Argentina

Geography and population:

The geography of Argentina include 5 major regions, starting with the rain forest areas of the far-northeast along its border with Brazil; the swampy and flat Chaco plain; the fertile (almost treeless) grasslands of the central Pampas; the lengthy plateau of Patagonia that stretches to Tierra del Fuego, and the Andes Mountains along its western border with Chile.[1]

The population is of 40,091,359 inhabitants[2] Argentina ranks third in South America in total population and 33rd globally. Population density is of 15 persons per square kilometer of land area, well below the world average of 50 persons.
Argentina is highly urbanized, with 92% of its population living in cities: the ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population. About 3 million people live in the city of Buenos Aires, and including the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area it totals around 13 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world. The metropolitan areas of Córdoba and Rosario have around 1.3 million inhabitants each. Mendoza, San Miguel de Tucumán, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe have at least half a million people each. The population is unequally distributed: about 60% live in the Pampas region (21% of the total area), including 15 million people in Buenos Aires province.
Although Argentina's official language is Spanish, Argentinian Spanish is different from the Spanish spoken in Spain. In some ways it sounds more like Italian than Spanish. There are also many other languages spoken in Argentina because of the different wages of migrants, including Italian, German, English and French. Indigenous languages that are spoken today include Tehuelche, Guarani and Quechua.[3]
Most Argentines are primarily of European descent, which separates them from other Latin American countries where European and Indian cultures are more mixed. Culturally and emotionally, Argentines often seem more European than Latin American.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.[4] Although it enforces neither an official nor a state faith, it gives Roman Catholicism a differential status. According to a CONICET poll, Argentines are 76.5% Catholic, 11.3% Agnostics and Atheists, 9% Evangelical Protestants, 1.2%Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.9% Mormons; 1.2% follow other religions, including Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.

Interactive Map: Argentina's Population

Argentina, vivimos juntos, demasiado...

Political System:

Argentina's government is ruled by its 1853 constitution, although that document has been suspended many times. The basic structure is federal and republican. In July 1962, a system of proportional representation was adopted inspired by the constitution established by Peron in the 40's.
The president bags the position of being the head of the government and state. Also there are clear-cut definitions of the powers enjoyed by the Judiciary, Legislature and the Executive as all of them have their independent functional domains.

In a presidential runoff election in late November 2015, center-right candidate Mauricio Macri defeated President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s hand-picked successor, Daniel Scioli, sending shock waves through the Peronist political establishment. Macri campaigned with promises to end abuses that have plagued Argentina’s political and economic environments, including fiscal profligacy, labor unrest, rising protectionism, corruption, and expropriations. Argentina, which is rich in natural resources and has an educated and sophisticated population, has performed far below its potential. Beyond the problems inherent in Peronist authoritarianism, the government has made a series of high-profile policy mistakes, including continued claims to the Falkland Islands and a failure to settle with a small number of remaining “hold-out” creditors that led to a default on its restructured debt in 2014. These mistakes have positioned Argentina outside the mainstream of the international community.[5]

Macroeconomic Situation

Argentina enjoys a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than US$ 540 billion, it is then one of the largest economies in Latin America. In recent years, the country has focused on economic development with social inclusion.[6]
Argentina's economy enjoys valuable natural resources. It is a leading food producer with large-scale agricultural and livestock industries. It is among the world’s largest beef and soybean exporters and is the leading producer of sunflower seeds, yerba mate, lemons and soybean oil. The opening of the Chinese market has helped boost the country’s export potential.
The economy enjoyed significant growth over the past decade. Argentina invested heavily in health and education, areas which account for 7% and 6% of GDP, respectively.[6]

[1] World Atlas
[2] 2010 census [INDEC]
[3]http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/argentina-guide
[4] "International Religious Freedom Report 2012 – Argentina". Washington, D. C.: US Department of State. 2012. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014.
[5] Heritage Foundation Country Profile: Argentina
[6] World Bank