Argentina Embassy

43,024,374 (July 2014 est.)

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

South America

BUENOS AIRES (capital) 13.528 million; Cordoba 1.556 million; Rosario 1.283 million; Mendoza 957,000; San Miguel de Tucuman 868,000; La Plata 759,000 (2011)

Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua)

white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%

nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

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. In January 2013, Argentina assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.

4,989 km

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

fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium