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Argentine Republic
National name: República Argentina.
President: Fernando de la Rúa (1999)
Area: 1,072,067 sq. mi. (2,766,890 sq. km)
Population (1999 est.): 36,737,664 (average annual rate of natural increase: 1.23%); birth rate: 19.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 18.4/1000; density per sq. mi.: 34
Capital and largest city (1999 est.): Buenos Aires: city proper 3,000,000; metro. area 12,000,000
Other large cities (1999 est.): Córdoba, 1,200,000; Rosario, 950,000; Mar del Plata, 900,000; Mendoza, 400,000
Monetary unit: Peso
Languages: Spanish, English, Italian, German, French
Ethnicity/race: European 97% (mostly of Spanish and Italian descent), 3% other (mostly Indian or mestizo)
Religions: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Literacy rate: 96.2% (1990)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (1998 est.): $374 billion; $10,300 per capita. Real growth rate: 4.3%. Inflation: 1%. Unemployment: 15% (Aug. 1999). Arable land: 9%. Agriculture: sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat, livestock. Labor force: (1997) 14.5 million; industry, 31%; agriculture, 12%; services, 57% (1985 est.). Industry: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel. Natural resources: fertile plains of pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium. Exports: $26 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.): cereals, feed, motor vehicles, crude petroleum, steel manufactures. Imports: $32 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.): motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts, organic chemicals, telecommunications equipment, plastics. Major trading partners: Brazil, U.S., Chile, Italy, Germany, France, China, Uruguay.
Flag markings represent: The sun = The sun of May. It also represents Argentina's freedom from Spain. The Stripes = They are the same color as the colors that the military wore when they fought off British invaders in 1806 and 1807. This information was added 2/21/2001 after an e-mail from Kjersti Brocker. Thanks!
