Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina, pronounced [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the second largest country in South America and eighth in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous. Its continental area is 2,766,890 km2 (1,068,302 sq mi), between the Andes mountain range in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east and south. Argentina borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentina claims the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands which are controlled by the United Kingdom. It also claims 969,464 km2 (374,312 sq mi) of Antarctica, known as Argentine Antarctica which overlaps other claims made by Chile and by the United Kingdom. These claims have been suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961.
Argentina has the second highest Human Development Index level[6] and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power parity in Latin America.[3] Argentina's nominal GDP is the 30th largest in the world;[7] but when purchasing power is taken into account, its total GDP makes it the 23rd largest economy in the world.[8]
According to article 35 of the Argentine constitution, the titles Argentine Republic, Argentine Confederation, Argentine Nation, and United Provinces of the River Plate are all valid. However Argentine Republic is the title used in practice.
The country is currently classified as an Upper-Middle Income Country[9] or as a secondary emerging market by the World Bank Argentina is also one of the G-20 major economies.

Capital(and largest city)
Buenos Aires34°36′S 58°23′W / 34.6°S 58.383°W / -34.6; -58.383
Official languages
Spanish
Ethnic groups
86.4% European (mostly Italian and Spanish)8% Mestizo1.6% Amerindian4% Others[1][2]
Demonym
Argentine, Argentinian, Argentinean
Government
Federal presidential republic
-
President
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
-
Vice President
Julio Cobos
-
Supreme Court President
Ricardo Lorenzetti
Independence
from Spain
-
May Revolution
25 May 1810
-
Declared
9 July 1816
Area
-
Total
2,766,890 km2 (8th)1,068,302 sq mi
-
Water (%)
1.1
Population
-
2008 estimate
40,482,000 (33rd)
-
2001 census
36,260,130
GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$572.860 billion[3] (23rd)
-
Per capita
$14,413[3] (57th)
GDP (nominal)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$326.474 billion[3] (31st)
-
Per capita
$8,214[3] (66th)
Gini (2006)
49[4] (high)
HDI (2006)
▲ 0.860 (high) (46th)
Currency
Peso (ARS)
Time zone
ART (UTC-3)
-
Summer (DST)
ART (UTC-2)
Drives on the
right
Internet TLD
.ar
Calling code
+54

1 History
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pre-Columbian era
1.3 Colonial era
1.4 Independence
1.5 Emergence of modern Argentina
1.6 From Perón to the last dictatorship
1.7 Democracy
2 Geography
2.1 Main features
2.2 Geographic regions
2.3 Provinces
2.4 Rivers and lakes
2.5 Coastal areas and seas
2.6 Climate
3 Population
3.1 Contemporary figures
3.2 Cities and metropolitan areas
4 Demographics
4.1 Ethnicity
4.2 Minorities
4.3 Illegal immigrants
4.4 Urbanization
5 Economy
5.1 Sectors
5.1.1 Natural resources
5.1.2 Manufacturing
5.1.3 Service Industries
6 Politics
6.1 Government
6.2 Safety and Security
6.3 Foreign policy
7 Military
8 Transportation
9 Flora
10 Fauna
11 Culture
11.1 Literature
11.2 Film and theatre
11.3 Architecture, painting and sculpture
11.4 Food and drink
11.5 Sports
11.6 Music
11.7 Religion
11.8 Language
11.9 Holidays
12 Education
13 Health care
13.1 Water supply and sanitation
14 Science and technology
15 Communications and media
15.1 Print
15.2 Radio and television
16 International rankings
17 See also
18 Notes
19 References
20 External links