2  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Argentina 
  n  1:  a  republic  in  S  South  America;  2nd  largest  country  in  South 
  America  [syn:  {Argentina},  {the  Argentine}] 
  2:  type  genus  of  the  Argentinidae:  argentines  [syn:  {Argentina}, 
  {genus  Argentina}] 
 
  From  The  CIA  World  Factbook  (1995)  [world95]: 
 
  Argentina 
 
  Argentina:Geography 
 
  Location:  Southern  South  America,  bordering  the  South  Atlantic  Ocean, 
  between  Chile  and  Uruguay 
 
  Map  references:  South  America 
 
  Area: 
  total  area:  2,766,890  sq  km 
  land  area:  2,736,690  sq  km 
  comparative  area:  slightly  less  than  three-tenths  the  size  of  the  US 
 
  Land  boundaries:  total  9,665  km  Bolivia  832  km  Brazil  1,224  km 
  Chile  5,150  km  Paraguay  1,880  km  Uruguay  579  km 
 
  Coastline:  4,989  km 
 
  Maritime  claims: 
  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 
 
  International  disputes:  short  section  of  the  boundary  with  Uruguay  is 
  in  dispute;  short  section  of  the  boundary  with  Chile  is  indefinite; 
  claims  British-administered  Falkland  Islands  (Islas  Malvinas);  claims 
  British-administered  South  Georgia  and  the  South  Sandwich  Islands; 
  territorial  claim  in  Antarctica 
 
  Climate:  mostly  temperate;  arid  in  southeast;  subantarctic  in 
  southwest 
 
  Terrain:  rich  plains  of  the  Pampas  in  northern  half,  flat  to  rolling 
  plateau  of  Patagonia  in  south,  rugged  Andes  along  western  border 
 
  Natural  resources:  fertile  plains  of  the  pampas,  lead,  zinc,  tin, 
  copper,  iron  ore,  manganese,  petroleum,  uranium 
 
  Land  use: 
  arable  land:  9% 
  permanent  crops:  4% 
  meadows  and  pastures:  52% 
  forest  and  woodland:  22% 
  other:  13% 
 
  Irrigated  land:  17,600  sq  km  (1989  est.) 
 
  Environment: 
  current  issues:  erosion  results  from  inadequate  flood  controls  and 
  improper  land  use  practices;  irrigated  soil  degradation; 
  desertification  air  pollution  in  Buenos  Aires  and  other  major  cites; 
  water  pollution  in  urban  areas;  rivers  becoming  polluted  due  to 
  increased  pesticide  and  fertilizer  use 
  natural  hazards:  Tucuman  and  Mendoza  areas  in  the  Andes  subject  to 
  earthquakes;  pamperos  are  violent  windstorms  that  can  strike  the 
  Pampas  and  northeast;  heavy  flooding 
  international  agreements:  party  to  -  Antarctic-Environmental  Protocol, 
  Antarctic  Treaty,  Biodiversity,  Climate  Change,  Endangered  Species, 
  Environmental  Modification,  Hazardous  Wastes,  Marine  Dumping,  Nuclear 
  Test  Ban,  Ozone  Layer  Protection,  Ship  Pollution,  Wetlands,  Whaling; 
  signed,  but  not  ratified  -  Desertification  Law  of  the  Sea,  Marine 
  Life  Conservation 
 
  Note:  second-largest  country  in  South  America  (after  Brazil); 
  strategic  location  relative  to  sea  lanes  between  South  Atlantic  and 
  South  Pacific  Oceans  (Strait  of  Magellan,  Beagle  Channel,  Drake 
  Passage) 
 
  Argentina:People 
 
  Population:  34,292,742  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Age  structure: 
  0-14  years:  28%  (female  4,706,793;  male  4,903,589) 
  15-64  years:  62%  (female  10,680,074;  male  10,689,728) 
  65  years  and  over:  10%  (female  1,922,552;  male  1,390,006)  (July  1995 
  est.) 
 
  Population  growth  rate:  1.11%  (1995  est.) 
 
  Birth  rate:  19.51  births/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Death  rate:  8.62  deaths/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Net  migration  rate:  0.19  migrant(s)/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Infant  mortality  rate:  28.8  deaths/1,000  live  births  (1995  est.) 
 
  Life  expectancy  at  birth: 
  total  population:  71.51  years 
  male:  68.22  years 
  female:  74.97  years  (1995  est.) 
 
  Total  fertility  rate:  2.65  children  born/woman  (1995  est.) 
 
  Nationality: 
  noun:  Argentine(s) 
  adjective:  Argentine 
 
  Ethnic  divisions:  white  85%,  mestizo,  Indian,  or  other  nonwhite  groups 
  15% 
 
  Religions:  nominally  Roman  Catholic  90%  (less  than  20%  practicing), 
  Protestant  2%,  Jewish  2%,  other  6% 
 
  Languages:  Spanish  (official),  English,  Italian,  German,  French 
 
  Literacy:  age  15  and  over  can  read  and  write  (1990  est.) 
  total  population:  95% 
  male:  96% 
  female:  95% 
 
  Labor  force:  10.9  million 
  by  occupation:  agriculture  12%,  industry  31%,  services  57%  (1985  est.) 
 
  Argentina:Government 
 
  Names: 
  conventional  long  form:  Argentine  Republic 
  conventional  short  form:  Argentina 
  local  long  form:  Republica  Argentina 
  local  short  form:  Argentina 
 
  Digraph:  AR 
 
  Type:  republic 
 
  Capital:  Buenos  Aires 
 
  Administrative  divisions:  23  provinces  (provincias,  singular  - 
  provincia),  and  1  federal  district*  (distrito  federal);  Buenos  Aires; 
  Catamarca  Chaco;  Chubut  Cordoba;  Corrientes  Distrito  Federal*; 
  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  or 
  Argentina's  claims  to  the  Falkland  Islands 
 
  Independence:  9  July  1816  (from  Spain) 
 
  National  holiday:  Revolution  Day  25  May  (1810) 
 
  Constitution:  1  May  1853;  revised  August  1994 
 
  Legal  system:  mixture  of  US  and  West  European  legal  systems;  has  not 
  accepted  compulsory  ICJ  jurisdiction 
 
  Suffrage:  18  years  of  age;  universal 
 
  Executive  branch: 
  chief  of  state  and  head  of  government:  President  Carlos  Saul  MENEM 
  (since  8  July  1989);  Vice  President  (position  vacant);  election  last 
  held  14  May  1995  (next  to  be  held  NA  May  1999);  results  -  Carlos  Saul 
  MENEM  was  reelected 
  cabinet:  Cabinet;  appointed  by  the  president 
 
  Legislative  branch:  bicameral  National  Congress  (Congreso  Nacional) 
  Senate:  elections  last  held  May  1989,  but  provincial  elections  in  late 
  1991  set  the  stage  for  indirect  elections  by  provincial  senators  for 
  one-third  of  48  seats  in  the  national  senate  in  May  1992;  seats  (48 
  total)  -  PJ  29,  UCR  11,  others  7,  vacant  1 
  Chamber  of  Deputies:  elections  last  held  3  October  1993  (  next  to  be 
  held  October  1995);  elections  are  held  every  two  years  and  half  of  the 
  total  membership  is  elected  each  time  for  four  year  terms;  seats  - 
  (257  total)  PJ  122,  UCR  83,  MODIN  7,  UCD  5,  other  40 
 
  Judicial  branch:  Supreme  Court  (Corte  Suprema) 
 
  Political  parties  and  leaders:  Justicialist  Party  (PJ),  Carlos  Saul 
  MENEM  Peronist  umbrella  political  organization;  Radical  Civic  Union 
  (UCR),Raul  ALFONSIN  moderately  left-of-center  party;  Union  of  the 
  Democratic  Center  (UCD),  Jorge  AGUADO  conservative  party;  Dignity  and 
  Independence  Political  Party  (MODIN),  Aldo  RICO,  right-wing  party; 
  Grand  Front  (Frente  Grande),  Carlos  ALVAREZ  center-left  coalition; 
  several  provincial  parties 
 
  Other  political  or  pressure  groups:  Peronist-dominated  labor  movement; 
  General  Confederation  of  Labor  (CGT;  Peronist-leaning  umbrella  labor 
  organization);  Argentine  Industrial  Union  (manufacturers' 
  association);  Argentine  Rural  Society  (large  landowners'  association); 
  business  organizations;  students;  the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  the  Armed 
  Forces 
 
  Member  of:  AfDB  AG  (observer),  Australia  Group  BCIE,  CCC,  ECLAC 
  FAO,  G-  6,  G-11,  G-15,  G-19,  G-24,  G-77,  GATT,  IADB,  IAEA,  IBRD,  ICAO, 
  ICC,  ICFTU  ICRM,  IDA,  IFAD,  IFC,  IFRCS  ILO,  IMF,  IMO,  INMARSAT 
  INTELSAT,  INTERPOL,  IOC,  IOM,  ISO,  ITU,  LAES,  LAIA,  MERCOSUR  MINURSO 
  MTCR,  NSG  (observer),  OAS,  ONUSAL  OPANAL  PCA,  RG  UN  UNAVEM  II 
  UNCTAD  UNESCO,  UNFICYP  UNHCR  UNIDO  UNIKOM  UNITAR,  UNMIH  UNOMOZ 
  UNPROFOR  UNTSO  UNU,  UPU,  WCL,  WFTU  WHO  WIPO,  WMO,  WTO 
 
  Diplomatic  representation  in  US: 
  chief  of  mission:  Ambassador  Raul  Enrique  GRANILLO  OCAMPO 
  chancery:  1600  New  Hampshire  Avenue  NW  Washington,  DC  20009 
  telephone:  [1]  (202)  939-6400  through  6403 
  consulate(s)  general:  Atlanta,  Chicago,  Houston,  Los  Angeles,  Miami, 
  New  Orleans,  New  York,  San  Francisco,  and  San  Juan  (Puerto  Rico) 
 
  US  diplomatic  representation: 
  chief  of  mission:  Ambassador  James  R.  CHEEK 
  embassy:  4300  Colombia,  1425  Buenos  Aires 
  mailing  address:  Unit  4334;  APO  AA  34034 
  telephone:  [54]  (1)  777-4533,  4534 
  FAX:  [54]  (1)  777-0197 
 
  Flag:  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 
 
  Economy 
 
  Overview:  Argentina,  rich  in  natural  resources,  benefits  also  from  a 
  highly  literate  population,  an  export-oriented  agricultural  sector, 
  and  a  diversified  industrial  base.  Nevertheless,  following  decades  of 
  mismanagement  and  statist  policies,  the  economy  in  the  late  1980s  was 
  plagued  with  huge  external  debts  and  recurring  bouts  of 
  hyperinflation  Elected  in  1989,  in  the  depths  of  recession,  President 
  MENEM  has  implemented  a  comprehensive  economic  restructuring  program 
  that  shows  signs  of  putting  Argentina  on  a  path  of  stable,  sustainable 
  growth.  Argentina's  currency  has  traded  at  par  with  the  US  dollar 
  since  April  1991,  and  inflation  has  fallen  to  its  lowest  level  in  20 
  years.  Argentines  have  responded  to  the  relative  price  stability  by 
  repatriating  flight  capital  and  investing  in  domestic  industry.  The 
  economy  registered  an  impressive  6%  advance  in  1994,  fueled  largely  by 
  inflows  of  foreign  capital  and  strong  domestic  consumption  spending. 
  The  government's  major  short  term  objective  is  encouraging  exports, 
  e.g.,  by  reducing  domestic  costs  of  production.  At  the  start  of  1995, 
  the  government  had  to  deal  with  the  spillover  from  international 
  financial  movements  associated  with  the  devaluation  of  the  Mexican 
  peso.  In  addition,  unemployment  had  become  a  serious  issue  for  the 
  government.  Despite  average  annual  7%  growth  in  1991-94,  unemployment 
  surprisingly  has  doubled  -  due  mostly  to  layoffs  in  government  bureaus 
  and  in  privatized  industrial  firms  and  utilities  and  to  a  lesser 
  degree,  to  illegal  immigration.  Much  remains  to  be  done  in  the  1990s 
  in  dismantling  the  old  statist  barriers  to  growth,  extending  the 
  recent  economic  gains,  and  bringing  down  the  rate  of  unemployment. 
 
  National  product:  GDP  -  purchasing  power  parity  -  $270.8  billion  (1994 
  est.) 
 
  National  product  real  growth  rate:  6%  (1994  est.) 
 
  National  product  per  capita:  $7,990  (1994  est.) 
 
  Inflation  rate  (consumer  prices):  3.9%  (1994  est.) 
 
  Unemployment  rate:  12%  (1994  est.) 
 
  Budget: 
  revenues:  $48.46  billion 
  expenditures:  $46.5  billion,  including  capital  expenditures  of  $3.5 
  billion  (1994  est.) 
 
  Exports:  $15.7  billion  (f.o.b.,  1994  est.) 
  commodities:  meat,  wheat,  corn,  oilseed,  manufactures 
  partners:  US  12%,  Brazil,  Italy,  Japan,  Netherlands 
 
  Imports:  $21.4  billion  (c.i.f.,  1994  est.) 
  commodities:  machinery  and  equipment,  chemicals,  metals,  fuels  and 
  lubricants,  agricultural  products 
  partners:  US  22%,  Brazil,  Germany,  Bolivia,  Japan,  Italy,  Netherlands 
 
  External  debt:  $73  billion  (April  1994) 
 
  Industrial  production:  growth  rate  12.5%  accounts  for  31%  of  GDP  (1994 
  est.) 
 
  Electricity: 
  capacity:  17,330,000  kW 
  production:  54.8  billion  kWh 
  consumption  per  capita:  1,610  kWh  (1993) 
 
  Industries:  food  processing,  motor  vehicles,  consumer  durables, 
  textiles,  chemicals  and  petrochemicals,  printing,  metallurgy,  steel 
 
  Agriculture:  accounts  for  8%  of  GDP  (including  fishing);  produces 
  abundant  food  for  both  domestic  consumption  and  exports;  among  world's 
  top  five  exporters  of  grain  and  beef;  principal  crops  -  wheat,  corn, 
  sorghum,  soybeans,  sugar  beets 
 
  Illicit  drugs:  increasing  use  as  a  transshipment  country  for  cocaine 
  headed  for  the  US  and  Europe 
 
  Economic  aid: 
  recipient:  US  commitments,  including  Ex-Im  (FY70-89),  $1  billion; 
  Western  (non-US)  countries,  ODA  and  OOF  bilateral  commitments 
  (1970-89),  $4.4  billion;  Communist  countries  (1970-89),  $718  million 
 
  Currency:  1  nuevo  peso  argentino  =  100  centavos 
 
  Exchange  rates:  pesos  per  US$1  -  0.99870  (December  1994),  0.99901 
  (1994),  0.99895  (1993),  0.99064  (1992),  0.95355  (1991),  0.48759  (1990) 
 
  Fiscal  year:  calendar  year 
 
  Argentina:Transportation 
 
  Railroads: 
  total:  34,572  km 
  broad  gauge:  NA  km  1.676-m  gauge 
  standard  gauge:  NA  km  1.435-m 
  narrow  gauge:  400  km  0.750-m  gauge;  NA  km  1.000-m  gauge  (209  km 
  electrified) 
 
  Highways: 
  total:  208,350  km 
  paved:  57,000  km 
  unpaved:  gravel  39,500  km  improved/unimproved  earth  111,850  km 
 
  Inland  waterways:  11,000  km  navigable 
 
  Pipelines:  crude  oil  4,090  km  petroleum  products  2,900  km  natural 
  gas  9,918  km 
 
  Ports:  Bahia  Blanca,  Buenos  Aires,  Comodoro  Rivadavia  Concepcion  del 
  Uruguay,  La  Plata,  Mar  del  Plata,  Necochea  Rio  Gallegos  Rosario 
  Santa  Fe  Ushuaia 
 
  Merchant  marine: 
  total:  44  ships  (1,000  GRT  or  over)  totaling  434,525  GRT/667,501  DWT 
  ships  by  type:  bulk  3,  cargo  21,  chemical  tanker  1,  container  4,  oil 
  tanker  8,  railcar  carrier  1,  refrigerated  cargo  5,  roll-on/roll-off 
  cargo  1 
 
  Airports: 
  total:  1,602 
  with  paved  runways  over  3,047  m:  5 
  with  paved  runways  2,438  to  3,047  m:  25 
  with  paved  runways  1,524  to  2,437  m:  55 
  with  paved  runways  914  to  1,523  m:  48 
  with  paved  runways  under  914  m:  703 
  with  unpaved  runways  over  3,047  m:  2 
  with  unpaved  runways  2,438  to  3,047  m:  1 
  with  unpaved  runways  1,524  to  2,438  m:  70 
  with  unpaved  runways  914  to  1,523  m:  693 
 
  Argentina:Communications 
 
  Telephone  system:  2,650,000  telephones;  12,000  public  telephones;  78 
  telephones/1,000  persons;  extensive  modern  system  but  many  families  do 
  not  have  telephones;  microwave  widely  used  however,  during 
  rainstorms,  the  telephone  system  frequently  grounds  out  even  in 
  Buenos  Aires 
  local:  NA 
  intercity:  microwave  radio  relay  and  domestic  satellite  network  with 
  40  earth  stations 
  international:  2  INTELSAT  (Atlantic  Ocean)  earth  stations 
 
  Radio: 
  broadcast  stations:  AM  171,  FM  0,  shortwave  13 
  radios:  NA 
 
  Television: 
  broadcast  stations:  231 
  televisions:  NA 
 
  Argentina:Defense  Forces 
 
  Branches:  Argentine  Army,  Navy  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  Argentine 
  Air  Force,  National  Gendarmerie,  Argentine  Naval  Prefecture  (Coast 
  Guard  only),  National  Aeronautical  Police  Force 
 
  Manpower  availability:  males  age  15-49  8,573,780;  males  fit  for 
  military  service  6,954,584;  males  reach  military  age  (20)  annually 
  301,166  (1995  est.) 
 
  Defense  expenditures:  $NA,  NA%  of  GDP 
 
 
 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words