Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous
city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, 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,
Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
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 and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice
President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: results of the presidential primary of 27 April
2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
the eve of the election
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; the last election held was the
presidential primary election of 27 April 2003 (next election to be
held NA 2007)
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently
one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)
and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by
direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a
four-year term)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA;
seats by bloc or party - PJ 41, UCR 16, provincial parties 15;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats
by bloc or party - PJ 133, UCR 46, IF 23, ARI 11, Socialist 6,
other/provincial parties 38
elections: Senate - last held intermittently by province during the
2nd half of 2003 (next to be held NA 2005); Chamber of Deputies -
last held intermittently by province during the 2nd half of 2003
(next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are
appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
Action for the Republic or AR [Domingo CAVALLO]; Alternative for a
Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for a Country in
Solidarity or Frepaso (a four-party coalition) [Dario Pedro
ALESSANDRO]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of
approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA];
Justicialist Party or PJ [leader NA] (Peronist umbrella political
organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Angel ROZAS]; Federal
Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY]; Socialist Party
or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH];
several provincial parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine
Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural
Society (large landowners' association); business organizations;
General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella
labor organization); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical
union for employed and unemployed workers); Peronist-dominated labor
movement; Roman Catholic Church; students
International organization participation:
AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG,
UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332–3171
telephone: [1] (202) 238–6400
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (11) 5777–4533
FAX: [54] (11) 5777–4240
Flag description:
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 Argentina
Economy - overview:
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate
population, an export-oriented agricultural sector,