{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. European immigrants heavily shaped the country's population and culture, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political unrest and conflict between civilian and military factions.
After World War II, former President Juan Domingo PERÓN -- the founder of the Peronist political movement -- introduced an era of populism, serving three non-consecutive terms in office until his death in 1974. Direct and indirect military interference in government throughout the PERÓN years led to a military junta taking power in 1976. In 1982, the junta failed in its bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force from the United Kingdom. Democracy was reinstated in 1983 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. The years 2003-15 saw Peronist rule by Néstor KIRCHNER (2003-07) and his spouse Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER (2007-15), who oversaw several years of strong economic growth (2003-11) followed by a gradual deterioration in the government’s fiscal situation and eventual economic stagnation and isolation. Argentina underwent a brief period of economic reform and international reintegration under Mauricio MACRI (2015-19), but a recession in 2018-19 and frustration with MACRI’s economic policies ushered in a new Peronist government in 2019 led by President Alberto FERNÁNDEZ and Vice President Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER. Argentina's high public debts, its pandemic-related inflationary pressures, and systemic monetary woes served as the catalyst for the 2023 elections, culminating with President Javier MILEI's electoral success. Argentina has since eliminated half of its government agencies and is seeking shock therapy to amend taxation and monetary policies.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "34 00 S, 64 00 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "South America" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "2,780,400 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "2,736,690 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "43,710 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "11,968 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Bolivia 942 km; Brazil 1,263 km; Chile 6,691 km; Paraguay 2,531 km; Uruguay 541 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "4,989 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin" } }, "Climate": { "text": "mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest" }, "Terrain": { "text": "rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Cerro Aconcagua (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America) 6,962 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Laguna del Carbón (located between Puerto San Julián and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) -105 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "595 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "42.4% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 14.8% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 27.3% (2023 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "17.2% (2023 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "40.4% (2023 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "13,910 sq km (2018)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lago Buenos Aires (shared with Chile) - 2,240 sq km; Lago Argentino - 1,410 sq km; Lago Viedma - 1,090 sq km; Lago San Martín (shared with Chile) - 1,010 sq km; Lago Colhué Huapi - 800 sq km; Lago Fagnano (shared with Chile) - 590 sq km; Lago Nahuel Huapi - 550 sq km" }, "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Laguna Mar Chiquita - 1,850 sq km;" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Río de la Plata/Paraná river mouth (shared with Brazil [s], Paraguay, and Uruguay) - 4,880 km; Paraguay (shared with Brazil [s], and Paraguay [m]) - 2,549 km; Uruguay (shared with Brazil [s] and Uruguay [m]) - 1,610 km