Country Profile: Argentina

Last Reviewed: 9 July 2008

Country information

Map of Argentina

ARGENTINA TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 1.08 million sq miles (second largest country in South America after Brazil)
Population: 36.2 million (2001 official figures), 1.5 million currently overseas
Life expectancy: 70 years (male); 77.5 years (female)
Capital city: Buenos Aires (population 3.04 million; approx. 12 million live in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area)
People: Most Argentines are of European origin, especially Spanish and Italian. Substantial numbers also came from France, Poland, Russia and Germany. The Jewish community is the seventh largest in the world outside Israel. There are also more than 1 million people of Arab descent. Around 1% of the population are indigenous people living mainly in the north and west.
Language: The official language is Spanish.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic (90%); Protestant (2%); others include Judaism and Islam.
Currency: Peso
Major Political parties: Frente para la Victoria, Partido Justicialista (PJ): Peronist Party; Union Cívica Radical (UCR): Radical Party; Alternativa por una Republica de Iguales (ARI); Republican Party; Coalición Cívica: Civic Coalition; Una Nación Avanzada (UNA): An Advanced Nation, PRO
Government: Argentina is a constitutional republic. The President is directly elected for a 4-year term, which can be renewed once. The legislature consists of a bicameral National Congress, made up of an Upper House Senate (72 members, 3 for each province) and a Lower House Chamber of Deputies (257 deputies).
Head of State: President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (since 10 December 2007).
Foreign Minister: Jorge Taiana