km


water: 5,240 sq km


note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
total: 2,766,890 sq km


land: 2,736,690 sq km


water: 30,200 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Oregon slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Background Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986. Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment. Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, a long period of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and numerous elections since then have underscored Argentina's progress in democratic consolidation.
Birth rate 10.1 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 17.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $383.7 billion


expenditures: $386.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2004 est.)
revenues: $44 billion


expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Madrid Buenos Aires
Climate temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
Coastline 4,964 km 4,989 km
Constitution 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 1 May 1853; revised August 1994
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain


conventional short form: Spain


local short form: Espana
conventional long form: Argentine Republic


conventional short form: Argentina


local long form: Republica Argentina


local short form: Argentina
Currency - Argentine peso (ARS)
Death rate 9.63 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 7.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $771.1 billion (2004 est.) $155 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires J. Robert MANZANARES


embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid


mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642


telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200


FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303


consulate(s) general: Barcelona
chief of mission: Ambassador James D. WALSH; note - Lino GUTIERREZ is designated to replace Ambassador WALSH


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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORP


chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340


FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
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
Disputes - international in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa 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 armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and harbors Islamist militants; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.33 billion (1999) -
Economic aid - recipient - $10 billion (2001 est.)
Economy - overview The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 10.4%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003 and 2.6% in 2004 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has initiated economic and social reforms that are generally popular among the masses of people but that are anathema to religious and other conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment, and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years. Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation, external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a "zero deficit," to stabilize the banking system, and to restore economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso was floated in February; the exchange rate plunged and inflation picked up rapidly, but by mid-2002 the economy had stabilized, albeit at a lower level. Strong demand for the peso compelled the Central Bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets to curb its appreciation in early 2003. Led by record exports, the economy began to recover with output up 5.5% in 2003, unemployment falling, and inflation sliced to 4.2% at year-end.
Electricity - consumption 218.4 billion kWh (2002) 92.12 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 4.4 billion kWh (2002) 5.662 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 9.8 billion kWh (2002) 7.417 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 229 billion kWh (2002) 97.17 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 52.2%


hydro: 40.8%


nuclear: 6.7%


other: 0.2% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
lowest point: Salinas Chicas -40 m (located on Peninsula Valdes)


highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m
Environment - current issues pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification 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: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 3%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) Argentine pesos per US dollar - 3.06 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999), 1 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968


head of government: President of the Government and Prime Minister Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES (since 18 April 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president


note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding


elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president


election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52.29%
chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); note - declared winner of a runoff election by default after Carlos Saul MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election; 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); note - declared winner of a runoff election by default after Carlos Saul MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election; 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; the last election held was the presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be held NA 2007); a runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 between the two candidates receiving the highest votes in the primary was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election


election results: results of the presidential primary 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
Exports 135,100 bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles
Exports - partners France 19.3%, Germany 11.7%, Portugal 9.6%, UK 9%, Italy 9%, US 4% (2004) Brazil 23.6%, US 10.9%, Chile 9.7%, Spain 4.3% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar 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 of May
GDP - purchasing power parity - $403.8 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.5%


industry: 28.5%


services: 68% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 5%


industry: 28%


services: 66% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $23,300 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2004 est.) -10.9% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 4 00 W 34 00 S, 64 00 W
Geography - note strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar 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 the Valdes Peninsula is the lowest point on the continent
Heliports 8 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 664,852 km


paved: 658,203 km (including 11,152 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,649 km (2001)
total: 215,471 km


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


unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for European earnings of Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing
Imports 1.582 million bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods; measuring and medical control instruments machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics
Imports - partners Germany 16.6%, France 15.8%, Italy 8.9%, UK 6.3%, Netherlands 4.8% (2004) Brazil 42%, US 12.8%, Germany 4.4% (2002)
Independence the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 3% (2004 est.) 1% (2000 est.)
Industries textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Infant mortality rate total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 16.16 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.14 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.2% (2004 est.) 41% (2002, yearend)
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, ECLAC, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-19, 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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, MTCR, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 33 (2000)
Irrigated land 36,400 sq km (1998 est.) 15,610 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)
Labor force 19.33 million (2004 est.) 15 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 5.3%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 30.1%, services 64.6% (2004 est.) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 1,917.8 km


border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
total: 9,665 km


border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Land use arable land: 26.07%


permanent crops: 9.87%


other: 64.06% (2001)
arable land: 9.14%


permanent crops: 0.8%


other: 90.06% (1998 est.)
Languages Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Legal system civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE 38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC 1.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%, CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU 2, CC 3, other 8
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members being 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 14 October 2001 (next to be held intermittently by province before December 2003); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14 October 2001 (next to be held intermittently by province before December 2003)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%; seats by bloc or party - PJ 40, UCR 24, provincial parties 6, Frepaso 1, ARI 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA%; seats by bloc or party - PJ 113, UCR 74, provincial parties 27, Frepaso 17, ARI 17, AR 9
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.52 years


male: 76.18 years


female: 83.08 years (2005 est.)
total population: 75.48 years


male: 71.72 years


female: 79.44 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.9%


male: 98.7%


female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.1%


male: 97.1%


female: 97.1% (2003 est.)
Location Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Map references Europe South America
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
contiguous zone: 24 NM


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


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 182 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,740,974 GRT/2,157,551 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 22, chemical tanker 16, container 19, liquefied gas 8, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 7


foreign-owned: 29 (Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 9, Italy 2, Norway 6, United States 7, Uruguay 2)


registered in other countries: 192 (2005)
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.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force (Ejercito del Aire, EdA), Naval Infantry Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval aviation and Marines), Coast Guard, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Aeronautical Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $9,906.5 million (2003) $4.3 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (2003) 1.3% (FY00)
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 - military age - 20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 331,011 (2003 est.)
National holiday National Day, 12 October Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Nationality noun: Spaniard(s)


adjective: Spanish
noun: Argentine(s)


adjective: Argentine
Natural hazards periodic droughts 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
Natural resources coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land fertile plains of the Pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium
Net migration rate 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 7,306 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,512 km (2004) gas 26,797 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 3,668 km; refined products 2,945 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA) [leader NA]; Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Josep-Lluis CAROD-ROVIRA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES] Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro ALESSANDRO]; Justicialist Party or PJ [Carlos Saul MENEM] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal Recreate Movement [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; several provincial parties
Political pressure groups and leaders business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Roman Catholic Church; students
Population 40,341,462 (July 2005 est.) 38,740,807 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 37% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.15% (2005 est.) 1.05% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna, Tarragona, Valencia Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe, Ushuaia
Radio broadcast stations AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)
Railways total: 14,781 km (7,718 km electrified)


broad gauge: 11,829 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)


standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,926 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2004)
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)
Religions Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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 (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and mandatory
Telephone system general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons


domestic: NA


international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 17,567,500 (2003) 7.5 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 37,506,700 (2003) 3 million (December 1999)
Television broadcast stations 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)


note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
Total fertility rate 1.28 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.4% (2004 est.) 21.5% (37377)
Waterways 1,045 km (2003) 10,950 km
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