In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions.
After World War II, an era of Peronist populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the successive resignations of several presidents.
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
34 00 S, 64 00 W
South America
total: 2,780,400 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 43,710 sq km
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
total: 11,968 km
border countries (5): Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1,263 km, Chile 6,691 km, Paraguay 2,531 km, Uruguay 541 km
4,989 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
mean elevation: 595 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America)
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land
agricultural land: 53.9%
arable land 13.9%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 39.6%
forest: 10.7%
other: 35.4% (2011 est.)
23,600 sq km (2012)
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 in some areas
volcanism: volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (elev. 2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchon-Peteroa, San Jose, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma
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
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%
17 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
43,886,748 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua)
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Argentina's population continues to grow but at a slower rate because of its steadily declining birth rate. Argentina's fertility decline began earlier than in the rest of Latin America, occurring most rapidly between the early 20th century and the 1950s and then becoming more gradual. Life expectancy has been improving, most notably among the young and the poor. While the population under age 15 is shrinking, the youth cohort - ages 15-24 - is the largest in Argentina's history and will continue to bolster the working-age population. If this large working-age population is well-educated and gainfully employed, Argentina is likely to experience an economic boost and possibly higher per capita savings and investment. Although literacy and primary school enrollment are nearly universal, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. Both of these issues vary widely by region and socioeconomic group.
Argentina has been primarily a country of immigration for most of its history, welcoming European immigrants after its independence in the 19th century and attracting especially large numbers from Spain and Italy. European immigration diminished in the 1950s, when Argentina's military dictatorships tightened immigration rules and European economies rebounded. Regional migration, however, continued to supply low-skilled workers and today it accounts for three-quarters of Argentina's immigrant population. The first waves of highly skilled Argentine emigrant workers headed mainly to the United States and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s. The 2008 European economic crisis drove the return migration of some Argentinean and other Latin American nationals, as well as the immigration of Europeans to South America, where Argentina was a key recipient.
0-14 years: 24.72% (male 5,590,165/female 5,259,163)
15-24 years: 15.43% (male 3,461,288/female 3,312,056)
25-54 years: 39.24% (male 8,593,500/female 8,627,846)
55-64 years: 9.14% (male 1,948,179/female 2,064,463)
65 years and over: 11.46% (male 2,104,830/female 2,925,258) (2016 est.)
total dependency ratio: 56.5%
youth dependency ratio: 39.4%
elderly dependency ratio: 17.1%
potential support ratio: 5.8% (2015 est.)
total: 31.5 years
male: 30.3 years
female: 32.7 years (2016 est.)
0.93% (2016 est.)
7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
one-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated
urban population: 91.8% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
BUENOS AIRES (capital) 15.18 million; Cordoba 1.511 million; Rosario 1.381 million; Mendoza 1.009 million; San Miguel de Tucuman 910,000; La Plata 846,000 (2015)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
total number: 435,252
percentage: 7%
note: data represent children ages 5-13 (2003 est.)
52 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
total: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 77.1 years
male: 74 years
female: 80.4 years (2016 est.)
2.28 children born/woman (2016 est.)
78.9% (2004/05)
4.8% of GDP (2014)
3.86 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 99.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 96.2% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 96.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 3.8% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)
0.39% (2015 est.)
109,700 (2015 est.)
2,300 (2015 est.)
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
26.5% (2014)
2.3% (2005)
5.5% of GDP (2014)
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 98%
female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
total: 17 years
male: 16 years
female: 18 years (2013)
total: 18.8%
male: 16.7%
female: 22.4% (2014 est.)
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
etymology: originally the area was referred to as Tierra Argentina, i.e., "Land beside the Silvery River" or "silvery land," which referred to the massive estuary in the east of the country, the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver); over time the name shortened to simply Argentina or "silvery"
presidential republic
name: Buenos Aires
geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 22 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city*; Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires*, 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 (Tierra del Fuego), Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853; amended many times, last in 1994 (2016)
civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - in 2014, Congress passed government-backed reform to the civil code that will go into effect in 2016
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years
18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age - optional for national elections
chief of state: President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held in 2 rounds on 25 October and 22 November 2015 (next to be held in October 2019)
election results: Mauricio MACRI elected president; percent of vote: first-round results - Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 37.1%, Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 34.2%, Sergio MASSA (FR/PJ) 21.4%, other 7.3%; second-round results - Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 51.4%, Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 48.6%
description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership elected every 2 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years)
elections: Senate - last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held October 2017); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held October 2017)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - Cambiemos 12, FpV 8, PF 2, Progresistas 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FpV 84, Cambiemos 21, FR and allies 8, Progresistas 9, Federal Peronism 3, PP 3, other 2; note - as of 1 February 2016, the total seats per party of bloc in the legislature is as follows: Senate - FpV 117, UCR/CC 50, Pro 41, PJ 36, PS/GEN 9, other 4; Chamber of Deputies - FpV 42, UCR/CC 11, PJ 10, Pro 4, PS/GEN 2, other 3
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice-president, and 5 judges)
judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75
subordinate courts: federal level appellate, district, and territorial courts; provincial level supreme, appellate, and first instance courts
Cambiemos (a coalition composed of CC, PRO, and UCR) [Mauricio MACRI]
Civic Coalition or CC (a coalition loosely affiliated with Elisa CARRIO)
Dissident Peronists (PJ Disidente) or Federal Peronism (a right-wing faction of the Justicialist Party opposed to the Kirchners) [Ramon PUERTA]
Front for Victory or FpV (left-wing faction of PJ) [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER]
Peronist (or Justicialist) Party or PJ [Eduardo FELLNER]
Popular Path or PP
Progresistas [Margarita STOLBIZER]
Radical Civic Union or UCR [Ernesto SANZ]
Republican Proposal or PRO [Mauricio MACRI]
Socialist Party or PS [Hermes BINNER]
Renewal Front (Frente Renovador) or FR [Sergio MASSA]
numerous provincial parties
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs or CILFA
Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association)
Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association)
Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association)
Blue and White CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation)
Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a union for employed and unemployed workers)
General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization)
Roman Catholic Church
other: business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); students
AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin LOUSTEAU (since 28 January 2016)
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, Washington, DC
chief of mission: Ambassador Noah Bryson MAMET (since 16 January 2015)
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use embassy street address; APO address: US Embassy Buenos Aires, Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240
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; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun
Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: light blue, white
name: "Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA
note: adopted 1813; Vicente LOPEZ was inspired to write the anthem after watching a play about the 1810 May Revolution against Spain
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the
A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and an unprecedented bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared
Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as president in late 2007, and the rapid economic growth of previous years began to slow sharply the following year as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. Th
The government has taken multiple steps in recent years to deal with these problems. It expanded state intervention in the economy throughout 2012. In May 2012 the Congress approved the nationalization of the oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol. The gover
In 2014, the government also took some measures to mend ties with the international financial community, including engaging with the IMF to improve its economic data reporting, reaching a compensation agreement with Repsol for the expropriation of YPF, an
After being elected into office in December 2015, President MACRI has taken significant steps to liberalize the Argentine economy. His administration lifted capital controls; floated the peso, negotiated debt payments with holdout bond creditors, and remo
$879.4 billion (2016 est.)
$895.2 billion (2015 est.)
$873.7 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$541.7 billion (2015 est.)
-1.8% (2016 est.)
2.5% (2015 est.)
-2.5% (2014 est.)
$20,200 (2016 est.)
$20,800 (2015 est.)
$20,500 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
14.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
15.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 63.7%
government consumption: 19.3%
investment in fixed capital: 16%
investment in inventories: 1.7%
exports of goods and services: 13.2%
imports of goods and services: -13.9% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 30.2%
services: 58.4% (2016 est.)
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
1.7%
note: based on private sector estimates (2016 est.)
17.71 million
note: urban areas only (2016 est.)
agriculture: 5%
industry: 23%
services: 72% (2009 est.)
8% (2016 est.)
7.6% (2015 est.)
30%
note: data are based on private estimates (2010 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 32.3% (2010 est.)
45.8 (2009)
revenues: $115.9 billion
expenditures: $141.7 billion (2016 est.)
21.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
-4.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
53.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
50.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
calendar year
42.8% (2016 est.)
26.5% (2015 est.)
note: data are derived from private estimates
NA%
32.3% (31 December 2016 est.)
24.92% (31 December 2015 est.)
$54.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$52.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$150.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$138.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$200.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$182.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$56.13 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$60.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$53.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
-$12.72 billion (2016 est.)
-$15.94 billion (2015 est.)
$58.4 billion (2016 est.)
$56.76 billion (2015 est.)
soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat
Brazil 17%, China 8.6%, US 5.9% (2015)
$57.23 billion (2016 est.)
$57.18 billion (2015 est.)
machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics
Brazil 22.4%, US 16.3%, China 15.5%, Germany 5.1% (2015)
$32.11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$25.52 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$155.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$136.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$103.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$94.19 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$37.97 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$37.03 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar -
14.92 (2016 est.)
9.2332 (2015 est.)
9.2332 (2014 est.)
8.0753 (2013 est.)
4.54 (2012 est.)
126 billion kWh (2014 est.)
population without electricity: 1,500,000
electrification - total population: 96.4%
electrification - urban areas: 99.2%
electrification - rural areas: 96% (2013)
116 billion kWh (2014 est.)
200 million kWh (2014 est.)
10 billion kWh (2014 est.)
36 million kW (2014 est.)
68.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
2.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
26% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
532,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)
37,690 bbl/day (2013 est.)
7,460 bbl/day (2013 est.)
2.4 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)
670,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
751,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
63,060 bbl/day (2013 est.)
109,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
35.4 billion cu m (2014 est.)
47.23 billion cu m (2014 est.)
70 million cu m (2014 est.)
11.9 billion cu m (2014 est.)
332.1 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)
202 million Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 10,119,920
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (July 2015 est.)
total: 60.664 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 140 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: in 1998 Argentina opened its telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment encouraging the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; major networks are ent
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; fixed-line teledensity is increasing gradually and mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet services
international: country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2, UNISUR, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 (2011)
government owns a TV station and a radio network; more than 2 dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage (2007)
.ar
total: 30.142 million
percent of population: 69.4% (July 2015 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 6
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 107
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,245,183
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 243,772,567 mt-km (2015)
LV (2016)
1,138 (2013)
total: 161
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 53
under 914 m: 10 (2013)
total: 977
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 43
914 to 1,523 m: 484
under 914 m: 448 (2013)
2 (2013)
gas 29,930 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 6,248 km; refined products 3,631 km (2013)
total: 36,917.4 km
broad gauge: 26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge; 258 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)
total: 231,374 km
paved: 69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 161,962 km (2004)
11,000 km (2012)
total: 36
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4
foreign-owned: 14 (Brazil 1, Chile 6, Spain 3, Taiwan 2, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 15 (Liberia 1, Panama 5, Paraguay 5, Uruguay 1, unknown 3) (2010)
major seaport(s): Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Ushuaia
river port(s): Arroyo Seco, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin (Parana)
container port(s) (TEUs): Buenos Aires (1,851,701)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Bahia Blanca
Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2013)
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription; if the number of volunteers fails to meet the quota of recruits for a particular year, Congress can authorize the conscription of citizens turning 18 that year for a period not exceeding one year (2012)
0.91% of GDP (2012)
0.9% of GDP (2011)
0.91% of GDP (2010)
the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2008)
Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; in 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regime; the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur); contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Bolivia
a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008)
