molybdenum-99/infoboxer

{{other uses}}

{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Argentine Republic{{efn-ua|name=altnames|Article 35 of the [[Argentine Constitution]] gives equal recognition to the names "United Provinces of the River Plate", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation" and authorizes the use of "Argentine Nation" in the making and enactment of laws.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 35}}}}
|native_name = {{native name|es|República Argentina}}
|common_name = Argentina
|image_flag = Flag of Argentina.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Argentina.svg
|national_motto = {{unbulleted list
   |list_style=line-height:125%;
   | {{native phrase|es|"[[En unión y libertad]]"|nolink=yes|paren=off}}
   | {{small|("In Unity and Freedom")}}
 }}
|national_anthem = {{unbulleted list
   |item1_style=line-height:125%;
   |item2_style=line-height:125%;
   |item3_style=margin-top:4px;
   | {{native phrase|es|[[Argentine National Anthem|Himno Nacional Argentino]]|nolink=yes|paren=off}}
   | {{small|("Argentine National Anthem")}}
   | <center>[[File:Himno Nacional Argentino instrumental.ogg]]</center>
 }}
|other_symbol = [[File:Sol de Mayo-Bandera de Argentina.svg|90x90px|alt=Sol de Mayo]]
|other_symbol_type = {{native name|es|[[Sol de Mayo]]{{sfnm|1a1=Crow|1y=1992|1p=457|1ps=: "In the meantime, while the crowd assembled in the plaza continued to shout its demands at the cabildo, the sun suddenly broke through the overhanging clouds and clothed the scene in brilliant light. The people looked upward with one accord and took it as a favorable omen for their cause. This was the origin of the ″sun of May″ which has appeared in the center of the Argentine flag and on the Argentine coat of arms ever since."|2a1=Kopka|2y=2011|2p=5|2ps=: "The sun's features are those of [[Inti]], the [[Inca]]n sun god. The sun commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on May 25, 1810, during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence."}}|nolink=yes|paren=off}}<br>{{small|(Sun of May)}}
|image_map = Argentina orthographic.svg
|map_width = 220px
|map_caption = {{resize|110%|Mainland Argentina shown in dark green, with [[#Foreign relations|territorial claims]] shown in light green}}
|capital = [[Buenos Aires]]
|latd=34 |latm=36 |latNS=S |longd=58|longm=23 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|official_languages = [[Spanish language|Spanish]]{{ref label|note-lang|a|}}
|ethnic_groups = {{unbulleted list
 |
  | 97% [[Argentines of European descent|European]]
  | 3% [[Mestizo]], [[Indigenous peoples in Argentina|Amerindian]] and [[Asian Argentine|Asian]]
 }}
|
|demonym = {{unbulleted list
  |[[Argentine people|Argentine]]
  |[[Argentine people|Argentinian]]
  |{{nowrap|[[Argentine people|Argentinean]] {{small|(uncommon)}}}}
 }}
|government_type = [[Federal republic|Federal]] [[Presidential system|presidential]] [[constitutional republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of Argentina|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner]]
|leader_title2 = [[Vice President of Argentina|Vice President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Amado Boudou]]
|leader_title3 = [[Supreme Court of Argentina|Supreme Court President]]
|leader_name3 = [[Ricardo Lorenzetti]]
|legislature = [[Argentine National Congress|Congress]]
|upper_house = [[Argentine Senate|Senate]]
|lower_house = [[Argentine Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]
|sovereignty_type = [[Argentine War of Independence|Independence]]
|sovereignty_note = from [[Spanish Empire|Spain]]
|established_event1 = [[May Revolution]]
|established_date1 = 25 May 1810
|established_event2 = [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Declared]]
|established_date2 = 9 July 1816
|established_event3 = {{nowrap|[[Argentine Constitution|Constitution]]}}
|established_date3 = 1 May 1853
|established_event4 = {{nowrap|[[Diplomatic recognition|Recognized]]}}
|established_date4 = 29 April 1857
|area_rank = 8th
|area_magnitude = 1_E12
|area_km2 = 2780400
|area_footnote = {{efn-ua|name=excl_area|Area does not include territorial claims in [[Argentine Antarctica#Argentine claim|Antarctica]] (965,597 km{{smallsup|2}}, including the [[South Orkney Islands]]), the [[Falkland Islands]] (11,410 km{{smallsup|2}}), the [[South Georgia Island|South Georgia]] (3,560 km{{smallsup|2}}) and the [[South Sandwich Islands]] (307 km{{smallsup|2}}).<ref name=totalpop>{{cite web|url=http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/2/f020202.xls|format=XLS|title=Población por sexo e índice de masculinidad. Superficie censada y densidad, según provincia. Total del país. Año 2010|work=Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2010|publisher=INDEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos|place=Buenos Aires|year=2010|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140608011356/http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/2/f020202.xls|archivedate=8 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>}}
|percent_water = 1.57
|population_estimate = 42,669,500<ref name=proypop>{{cite web|url=http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/2/c1_proyecciones_nac_2010_2040.xls|format=XLS|title=Cuadro 1. Población estimada al 1 de julio de cada año calendario por sexo. Total del país. Años 2010–2040|work=Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2010|publisher=INDEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos|place=Buenos Aires|year=2010|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140608011629/http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/2/c1_proyecciones_nac_2010_2040.xls|archivedate=8 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_year = 2014
|population_census = 40,117,096<ref name=totalpop/>
|population_census_year = 2010
|population_census_rank = 32nd
|population_density_km2 = 14.4
|population_density_rank = 212th
|pop_den_footnote = <ref name=totalpop/>
|GDP_PPP = $953.029 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2013&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=213&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=&pr.x=68&pr.y=6|title=Argentina|work= World Economic Outlook Database |date=April 2015 |publisher=International Monetary Fund |accessdate=30 April 2015}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 25th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2015
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $22,459<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 57th
|GDP_nominal = $563.138 billion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 21st
|GDP_nominal_year = 2015
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $13,271<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 54th
|Gini_year = 2011 <!-- use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
|Gini_change = decrease <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
|Gini = 43.6 <!--number only-->
|Gini_ref = <ref name=gini>{{cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI |title= GINI index (World Bank estimate) |publisher= World Bank |accessdate= 19 February 2015}}</ref>
|Gini_rank =
|HDI_year = 2013 <!-- use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
|HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
|HDI = 0.808 <!--number only-->
|HDI_ref = <ref name=hdi>{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-summary-en.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2014 – Summary|format=PDF|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2014|pages=15, 16|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140727205555/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-summary-en.pdf|archivedate=27 July 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
|HDI_rank = 49th
|currency = [[Argentine peso|Peso]] ([[Dollar sign|$]])
|currency_code = ARS
|time_zone = [[Time in Argentina|ART]]
|utc_offset = −3
|date_format = dd.mm.yyyy ([[Common Era|CE]])
|drives_on = right{{ref label|note-train|b|}}
|calling_code = [[+54]]
|cctld = [[.ar]]
|footnote_a = {{note|note-lang}}''[[De facto]]'' at all government levels.{{efn-ua|name=es|Though not declared official ''[[de jure]]'', the Spanish language is the only one used in the wording of laws, decrees, resolutions, official documents and public acts.}} In addition, some provinces have official ''[[de jure]]'' languages:
:{{,}}[[Guaraní language|Guaraní]] in [[Corrientes Province]].<ref name=gn>{{cite Argentine law|jur=CN|l=5598|date=22 de octubre de 2004}}</ref>
:{{,}}[[Kom language (South America)|Kom]], [[Moqoit language|Moqoit]] and [[Wichi language|Wichi]], in [[Chaco Province]].<ref name=kom>{{cite Argentine law|jur=CC|l=6604|bo=9092|date=28 de julio de 2010}}</ref>
|footnote_b = {{note|note-train}}Trains ride on left.
}}

'''Argentina''' {{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Argentina.ogg|ˌ|ɑr|dʒ|ən|ˈ|t|iː|n|ə}}, officially the '''Argentine Republic'''{{efn-ua|name=altnames}} ({{lang-es|link=no|República Argentina}} {{IPA-es|reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina|}}) is a [[federal republic]] located in southeastern [[South America]]. Sharing the [[Southern Cone]] with its smaller neighbour [[Chile]], it is bordered by [[Bolivia]] and [[Paraguay]] to the north; [[Brazil]] to the northeast; [[Uruguay]] and the [[South Atlantic Ocean]] to the east; Chile to the west and the [[Drake Passage]] to the south.

With a mainland area of {{convert|2780400|km2|mi2|abbr=on}},{{efn-ua|name=excl_area}} Argentina is the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|eighth-largest country]] in the world, the second-largest in [[Latin America]], and the largest [[Hispanophone|Spanish-speaking]] one.
Argentina claims sovereignty over [[Argentine Antarctica|part of Antarctica]], the [[Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|Falkland Islands]] ({{lang-es|link=no|Islas Malvinas}}), [[South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands sovereignty dispute|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]].

The earliest recorded human presence in the area modern-day Argentina dates back to the [[Paleolithic]] period.{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|p=17}} The country has its roots in [[Spanish empire|Spanish]] colonization of the region beginning in 1512.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=128}} Argentina rose as the successor state of the [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata]],{{sfnm|1a1=Levene|1y=1948|1p=11|1ps=: "[After the Viceroyalty became] a new period that commenced with the revolution of 1810, whose plan consisted in declaring the independence of a nation, thus turning the legal bond of vassalage into one of citizenship as a component of sovereignty and,in addition, organizing the democratic republic."|2a1=Sánchez Viamonte|2y=1948|2pp=196–197|2ps=: "The Argentine nation was a unity in colonial times, during the Viceroyalty, and remained so after the revolution of May 1810. [...] The provinces never acted as independent sovereign states, but as entities created within the nation and as integral parts of it, incidentally affected by internal conflicts."|3a1=Vanossi|3y=1964|3p=11|3ps=: "[The Argentine nationality is a] unique national entity, successor to the Viceroyalty, which, after undergoing a long period of anarchy and disorganization, adopted a decentralized form in 1853–1860 under the Constitution."}} a Spanish overseas colony founded in 1776.

The [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|declaration]] and [[Argentine War of Independence|fight for independence]] (1810–1818) was followed by an [[Argentine Civil Wars|extended civil war]] that lasted until 1861, which culminated in the country's reorganization as a [[federation]] of [[Provinces of Argentina|provinces]] with [[Buenos Aires]] as its capital city. From then on—while [[Immigration in Argentina|massive waves of European immigration]] radically reshaped its cultural and demographic outlook—Argentina enjoyed an historically almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity: by the early 20th century it had already ranked as the seventh wealthiest{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} developed nation{{sfn|Díaz Alejandro|1970|p=1}} in the world.

After 1930 Argentina descended into political instability and suffered periodic economic crises that pushed it back into underdevelopment,<ref name=developed>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/2704457|title=Becoming a serious country|publisher=The Economist|place=London|date=3 June 2004|quote=Argentina is thus not a "developing country". Uniquely, it achieved development and then lost it again.|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140320033128/http://www.economist.com/node/2704457|archivedate=20 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> though it nevertheless remained among the fifteen richest countries until the mid-20th century.{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} Argentina retains its historic status as a [[middle power]]{{sfnm|1a1=Wood|1y=1988|1p=18|2a1=Solomon|2y=1997|2p=3}} in international affairs, and is a prominent [[regional power]] in the Southern Cone and Latin America.{{sfnm|1a1=Huntington|1y=2000|1p=6|2a1=Nierop|2y=2001|2p=61|2ps=: "Secondary regional powers in Huntington's view{{sfn|Huntington|2000|p=6}} include Great Britain, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Argentina."|3a1=Lake|3y=2009|3p=55|3ps=: "The US has created a foundation upon which the regional powers, especially Argentina and Brazil, can develop their own rules for further managing regional relations."|4a1=Papadopoulos|4y=2010|4p=283|4ps=: "The driving force behind the adoption of the MERCOSUR agreement was similar to that of the establishment of the EU: the hope of limiting the possibilities of traditional military hostility between the major regional powers, Brazil and Argentina."|5a1=Malamud|5y=2011|5p=9|5ps=: "Though not a surprise, the position of Argentina, Brazil's main regional partner, as the staunchest opponent of its main international ambition [to win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council] dealt a heavy blow to Brazil's image as a regional leader."|6a1=Boughton|6y=2012|6p=101|6ps=: "When the U.S. Treasury organized the next round of finance meetings, it included several non-APEC members, including all the European members of the G7, the Latin American powers Argentina and Brazil, and such other emerging markets as India, Poland, and South Africa."}}{{sfnm|1a1=Morris|1y=1988|1p=63|1ps=: "Argentina has been the leading military and economic power in the Southern Cone in the Twentieth Century."|2a1=Adler|2a2=Greve|2y=2009|2p=78|2ps=: "The southern cone of South America, including Argentina and Brazil, the two regional powers, has recently become a pluralistic security community."|3a1=Ruiz-Dana|3a2=Goldschag|3a3=Claro|3a4=Blanco|3y=2009|3p=18|3ps=: "[...] notably by linking the Southern Cone's rival regional powers, Brazil and Argentina."}} Argentina has the third-largest economy in Latin America and is a member of the [[Group of 15|G-15]] and [[G-20]] major economies. It is also a founding member of the [[United Nations]], [[World Bank Group|World Bank]], [[World Trade Organization|WTO]], [[Mercosur]], [[Union of South American Nations|UNASUR]], [[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States|CELAC]] and [[Organization of Ibero-American States|OEI]].
Because of its stability, market size and growing high-tech sector,<ref name=legatum>{{cite web|url=http://www.prosperity.com/country.aspx?id=AR|title=The 2010 Legatum Prosperity Index|publisher=[[Legatum|Legatum Institute]]|place=London|year=2010|quote=[The country has a] foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods&nbsp;... Argentina's economy appears stable, but confidence in financial institutions remains low.|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20111026023022/http://www.prosperity.com/country.aspx?id=AR|archivedate=26 October 2011|deadurl=yes}}</ref> Argentina is classified as a [[emerging economy|middle emerging economy]] with a [[List of countries by Human Development Index#Americas|"very high"]] rating on the [[Human Development Index]].<ref name=hdi/>

==Name and etymology==
The name "Argentina" is derived from [[Latin]] ''argentum'' ("silver", ''plata'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]), a noun associated with the [[Sierra de la Plata|silver mountains legend]], widespread among the first European explorers of the [[La Plata Basin]].{{sfnm|1a1=Rock|1y=1987|1pp=6, 8|2a1=Edwards|2y=2008|2p=7}}

The first written use of the name can be traced to ''[[La Argentina (poem)|La Argentina]]'',{{efn-ua|The poem's full name is ''La Argentina y conquista del Río de la Plata, con otros acaecimientos de los reinos del Perú, Tucumán y estado del Brasil''.}} a 1602 poem by [[Martín del Barco Centenera]] describing the region and the foundation of Buenos Aires.{{sfn|Traba|1985|pp=15, 71}}
Although "Argentina" was already in common usage by the 18th century, the country was formally named "Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata" by the Spanish Empire, and "United Provinces of the Río de la Plata" after independence.

The [[Argentine Constitution of 1826|1826 constitution]] included the first use of the name "Argentine Republic" in legal documents.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=1826, art. 1}}
The name "Argentine Confederation" was also commonly used and was formalized in the [[Argentine Constitution of 1853]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=1853, Preamble}}
In 1860 a presidential decree settled the country's name as "Argentine Republic",{{sfn|Rosenblat|1964|p=78}} and that year's constitutional amendment ruled all the names since 1810 as legally valid.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=1860 amd., art. 35}}{{efn-ua|Also stated in article 35 of all subsequent amendments: 1866, 1898, 1949, 1957, 1972 and 1994 (current)}}

In the [[English language]] the country was traditionally called "the Argentine", mimicking the typical Spanish usage ''la Argentina''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Argentina|title=Definition of Argentina in Oxford Dictionaries (British & World English)|publisher=Oxford Dictionaries|place=Oxford, UK|date=6 May 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140305011413/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Argentina|archivedate=5 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> This fell out of fashion during the mid-to-late 20th century, and now the country is simply referred to as "Argentina".

In the [[Spanish language]] "Argentina" is [[Grammatical gender|feminine]] ("''La [República] Argentina''"), taking the feminine [[article (grammar)|article]] "La" as the initial syllable of "Argentina" is [[Stress (linguistics)|unstressed]].<ref>[http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/defart2.htm "The Definite Article: Part II"], Study Spanish</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Argentina}}

===Pre-Columbian era===
{{main|Indigenous peoples in Argentina}}
[[File:SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Cueva de las Manos|Cave of the Hands]] in [[Santa Cruz province, Argentina|Santa Cruz province]], with indigenous artwork dating from 13,000–9,000 years ago|alt=Stencilled hands on the cave's wall]]
The earliest traces of human life in the area now known as Argentina are dated from the [[Paleolithic]] period, with further traces in the [[Mesolithic]] and [[Neolithic]].{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|p=17}}
Until the period of European colonization, Argentina was relatively sparsely populated by a wide number of diverse cultures with different social organizations,{{sfn|Edwards|2008|p=12}} which can be divided into three main groups:{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|pp=18–19}}
*Basic hunters and food gatherers without development of [[pottery]], like the [[Selknam]] and [[Yaghan]] in the extreme south.
*Advanced hunters and food gatherers like the [[Puelche]], [[Querandí]] and Serranos in the center-east; and the [[Tehuelche people|Tehuelche]] in the south—all of them conquered by the [[Mapuche]] spreading from [[Chile]]{{sfn|Edwards|2008|p=13}}—and the [[Kom people (South America)|Kom]] and [[Wichi]] in the north.
*Farmers with pottery, like the [[Charrúa]], [[Minuane]] and [[Guaraní people|Guaraní]] in the northeast, with [[slash and burn agriculture|slash and burn]] semisedentary existence;{{sfn|Edwards|2008|p=12}} the advanced [[Diaguita]] sedentary [[trade|trading culture]] in the northwest, which was conquered by the [[Inca Empire]] around 1480; the [[Toconoté]] and [[Comechingones|Hênîa and Kâmîare]] in the country's center, and the [[Huarpe]] in the center-west, a culture that raised [[llama]] cattle and was strongly influenced by the Incas.{{sfn|Edwards|2008|p=12}}

===Colonial era===
{{main|Colonial Argentina}}
{{see also|Spanish colonization of the Americas}}
[[File:La Reconquista de Buenos Aires.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The surrender of Beresford to [[Santiago de Liniers]] during the [[British invasions of the Río de la Plata]]]]
Europeans first arrived in the region with the 1502 voyage of [[Amerigo Vespucci (explorer)|Amerigo Vespucci]]. The Spanish navigators [[Juan Díaz de Solís]] and [[Sebastian Cabot (explorer)|Sebastian Cabot]] visited the territory that is now Argentina in 1516 and 1526, respectively.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=128}} In 1536 [[Pedro de Mendoza]] founded the small settlement of [[Buenos Aires]], which was abandoned in 1541.{{sfn|Crow|1992|pp=129–132}}

Further colonization efforts came from [[Paraguay]]—establishing the [[Governorate of the Río de la Plata]]—[[Peru]] and Chile.{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|pp=96–140}}
[[Francisco de Aguirre (conquistador)|Francisco de Aguirre]] founded [[Santiago del Estero]] in 1553. [[Londres, Catamarca|Londres]] was founded in 1558; [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza]], in 1561; [[San Juan, Argentina|San Juan]], in 1562; [[San Miguel de Tucumán]], in 1565.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=353}} [[Juan de Garay]] founded [[Santa Fe, Argentina|Santa Fe]] in 1573 and the same year [[Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera]] set up [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]].{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=134}} Garay went further south to re-fund Buenos Aires in 1580.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=135}} [[San Luis, Argentina|San Luis]] was established in 1596.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=353}}

The [[Spanish Empire]] subordinated the economic potential of the Argentine territory to the immediate wealth of the silver and gold mines in [[Bolivia]] and Peru, and as such it became part of the [[Viceroyalty of Peru]] until the creation of the [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata]] in 1776 with Buenos Aires as its capital.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=347}}

Buenos Aires repelled [[British invasions of the Río de la Plata|two ill-fated British invasions]] in 1806 and 1807.{{sfn|Crow|1992|p=421}} The ideas of the [[Age of Enlightenment]] and the example of the first [[Atlantic Revolutions]] generated criticism of the [[absolutist monarchy]] that ruled the country. As in the rest of Spanish America, the overthrow of [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Ferdinand VII]] during the [[Peninsular War]] created great concern.{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|pp=194ff}}

===Independence and civil wars===
{{main|Argentine War of Independence|Argentine Civil Wars}}
[[File:Smartin.JPG|thumb|200px|Portrait of General [[José de San Martin]], ''[[Libertadores|Libertador]]'' of Argentina, [[Chile]] and [[Peru]]|alt=Painting of San Martín holding the Argentine flag]]
Beginning a process from which Argentina was to emerge as successor state to the Viceroyalty,{{sfnm|1a1=Levene|1y=1948|1p=11|2a1=Sánchez Viamonte|2y=1948|2pp=196–197|3a1=Vanossi|3y=1964|3p=11}} the 1810 [[May Revolution]] replaced the viceroy [[Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros]] with the [[Primera Junta|First Junta]], a new government in Buenos Aires composed by locals.{{sfn|Abad de Santillán|1971|pp=194ff}}
In the first clashes of the Independence War the Junta crushed a royalist [[Liniers Counter-revolution|counter-revolution in Córdoba]],{{sfn|Rock|1987|p=81}} but failed to overcome those of the [[Banda Oriental]], [[First Upper Peru campaign|Upper Peru]] and [[Paraguay campaign|Paraguay]], which later became independent states.{{sfn|Rock|1987|pp=82–83}}

Revolutionaries split into two antagonist groups: the [[Unitarian Party|Centralists]] and the [[Federales (Argentina)|Federalists]]—a move that would define Argentina's first decades of independence.{{sfn|Lewis|2003|pp=39–40}} The [[Assembly of the Year XIII]] appointed [[Gervasio Antonio de Posadas]] as Argentina's first [[Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata|Supreme Director]].{{sfn|Lewis|2003|pp=39–40}}

In 1816 the [[Congress of Tucumán]] formalized the [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]].{{sfnm|1a1=Rock|1y=1987|1p=92|2a1=Lewis|2y=2003|2p=41}} One year later General [[Martín Miguel de Güemes]] stopped royalists on the north, and General [[José de San Martín]] took an army [[Crossing of the Andes|across the Andes]] and secured the [[independence of Chile]]; then he led the fight to the Spanish stronghold of [[Lima]] and proclaimed the [[independence of Peru]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. I|pp=349–353}}{{efn-ua|San Martín's military campaigns, together with those of [[Simón Bolívar]] in [[Gran Colombia]] are collectively known as the [[Spanish American wars of independence]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. I|pp=185–252}}}} In 1819 Buenos Aires enacted a [[Argentine Constitution of 1819|centralist constitution]] that was soon [[repeal|abrogated]] by federalists.{{sfn|Lewis|2003|p=41}}

The 1820 [[Battle of Cepeda (1820)|Battle of Cepeda]], fought between the Centralists and the Federalists, resulted in the ''end of the Supreme Director rule''. In 1826 Buenos Aires enacted another [[Argentine Constitution of 1826|centralist constitution]], with [[Bernardino Rivadavia]] being appointed as the first president of the country. However, the interior provinces soon rose against him, forced his resignation and discarded the constitution.{{sfn|Lewis|2003|p=43}} Centralists and Federalists resumed the civil war; the latter prevailed and formed the [[Argentine Confederation]] in 1831, led by [[Juan Manuel de Rosas]].{{sfn|Lewis|2003|p=45}} During his regime he faced a [[French blockade to the Río de la Plata|French blockade]] (1838–1840), the [[War of the Confederation]] (1836–1839), and a combined [[Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata|Anglo-French blockade]] (1845–1850), but remained undefeated and prevented further loss of national territory.{{sfn|Lewis|2003|pp=46–47}} His trade restriction policies, however, angered the interior provinces and in 1852 [[Justo José de Urquiza]], another powerful caudillo, [[Battle of Caseros|beat him out of power]]. As new president of the Confederation, Urquiza enacted the [[liberalism|liberal]] and federal 1853 Constitution. [[State of Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires seceded]] but was forced back into the Confederation after being defeated in the 1859 [[Battle of Cepeda (1859)|Battle of Cepeda]].{{sfn|Lewis|2003|pp=48–50}}

===Rise of the modern nation===
{{main|List of Presidents of Argentina|Generation of '80}}
{{see also|Argentine–Chilean naval arms race|South American dreadnought race}}
[[File:Museo del Bicentenario - "Constituyentes de 1853".jpg|thumb|200px|The representatives of the [[Provinces of Argentina|provinces]], in the [[Constituent assembly]] for enactment of the [[Constitution of Argentina of 1853|Constitution]], 1853|alt=]]
Overpowering Urquiza in the 1861 [[Battle of Pavón]], [[Bartolomé Mitre]] secured Buenos Aires predominance and was elected as the first president of the reunified country. He was followed by [[Domingo Faustino Sarmiento]] and [[Nicolás Avellaneda]]; these three presidencies set up the bases of the modern Argentine State.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. I|pp=363–541}}

Starting with [[Julio Argentino Roca]] in 1880, ten consecutive federal governments emphasized [[economic liberalism|liberal economic policies]]. The [[Immigration in Argentina|massive wave of European immigration]] they promoted—second only to the United States'—led to a near-reinvention of Argentine society and economy that by 1908 had placed the country as the seventh wealthiest{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} developed nation{{sfn|Díaz Alejandro|1970|p=1}} in the world.
Driven by this [[immigration]] wave and decreasing mortality, the Argentine population grew fivefold and the economy 15-fold:{{sfn|Lewis|1990|pp=18–30}} from 1870 to 1910 Argentina's [[wheat]] exports went from {{convert|100000|to|2500000|MT|ST|abbr=on}} per year, while frozen beef exports increased from {{convert|25000|to|365000|MT|ST|abbr=on}} per year,{{sfn|Mosk|1990|pp=88–89}} placing Argentina as one of the world's top five exporters.{{sfn|Cruz|1990|p=10}} Its railway mileage rose from {{convert|503|to|31104|km|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Díaz Alejandro|1970|pp=2–3}} Fostered by a new [[Argentine Law 1420|public, compulsory, free and secular education]] system, [[literacy]] skyrocketed from 22% to 65%, a level higher than most [[Latin America]]n nations would reach even fifty years later.{{sfn|Cruz|1990|p=10}} Furthermore, real [[GDP]] grew so fast that despite the huge immigration influx, [[per capita income]] between 1862 to 1920 went from 67% of developed country levels to 100%:{{sfn|Díaz Alejandro|1970|pp=2–3}}
*By 1865 Argentina was already one of the top 25 nations by per capita income.
*By 1901 it had risen to 10th place—ahead of Germany, Austria and France.
*By 1908 it had surpassed Denmark, Canada and The Netherlands to reach 7th place—behind Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium. Argentina's per capita income was 70% higher than Italy's, 90% higher than Spain's, 180% higher than Japan's and 400% higher than [[Brazil]]'s.{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}}
Despite these unique achievements, the country was slow to meet its original goals of industrialization:{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. I|pp=567–625}} after steep development of capital-intensive local industries in the 1920s, a significant part of the manufacture sector remained labor-intensive in the 1930s.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|pp=37–38}}

In 1912, President [[Roque Sáenz Peña]] enacted [[Saenz Peña Law|universal and secret male suffrage]], which allowed [[Hipólito Yrigoyen]], leader of the [[Radical Civic Union]] (or UCR), to win [[Argentine general election, 1916|the 1916 election]]. He enacted social and economic reforms and extended assistance to family farmers and small businesses. Argentina stayed neutral during [[World War I]]. The second administration of Yrigoyen faced an economic crisis, influenced by the [[Great Depression]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=7–178}}

===Infamous Decade===
{{main|Infamous Decade}}
[[File:El General Roca ante el Congreso Nacional.jpg|thumb|200px|President [[Julio Argentino Roca]] giving his constitutionally mandated annual report to Congress, 1886|alt=]]
In 1930, Yrigoyen [[1930 Argentine coup d'état|was ousted from power]] by the military led by [[José Félix Uriburu]]. Although Argentina remained among the fifteen richest countries until mid-century,{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} this [[coup d'état]] marks the start of the steady economic and social decline that pushed the country back<ref name=developed/> into underdevelopment.

Uriburu ruled for two years; then [[Agustín Pedro Justo]] was elected with fraud,{{clarify|date=October 2014}} and signed a controversial [[Roca-Runciman Treaty|treaty with the United Kingdom]]. Argentina [[Argentina in World War II|stayed neutral during World War II]], a decision that had full British support but was rejected by the [[United States]] after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. A new [[Revolution of '43|military coup toppled the government]], and Argentina declared war on the Axis Powers a month before the [[end of World War II in Europe]]. The minister of welfare, [[Juan Domingo Perón]], was fired and jailed because of his high popularity among workers. His liberation was forced by a [[Loyalty Day (Argentina)|massive popular demonstration]], and he went on to win the [[Argentine general election, 1946|1946 election]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=181–302}}

===Peronism===
{{main|Peronism}}
[[File:Museo del Bicentenario - "Retrato de Juan Domingo Perón y Eva Duarte", Numa Ayrinhac.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Official presidential portrait of [[Juan Domingo Perón]] and his wife [[Eva Perón]], 1948|alt=]]
Perón created a political movement known as Peronism. He [[nationalization|nationalized]] strategic industries and services, improved wages and working conditions, paid the full [[external debt]] and achieved nearly [[full employment]]. The economy, however, began to decline in 1950 because of over-expenditure. His highly popular wife, [[Eva Perón]], played a central political role. She pushed Congress to enact [[women suffrage]] in 1947,{{sfn|Barnes|1978|p=3}} and developed an unprecedented social assistance to the most vulnerable sectors of society.{{sfn|Barnes|1978|pp=113ff}} However, her declining health did not allow her to run for the vice-presidency in 1951, and she died of cancer the following year. Perón [[Argentine general election, 1951|was reelected in 1951]], even surpassing his 1946 performance. In 1955 the Navy [[bombing of Plaza de Mayo|bombed the Plaza de Mayo]] in an ill-fated attempt to kill the President. A few months later, during the self-called [[Revolución Libertadora|Liberating Revolution]] coup, he resigned and went into [[exile]] in Spain.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=303–351}}

The new head of State, [[Pedro Eugenio Aramburu]], [[proscription|proscribed]] Peronism and banned all of its manifestations; nevertheless, Peronists kept organized underground. [[Arturo Frondizi]] from the UCR won the [[Argentine general election, 1958|following elections]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=353–379}} He encouraged investment to achieve energetic and industrial self-sufficiency, reversed a chronic [[trade deficit]] and lifted Peronism proscription; yet his efforts to stay in good terms with Peronists and the military earned him the rejection of both and a new coup forced him out.{{sfn|Robben|2011|p=34}} But Senate Chief [[José María Guido]] reacted swiftly and applied the anti-[[power vacuum]] legislation, becoming president instead; elections were repealed and Peronism proscribed again. [[Arturo Illia]] was [[Argentine general election, 1963|elected in 1963]] and led to an overall increase in prosperity; however his attempts to legalize Peronism resulted in his overthrow in 1966 by the [[Juan Carlos Onganía]]-led coup d'état called the [[Argentine Revolution]], a new military government that sought to rule indefinitely.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=381–422}}

===Dirty War===
{{main|Dirty War}}
The 'Dirty War ({{lang-es|Guerra Sucia|links=no}}) was the name used by the Argentine Government for a period of [[state terrorism]] in Argentina against political dissidents, with military and security forces conducting urban and rural guerrilla violence against left-wing guerrillas, political dissidents, and anyone believed to be associated with socialism.<ref>''Political Violence and Trauma in Argentina,'' Antonius C. G. M. Robben, p. 145, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007</ref><ref>''Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza De Mayo,'' Marguerite Guzmán Bouvard, p. 22, Rowman & Littlefield, 1994</ref><ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GgAkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JmcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6482,2531128&dq= "Argentina's Guerrillas Still Intent On Socialism"], ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune,'' 7 March 1976</ref> Victims of the violence included an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 left-wing activists and militants, including trade unionists, students, journalists, [[Marxist]]s, [[Peronism|Peronist]] [[guerrilla]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aliciapatterson.org/stories/argentinas-dirty-war|title=Argentina's Dirty War|publisher=}}</ref> and alleged sympathizers.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021003662_2.html "Orphaned in Argentina's dirty war, man is torn between two families"], ''The Washington Post'', 11 February 2010</ref> Some 10,000 of the "disappeared" were believed to be guerrillas of the [[Montoneros]] (MPM), and the Marxist [[People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina)|People's Revolutionary Army]] (ERP).<ref name="elmundo.es">[http://www.elmundo.es/papel/hemeroteca/1995/05/04/mundo/40472.html "El ex líder de los Montoneros entona un «mea culpa» parcial de su pasado"], ''El Mundo'', 4 May 1995</ref><ref name="Cedema.org">{{Cite book|url=http://www.cedema.org/ver.php?id=2713 |title=A 32 años de la caída en combate de Mario Roberto Santucho y la Dirección Histórica del PRT-ERP |publisher=Cedema.org}}</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=E1YZy_x-hQoC&pg=PA626&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false '&#39;''Determinants Of Gross Human Rights Violations By State And State-Sponsored Actors In Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, And Argentina (1960–1990)'']&#39;, Wolfgang S. Heinz & Hugo Frühling, p. 626, Springer, 1999, Google Books</ref> The guerrillas were responsible for causing at least 6,000 casualties among the military, police forces and civilian population according to a ''National Geographic Magazine'' article in the mid-1980s.<ref>''National Geographic'', Volume 170, p. 247, National Geographic Society, 1986</ref> The disappeared ones were considered to be a political or ideological threat to the military junta and their disappearances an attempt to silence the opposition and break the determination of the guerillas.<ref name="Robben">{{cite news|last=Robben|first=Antonius C. G. M.|title=Anthropology at War?: What Argentina's Dirty War Can Teach Us|url=http://www.anthrosource.net.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/abstract.aspx?issn=1541-6151&volume=46&issue=6&SuppNo=0&article=244365&jstor=False&cyear=2005&error=pdfAccessDenied|accessdate=20 October 2013|newspaper=Anthropology News|date=September 2005}}</ref>
[[File:Raúl Alfonsin.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Raúl Alfonsín]], first democratically elected president following the [[National Reorganization Process|military government]], .|alt=]]

Declassified documents of the Chilean secret police cite an official estimate by the [[Batallón de Inteligencia 601]] of 22,000 killed or "disappeared" between 1975 and mid-1978. During this period, in which it was later revealed 8,625 "disappeared" in the form of PEN (''Poder Ejecutivo Nacional'', anglicized as "National Executive Power") detainees who were held in clandestine detention camps throughout Argentina before eventually being freed under diplomatic pressure.<ref>''Political Injustice: Authoritarianism and the Rule of Law in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina,'' Anthony W. Pereira, p. 134, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005</ref> The number of people believed to have been killed or "disappeared," depending on the source, range from 9,089 to 30,000 in the period from 1976 to 1983, when the military was forced from power following Argentina's defeat in the [[Falklands War]].<ref name="The Guardian, Thursday 2 April 2009">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/02/obituary-raul-alfonsin Obituary] ''The Guardian'', Thursday 2 April 2009</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Estimate of Deaths and Disappearances by 601st Intelligence Battalion|date=July 1978|publisher=DINA Headquarters, Buenos Aires, Argentina|pages=A8|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB185/19780715%20%5BReport%20on%20Argentina%27s%20dissappeared%5D%20A0000514c.pdf}}</ref> The [[National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons]] estimates that around 13,000 were disappeared.<ref name="edant.clarin.com">[http://edant.clarin.com/diario/2003/10/06/p-00801.htm "Una duda histórica: no se sabe cuántos son los desaparecidos"], ''Clarin'', 10 June 2003</ref>

After democratic government was restored, Congress passed legislation to provide compensation to victims' families. Some 11,000 Argentines have applied to the relevant authorities and received up to US $200,000 each as monetary compensation for the loss of loved ones during the military dictatorship.<ref name="Wright, Thomas C. p. 158">Wright, Thomas C. ''State terrorism in Latin America'', p. 158, Rowman & Littlefield, 2007</ref>

The exact chronology of the [[political repression|repression]] is still debated, however, as in some senses the long political war started in 1969. Trade unionists were targeted for assassination by the Peronist and Marxist paramilitary as early as 1969, and individual cases of [[state-sponsored terrorism]] against Peronism and the left can be traced back to the [[Bombing of Plaza de Mayo]] in 1955. The [[Trelew massacre]] of 1972, the actions of the [[Argentine Anticommunist Alliance]] since 1973, and [[Isabel Martínez de Perón]]'s "annihilation decrees" against left-wing guerrillas during ''[[Operativo Independencia]]'' (translates to Operation of Independence) in 1975, have also been suggested as dates for the beginning of the Dirty War.

Onganía shut down Congress, banned all political parties and dismantled student and worker unions. In 1969, popular discontent led to two massive protests: the ''[[Cordobazo]]'' and the ''[[Rosariazo]]''. The terrorist guerrilla organization [[Montoneros]] kidnapped and executed Aramburu.{{sfn|Robben|2011|p=127}} The newly chosen head of government, [[Alejandro Agustín Lanusse]], seeking to ease the growing political pressure, let [[Héctor José Cámpora]] be the Peronist candidate instead of Perón. Cámpora won the [[Argentine general election, March 1973|March 1973 election]], issued a [[amnesty|pardon]] for condemned guerrilla members and then secured Perón's return from his exile in Spain.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=423–465}}

On the day Perón returned to Argentina, the clash between Peronist internal factions—[[right-wing]] union leaders and [[left-wing]] youth from Montoneros—resulted in the [[Ezeiza Massacre]]. Cámpora resigned, overwhelmed by political violence, and Perón won the [[Argentine general election, September 1973|September 1973 election]] with his third wife [[Isabel Martínez de Perón|Isabel]] as vice-president. He [[expulsion of Montoneros from Plaza de Mayo|expelled Montoneros from the party]]{{sfn|Robben|2011|pp=76–77}} and they became once again a clandestine organization. [[José López Rega]] organized the [[Argentine Anticommunist Alliance]] (AAA) to fight against them and the [[People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina)|People's Revolutionary Army]] (ERP).
Perón died in July 1974 and was succeeded by his wife, who signed a secret decree empowering the military and the police to "annihilate" the left-wing subversion,{{sfn|Robben|2011|p=145}} [[Operation Independence|stopping ERP's attempt]] to start a rural insurgence in Tucumán province.{{sfn|Robben|2011|p=148}} [[March 1976 coup|Isabel Perón was ousted]] one year later by a junta of the three armed forces, led by army general  [[Jorge Rafael Videla]]. They initiated the [[National Reorganization Process]], often shortened to ''Proceso''.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=467–504}}

The ''Proceso'' shut down Congress, removed the judges of the Supreme Court, banned political parties and unions, and resorted to the [[forced disappearance]] of suspected guerrilla members and of anyone believed to be associated with the left-wing. By the end of 1976 Montoneros had lost near 2,000 members; by 1977, the ERP was completely defeated. A severely weakened Montoneros launched a counterattack in 1979, which was quickly annihilated, ending the guerrilla threat. Nevertheless, the junta stayed in power. Then head of state General [[Leopoldo Galtieri]] launched [[Operation Rosario]], which escalated into the [[Falklands War]] ({{lang-es|link=no|Guerra de Malvinas}}); within two months Argentina was defeated by the [[United Kingdom]]. [[Reynaldo Bignone]] replaced Galtieri and began to organize the transition to democratic rule.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=505–532}}

===Contemporary era===
{{main|Argentine economic crisis (1999–2002)|Kirchnerism}}
[[File:Cristina Fernandez Comandante en Jefe.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner]], president of Argentina since 2007|alt=]]
[[Raúl Alfonsín]] won the [[Argentine general election, 1983|1983 elections]] campaigning for the prosecution of those responsible for [[human rights]] violations during the ''Proceso'': the [[Trial of the Juntas]] and other martial courts sentenced all the coup's leaders but, under military pressure, he also enacted the [[Full Stop Law|Full Stop]] and [[Law of Due Obedience|Due Obedience]] laws,<ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=23492|date=29 de diciembre de 1986|bo=26058}}</ref><ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=23521|date=9 de junio de 1987|bo=26155}}</ref> which halted prosecutions further down the [[chain of command]]. The worsening economic crisis and [[hyperinflation]] reduced his popular support and the Peronist [[Carlos Menem]] won the [[Argentine general election, 1989|1989 election]]. Soon after, [[1989 riots in Argentina|riots forced Alfonsín to an early resignation]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=533–549}}

Menem embraced [[neo-liberalism|neo-liberal]] policies:{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=6}} a [[Argentine Currency Board|fixed exchange rate]], business [[deregulation]], [[privatization]]s and dismantling of [[protectionism|protectionist]] barriers normalized the economy for a while. He pardoned the officers who had been sentenced during Alfonsín's government. The [[1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution|1994 Constitutional Amendment]] allowed Menem to [[Argentine general election, 1995|be elected for a second term]]. The economy began to decline in 1995, with increasing unemployment and recession;{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=9}} led by [[Fernando de la Rúa]], the UCR returned to the presidency in the [[Argentine general election, 1999|1999 elections]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=551–573}}

De la Rúa kept Menem's economic plan despite the worsening crisis, which led to growing social discontent.{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=9}} A massive [[capital flight]] was responded to with a [[corralito|freezing of bank accounts]], generating further turmoil. The [[December 2001 riots in Argentina|December 2001 riots]] forced him to resign.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=575–587}} Congress appointed [[Eduardo Duhalde]] as acting president, who abrogated the fixed exchange rate established by Menem.{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=12}} By the late 2002 the economic crisis began to recess, but the assassination of two ''[[piquetero]]s'' by the police caused political commotion, prompting Duhalde to move elections forward.{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=13}} [[Néstor Kirchner]] was [[Argentine general election, 2003|elected as the new president]].{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=587–595}}

Boosting the [[neo-Keynesianism|neo-Keynesian]] economic policies{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=13}} laid by Duhalde, Kirchner ended the economic crisis attaining significant fiscal and trade surpluses, and steep GDP growth.{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=16}} Under his administration Argentina [[Argentine debt restructuring|restructured its defaulted debt]] with an unprecedented discount of about 70% on most bonds, paid off debts with the [[International Monetary Fund]],{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=15}} purged the military of officers with doubtful human rights records,{{sfn|Epstein|Pion-Berlin|2006|p=14}} [[void (law)|nullified and voided]] the Full Stop and Due Obedience laws,<ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=25779|date=3 de septiembre de 2003|bo=30226|p=1}}</ref>{{efn-ua|The Full Stop and Due Obedience laws had been abrogated by Congress in 1998.<ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=24952|date=17 de abril de 1998|bo=28879|p=1}}</ref>}} ruled them as unconstitutional, and resumed legal prosecution of the Juntas' crimes. He did not run for reelection, promoting instead the candidacy of his wife, senator [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner]], who was [[Argentine general election, 2007|elected in 2007]]{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|pp=597–626}} and [[Argentine general election, 2011|reelected in 2011]].

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Argentina}}
[[File:Cerro torre 1987.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Cerro Torre]] is one of the mountains of the [[Southern Patagonian Ice Field]] |alt=]]
With a mainland surface area of {{convert|2780400|km2|0|abbr=on}},{{efn-ua|name=excl_area}} Argentina is located in [[Southern Cone|southern South America]], sharing land borders with Chile across the [[Andes]] to the west;{{sfn|Young|2005|p=52|ps=: "The Andes Mountains form the "backbone" of Argentina along the western border with Chile."}} Bolivia and Paraguay to the north; Brazil to the northeast, [[Uruguay]] and the [[South Atlantic Ocean]] to the east;<ref name=igngeo>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.gob.ar/node/46|last=Albanese|first=Rubén|title=Información geográfica de la República Argentina|trans_title=Geographic information of the Argentine Republic|publisher=Instituto Geográfico Nacional|place=Buenos Aires|year=2009|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131031020728/http://www.ign.gob.ar/node/46|archivedate=31 October 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> and the [[Drake Passage]] to the south;{{sfnm|1a1=McKinney|1y=1993|1p=6|2a1=Fearns|2a2=Fearns|2y=2005|2p=31}} for an overall land border length of {{convert|9376|km|0|abbr=on}}. Its coastal border over the [[Río de la Plata]] and [[South Atlantic Ocean]] is {{convert|5117|km|0|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=igngeo/>

Argentina's highest point is Mount [[Aconcagua]] in the [[Mendoza province]] ({{convert|6959|m|0|abbr=on}} above sea level),<ref name=ignmax>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.gob.ar/AreaProfesional/Geografia/DatosArgentina/MaximasAlturas|last=Albanese|first=Rubén|title=Alturas y Depresiones Máximas en la República Argentina|trans_title=Maximum peaks and lows in the Argentine Republic|publisher=Instituto Geográfico Nacional|place=Buenos Aires|year=2009|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130723041514/http://www.ign.gob.ar/AreaProfesional/Geografia/DatosArgentina/MaximasAlturas|archivedate=23 July 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> also the highest point in the [[Southern Hemisphere|Southern]] and [[Western Hemisphere]]s.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=52}}
The lowest point is [[Laguna del Carbón]] in the ''San Julián Great Depression'' [[Santa Cruz province, Argentina|Santa Cruz province]] ({{convert|-105|m|0|abbr=on}} below sea level,<ref name=ignmax/> also the lowest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, and the seventh lowest point on Earth)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geology.com/below-sea-level/|last=Lynch|first=David K.|title=Land Below Sea Level|publisher=Geology – Geoscience News and Information|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140327144243/http://geology.com/below-sea-level/|archivedate=27 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

The northernmost point is at the confluence of the [[Río Grande de San Juan|Grande de San Juan]] and Río Mojinete rivers in [[Jujuy province]]; the southernmost is [[Cape San Pío]] in [[Tierra del Fuego province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego province]]; the easternmost is northeast of [[Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones]] and the westernmost is within [[Los Glaciares National Park]] in Santa Cruz province.<ref name=igngeo/>
The maximum north–south distance is {{convert|3694|km|0|abbr=on}}, while the maximum east–west one is {{convert|1423|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name=igngeo/>

Some of the major rivers are the [[Paraná River|Paraná]], [[Uruguay River|Uruguay]]—which join to form the Río de la Plata, [[Paraguay River|Paraguay]], [[Salado River, Argentina|Salado]], [[Río Negro River, Argentina|Negro]], [[Santa Cruz River, Argentina|Santa Cruz]], [[Pilcomayo River|Pilcomayo]], [[Bermejo River|Bermejo]] and [[Colorado River, Argentina|Colorado]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|pp=5, 7–8, 51, 175}} These rivers are discharged into the [[Argentine Sea]], the shallow area of the Atlantic Ocean over the [[Argentine Shelf]], an unusually wide [[continental platform]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=8}} Its waters are influenced by two major ocean currents: the warm [[Brazil Current]] and the cold [[Falklands Current]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=18}}

===Regions===
{{main|Regions of Argentina}}
Argentina is divided into seven geographical regions:{{efn-ua|name=excl_subdiv|This regional subdivision does not include [[Argentine Antarctica]] claims.}}
* [[Argentine Northwest|Northwest]], a continuation of the high [[Altiplano|Puna]] with even higher, more rugged [[topography]] to the far-west;{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=16}} the arid ''precordillera'', filled with narrow valleys or ''quebradas'' to the mid-west;{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=209}} and an extension of the mountainous [[Yungas]] jungles to the east.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=209}}
* [[Mesopotamia, Argentina|Mesopotamia]], a [[subtropical climate|subtropical]] wedge covering the western ''Paraná Plateau'' and neighbouring lowlands enclosed by the Paraná and Uruguay rivers.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=52}}
* [[Gran Chaco]], a large, subtropical and [[tropical climate|tropical]] low-lying, gently sloping alluvial plain{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=32}} between Mesopotamia and the Andes.
* [[Sierras Pampeanas]], a series of medium-height mountain chains located in the center.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|pp=5, 157}}
* [[Cuyo, Argentina|Cuyo]], a basin and range area in the central Andes [[foothills|piedmont]], to the west.{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=32}}
* [[Pampas]], a massive and hugely fertile [[alluvial plain]] located in the center east.{{sfnm|1a1=Young|1y=2005|1p=52|2a1=McCloskey|2a2=Burford|2y=2006|2p=5}}
* [[Patagonia]], a large southern [[plateau]] consisting mostly of arid, rocky [[steppe]]s{{sfn|Young|2005|p=52}} to the east, moister cold [[grassland]]s to the south and dense subantarctic forests to the west.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=44}}
<gallery mode=packed heights=135 style="font-size:88%;line-height:120%">
Camino a las Sierras de Córdoba 2009-11.jpg|[[Pampas]]
Casa y montaña.jpg |[[Sierras Pampeanas]]
Tierracolorada.jpg|[[Mesopotamia, Argentina|Mesopotamia]]
Formosa Argentina.jpg|[[Gran Chaco]]
Viñedos de Mendoza.jpg|[[Cuyo, Argentina|Cuyo]]
Paso San Francisco 2.jpg|Northwest [[Altiplano|Puna]]
Quebrada de Cafayate.JPG|Northwest [[Calchaquí Valleys|Valleys]]
Río Bermejo frontera Bolivia (izq.) y Argentina (dcha).jpg|Northwest [[Yungas]]
Perito Moreno Glacier (5469843641).jpg| western [[Patagonia]]
El Chaltén.jpg|eastern Patagonia
</gallery>

===Biodiversity===
{{main|Environment of Argentina}}
{{double image|right|Paso de la Oveja, Tierra del Fuego National Park.jpg|210|Cyanocorax chrysops -Iguazu National Park, Argentina-8a (1).jpg|210|<center>The [[Patagonia|Eastern Patagonia]] consisting mostly in moister cold grasslands.</center>|<center>[[Plush-crested jay]], typical bird in [[Iguazu National Park|Iguazú]].</center>}}
Argentina is a [[biodiversity|megadiverse country]]<ref name=cbd>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=ar|title=Argentina – Main Details|publisher=Convention on Biological Diversity|place=Montreal, Canada|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131019023006/http://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=ar|archivedate=19 October 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> hosting one of the greatest [[ecosystem]] varieties in the world: 15 continental zones, 3 oceanic zones, and the Antarctic region are all represented in its territory.<ref name=cbd/>
This huge ecosystem variety has led to a biological diversity that is among the world's largest:<ref name=cbd/><ref name=wcmc>{{cite web|url=|title=Biodiversity 2005|publisher=UNEP–WCMC – World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme|place=Cambridge, UK|year=2005}}</ref>
* 9,372 cataloged [[vascular plant]] species (ranked 24th){{efn-ua|Includes higher plants only: [[fern]]s and fern allies, [[conifer]]s and [[cycad]]s, and [[flowering plant]]s.<ref name=wcmc/>}}
* 1,038 cataloged bird species (ranked 14th){{efn-ua|Includes only birds that breed in Argentina, not those that migrate or winter there.<ref name=wcmc/>}}
* 375 cataloged [[mammal]] species (ranked 12th){{efn-ua|Excludes marine mammals.<ref name=wcmc/>}}
* 338 cataloged [[reptile|reptilian]] species (ranked 16th)
* 162 cataloged [[amphibian]] species (ranked 19th)

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of Argentina}}
Although the most populated areas are generally [[temperate climate|temperate]], Argentina has an exceptional climate diversity, ranging from tropical in the north{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=22}} to [[subarctic climate|subpolar]] in the far continental south.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=5}}
Climate patterns roughly follow the geographic regional division:{{efn-ua|name=excl_subdiv}}
* The Northwest climate is varied, with rainfall diminishing north to south and east to west:{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=8}} Puna, to the high Andean west, is dry and with great temperature fluctuation but cold overall, frequently falling below freezing point at night;{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=8}} Yungas, to the east, are tropical, very hot and moist.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=11}}
{{double image|right|Iguaçu Falls - Ponto de Observação.JPG|200|PeritoMoreno002.jpg|224|<center>[[Tropical climate]] in [[Iguazú Falls]], [[Mesopotamia, Argentina|Mesopotamia]].</center>|<center>[[Subpolar climate]] in [[El Calafate]], Western [[Patagonia]].</center>}}
* Mesopotamia is subtropical overall, with hot and very humid tropical climate in the north,{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=203}} and gradually becoming temperate and semi-humid to the south.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=6}}
* Gran Chaco has very hot subtropical to tropical climate,{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=22|ps=: "In [[Rivadavia (Chaco)|Rivadavia]], a small town in [[Chaco Province]], temperatures have reached {{convert|49|C|0|abbr=on}}. [As of 2009 this] is the highest temperature ever recorded in South America."}} and humid summers with mild drier winters. With heavy seasonal rainfalls,{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=6}} it is subject to periodic droughts.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|pp=56–57}}
* Cuyo is generally mild, although mountainous areas have [[alpine climate]] with temperatures below freezing much of the year.{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=17}}
* Pampas and Sierras Pampeanas are temperate, with hot, stormy summers and cool winters; moisture is higher in the east.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=69}}
* Patagonia is very windy, with mild summers and cold{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=8}} to very cold winters{{sfn|Crooker|2009|p=25|ps=: "[Sarmiento, the] small town in the [[Chico River Canyon]] of [[Chubut Province]] holds [as of 2009] the record for the lowest temperature in South America, a bone chilling {{convert|-27.22|C|0|abbr=on}}."}} with heavy snowfall and frost,{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=8}} especially in mountainous zones.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=73}} Precipitation steeply diminishes from west to east.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=7}}

Major wind currents include the cool [[Pampero Winds]] blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia and the Pampas; following the cold front, warm currents blow from the north in middle and late winter, creating mild conditions.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=69}}
The [[Sudestada]] usually moderates cold temperatures but brings very heavy rains, rough seas and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumn and winter along the central coast and in the Río de la Plata estuary.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=69}}
The [[Zonda wind|Zonda]], a [[foehn wind|hot dry wind]], affects Cuyo and the central Pampas. Squeezed of all moisture during the {{convert|6000|m|0|abbr=on}} descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up to {{convert|120|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, fueling wildfires and causing damage; between June and November, when the Zonda blows, snowstorms and [[blizzard]] (''viento blanco'') conditions usually affect higher elevations.{{sfn|Menutti|Menutti|1980|p=53}}

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Argentina}}

===Government===
{{main|Government of Argentina}}
{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border:1px #ddd solid;"
|+ '''Government of Argentina'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:Argentine National Congress (Pedestrians digitally removed) (8081437098).jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Palace of Congress (Argentina)|Congressional Palace]]<br />Seat of the [[Argentine Congress|Congress]]</small>
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:Casa de Gobierno 002.jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Casa Rosada]]<br />Workplace of the [[President of Argentina|President]]</small>
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:Palacio de Justicia de la Nación 02.jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Palace of Justice (Argentina)|Palace of Justice]]<br />[[Argentine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]</small>
|}
Argentina is a [[Federalism|federal]] [[constitutional republic]] and [[representative democracy]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 1}} The government is regulated by a system of [[separation of powers|checks and balances]] defined by the [[Constitution of Argentina]], the country's supreme legal document. The [[seat of government]] is the city of [[Buenos Aires]], as designated by [[Argentine National Congress|Congress]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 3}} Suffrage is [[Universal suffrage|universal]], [[Equal suffrage|equal]], [[Secret ballot|secret]] and [[Compulsory voting|mandatory]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 37}}{{efn-ua|Since 2012 suffrage is optional for ages 16 and 17.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/01/argentina-voting-age/|title=Argentina lowers its voting age to 16|publisher=The Washington Post|place=Washington, D. C.|date=1 November 2012|archiveurl=|archivedate=|deadurl=no}}</ref>}}

The federal government is composed of three branches:
* [[Legislature|Legislative]]: The [[bicameralism|bicameral]] Congress, made up of the [[Argentine Senate|Senate]] and [[Argentine Chamber of Deputies|Deputy]] chambers, makes [[federal law]], [[declaration of war|declares war]], approves [[treaty|treaties]] and has the [[power of the purse]] and of [[impeachment]], by which it can remove sitting members of the government.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 53, 59, 75}}
** The Chamber of Deputies represents the people and has 257 voting members elected to a four-year term. Seats are apportioned among the provinces by population every tenth year.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 45, 47, 50}} {{As of|2014}} ten provinces have just five deputies while the [[Buenos Aires Province]], being the most populous one, has 70.
** The Chamber of Senators represents the provinces, has 72 members elected [[at-large]] to six-year terms, with each province having three seats; one third of Senate seats are up for election every other year.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 54, 56}} At least one-third of the candidates presented by the parties must be women.
* [[Executive (government)|Executive]]: The [[President of Argentina|President]] is the [[commander-in-chief]] of the military, can [[veto]] [[bill (law)|legislative bills]] before they become law—subject to Congressional override—and appoints the [[Cabinet of Argentina|members of the Cabinet]] and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 99}} The President is elected [[direct vote|directly]] by the vote of the people, serves a four-year term and may be elected to office no more than twice in a row.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 90}}
* [[Judiciary|Judicial]]: The [[Supreme Court of Argentina|Supreme Court]] and lower [[Law of Argentina|federal courts]] interpret laws and [[judicial review|overturn those]] they find [[constitutionality|unconstitutional]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 116}} The Judicial is independent of the Executive and the Legislative. The Supreme Court has seven members appointed by the President—subject to Senate approval—who serve for life. The lower courts' judges are proposed by the [[Council of Magistrates of the Nation|Council of Magistrates]] (a secretariat composed of representatives of judges, lawyers, researchers, the Executive and the Legislative), and appointed by the President on Senate approval.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 99, 114}}

===Provinces===
{{main|Provinces of Argentina}}
{{see also|List of Argentine provinces by population}}
{{Argentina imagemap with province names|float=right|size=300px}}
Argentina is a federation of twenty-three provinces and one [[autonomous city]], Buenos Aires. Provinces are divided for administration purposes into [[Departments of Argentina|departments]] and [[Municipalities of Argentina|municipalities]], except for Buenos Aires Province, which is divided into [[partido]]s. The City of Buenos Aires is divided into [[Barrios and Communes of Buenos Aires|communes]].

Provinces hold all the power that they chose not to delegate to the federal government;{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 121}} they must be representative republics and must not contradict the Constitution.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 5–6}} Beyond this they are fully autonomous: they enact their own constitutions,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 123}} freely organize their local governments,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 122}} and own and manage their natural and financial resources.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 124–125}} Some provinces have bicameral legislatures, while others have [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] ones.{{efn-ua|Although not a province, the [[City of Buenos Aires]] is a federally [[autonomous city]], and as such its local organization has similarities with provinces: it has its own constitution, an elected mayor and representatives to the Senate and Deputy chambers.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 129}} As [[federal capital]] of the nation it holds the status of [[federal district]].}}

During the War of Independence the main cities and their surrounding countrysides became provinces though the intervention of their [[cabildo (council)|cabildos]]. The Anarchy of the Year XX completed this process, shaping the original thirteen provinces. Jujuy seceded from [[Salta Province|Salta]] in 1834, and the thirteen provinces became fourteen.
After seceding for a decade, Buenos Aires accepted the 1853 Constitution of Argentina in 1861, and was made a federal territory in 1880.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}}

An 1862 law designated as [[national territory|national territories]] those under federal control but outside the frontiers of the provinces. In 1884 they served as bases for the establishment of the [[governorate]]s of Misiones, Formosa, Chaco, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.{{sfn|Rock|1987|p=155}}
The agreement about a frontier dispute with Chile in 1900 created the [[National Territory of Los Andes]]; its lands were incorporated into Jujuy, Salta and [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]] in 1943.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}} [[La Pampa Province|La Pampa]] and Chaco became provinces in 1951. Misiones did so in 1953, and [[Formosa Province|Formosa]], [[Neuquén Province|Neuquén]], [[Río Negro Province|Río Negro]], [[Chubut Province|Chubut]] and Santa Cruz, in 1955. The last national territory, Tierra del Fuego, became the Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province in 1990.{{sfn|Rey Balmaceda|1995|p=19}}
{{clear}}

===Foreign relations===
{{main|Foreign relations of Argentina}}
[[File:Diplomatic missions of Argentina.png|thumb|250px|Argentine diplomatic missions:
<div style="font-size:90%;">
{{legend4|#22b14c|Argentina}}
{{legend4|#2f3699|Nations hosting a resident diplomatic mission}}
{{legend4|#b9b9b9|Nations without a resident diplomatic mission}}
</div>]]
Foreign policy is officially handled by the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship]], which answers to the [[President of Argentina|President]].

An historical and current [[middle power]],{{sfnm|1a1=Wood|1y=1988|1p=18|2a1=Solomon|2y=1997|2p=3}} Argentina bases its foreign policies on the guiding principles of [[Non-interventionism|non-intervention]],{{sfn|Margheritis|2010|pp=15, 92}} human rights, [[self-determination]], [[Internationalism (politics)|international cooperation]], [[disarmament]] and [[peacebuilding|peaceful settlement of conflicts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.argentina.org.au/foreign_policy.htm|title=Argentina in Brief – Foreign Policy|publisher=Embassy of Argentina in Australia|place=Canberra|year=2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130426012112/http://www.argentina.org.au/foreign_policy.htm|archivedate=26 April 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
The country is one of the [[Group of 15|G-15]] and [[G-20 major economies]] of the world, and a founding member of the [[UN]], [[World Bank Group|WBG]], [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] and [[Organization of American States|OAS]].
In 2012 [[United Nations Security Council election, 2012|Argentina was elected again]] to a two-year non-permanent position on the [[United Nations Security Council]] and is participating in major peacekeeping operations in [[United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti|Haiti]], [[United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Western Sahara]] and the [[Middle East]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sgsm13641.doc.htm|title=Secretary-General Says Joint Peacekeeping Training Centre in Campo de Mayo 'Symbol of Argentina's Commitment to Peace'|publisher=United Nations – Secretary General|place=New York, NY, USA|date=14 June 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20120605041457/http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sgsm13641.doc.htm|archivedate=5 June 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>

A prominent Latin American{{sfnm|1a1=Huntington|1y=2000|1p=6|2a1=Nierop|2y=2001|2p=61|3a1=Lake|3y=2009|3p=55|4a1=Papadopoulos|4y=2010|4p=283|5a1=Malamud|5y=2011|5p=9|6a1=Boughton|6y=2012|6p=101}} and Southern Cone{{sfnm|1a1=Morris|1y=1988|1p=63|2a1=Adler|2a2=Greve|2y=2009|2p=78|3a1=Ruiz-Dana|3a2=Goldschag|3a3=Claro|3a4=Blanco|3y=2009|3p=18}} [[regional power]], Argentina co-founded [[Organization of Ibero-American States|OEI]], [[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States|CELAC]] and [[Union of South American Nations|UNASUR]], of which the former president Néstor Kirchner was first [[Secretary General of UNASUR|Secretary General]].
It is also a founding member of the [[Mercosur]] block, having Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and [[Venezuela]] as partners. Since 2002 the country has emphasized its key role in [[Latin American integration]], and the block—which has some supranational legislative functions—is its first international priority.{{sfn|Galasso|2011|loc=vol. II|p=600}}

Argentina claims {{convert|965597|km2|abbr=on}} in [[Argentine Antarctica|Antarctica]], where it has the world's oldest [[Orcadas Base|continuous state presence]], since 1904.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marambio.aq/baseorcadas.html|title=Destacamento Naval Orcadas|trans_title=Orcadas Naval Base|publisher=Fundación Marambio|place=Buenos Aires|year=1999|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131202221405/http://www.marambio.aq/baseorcadas.html|archivedate=2 December 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> This overlaps claims by [[Chilean Antarctic Territory|Chile]] and the [[British Antarctic Territory|United Kingdom]], though all such claims fall under the provisions of the 1961 [[Antarctic Treaty]], of which Argentina is a founding signatory and permanent consulting member, with the [[Antarctic Treaty Secretariat]] being based in Buenos Aires.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ats.aq/|title=ATS – Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty|publisher=Antarctic Treaty Secretariat|place=Buenos Aires|year=2013|archiveurl=|archivedate=|deadurl=no}}</ref>

Argentina [[Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|disputes sovereignty]] over the Falkland Islands ({{lang-es|Islas Malvinas|link=no}}), and [[South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands sovereignty dispute|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]],{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=T. P. 1}} which are administered by the United Kingdom as [[British Overseas Territories|Overseas Territories]].

===Armed forces===
{{main|Armed Forces of Argentina}}
{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border:1px #ddd solid;"
|+ '''Argentine Armed Forces'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:Tanque TAM.jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Argentine Army]] <br />[[Tanque Argentino Mediano|TAM VCA 155 Palmaria]]</small>
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:B52ARAHercules.jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Argentine Navy]]<br />[[ARA Hércules (B-52)]]</small>
| style="width:120px;"|[[File:Argentina Air Force McDonnell Douglas A-4AR Fightinghawk Lofting-2.jpg|border|x90px]]<br /><small>[[Argentine Air Force]]<br />[[Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk|A-4AR Fightinghawk]]</small>
|}

The President holds the title of commander-in-chief of the Argentine Armed Forces, as part of a legal framework that imposes a strict separation between national defense and internal security systems:<ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=23554 – Defensa Nacional|bo=26375|p=4|date=5 de mayo de 1988}}</ref><ref name=lsi>{{cite Argentine law|l=24059 – Seguridad Interior|bo=27307|p=1|date=17 de enero de 1992}}</ref>
* The [[Argentine defense industry|National Defense System]], an exclusive responsibility of the federal government,{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 125–126}} coordinated by the [[Ministry of Defense (Argentina)|Ministry of Defense]], and comprising the [[Argentine Army|Army]], the [[Argentine Navy|Navy]] and the [[Argentine Air Force|Air Force]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/military_branches.html|title=Argentina – Military branches|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121103093751/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/military_branches.html|archivedate=3 November 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Ruled and monitored by Congress{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 21, 75, 99}} through the Houses' Defense Committees,<ref name=resdal>{{cite web|url=http://www.resdal.org/ing/atlas/atlas12-ing-10-argentina.pdf|format=PDF|title=A Comparative Atlas of Defense in Latin America and Caribbean – Argentina|publisher=RESDAL – Red de Seguridad y Defensa de América Latina|place=Buenos Aires|year=2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140508122931/http://www.resdal.org/ing/atlas/atlas12-ing-10-argentina.pdf|archivedate=8 May 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> it is organized around the essential principle of legitimate self-defense: the repelling of any external military aggression in order to guarantee freedom of the people, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity.<ref name=resdal/> Its secondary missions include committing to multinational operations within the framework of the United Nations, participating in internal support missions, assisting friendly countries, and establishing a sub-regional defense system.<ref name=resdal/>
:[[Military service]] is voluntary, with enlistment age between 18 and 24 years old and no [[conscription]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/military_service_age_and_obligation.html|title=Argentina – Military service age and obligation|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2001|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121103093806/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/military_service_age_and_obligation.html|archivedate=3 November 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Argentina's defense has historically been one of the best equipped in the region, even managing [[Argentine defense industry|its own weapon research facilities, shipyards, ordnance, tank and plane factories]].{{sfn|Maldifassi|Abetti|1994|pp=65–86}} However, real military expenditures declined steadily after 1981 and the defense budget in 2011 was about 0.74% of GDP, a historical minimum,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/argentina/military-expenditure|title=Argentina – Military expenditure|publisher=Index Mundi – SIPRI – Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security|year=2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130906190435/http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/argentina/military-expenditure|archivedate=6 September 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> below the Latin American average.
* The [[Argentine Interior Security System|Interior Security System]], jointly administered by the federal and subscribing provincial governments.<ref name=lsi/> At the federal level it is coordinated by the Interior, [[Ministry of Defense (Argentina)|Security]] and Justice ministries, and monitored by Congress.<ref name=lsi/> It is enforced by the [[Argentine Federal Police|Federal Police]]; the [[Argentine Naval Prefecture|Prefecture]], which fulfills [[coast guard]] duties; the [[Argentine National Gendarmerie|Gendarmerie]], which serves [[border guard]] tasks; and the [[Airport Security Police]].<ref>{{cite Argentine law|d=18711 – Fuerzas de Seguridad|bo=21955|date=23 de junio de 1970}}</ref> At the provincial level it is coordinated by the respective internal security ministries and enforced by local police agencies.<ref name=lsi/>

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Argentina}}
{{see also|Argentine foreign trade}}
Benefiting from rich [[natural resources]], a highly literate population, a diversified industrial base, and an export-oriented agricultural sector, the economy of Argentina is Latin America's third-largest.<ref name=wsj1>{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130403-713853.html|title=Exchanges in Argentina Move Toward Greater Integration|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|place=New York, NY, USA|date=3 April 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140307022904/http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130403-713853.html|archivedate=7 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> It has a [[List of countries by Human Development Index|"very high"]] rating on the Human Development Index<ref name=hdi/> and a relatively [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|high GDP per capita]],<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/02/weodata/index.aspx|title=Argentina|work= World Economic Outlook Database, October 2014|publisher=International Monetary Fund|date=2 November 2014}}</ref> with a considerable [[internal market]] size and a growing share of the high-tech sector.<ref name=legatum/>

[[File:Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2014-11-22 WTourAR AA 30.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Puerto Madero]], Buenos Aires]]
A [[emerging economy|middle emerging economy]] and one of the world's top developing nations,<ref name=undp2013>{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/14/hdr2013_en_complete.pdf|format=PDF|title=Human Development Report 2013|publisher=UNDP – United Nations Development Program|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140725114447/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/14/hdr2013_en_complete.pdf|archivedate=25 July 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{efn-ua|The other top developing nations being Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.<ref name=undp2013/>}} Argentina is a member of the [[G-20 major economies]]. Historically, however, its economic performance has been very uneven, with high economic growth alternating with severe recessions, income maldistribution and—in the recent decades—increasing poverty. Early in the 20th century Argentina achieved development,{{sfn|Díaz Alejandro|1970|p=1}} and became the world's seventh richest country.{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} Although managing to keep a place among the top fifteen economies until mid-century,{{sfn|Bolt|Van Zanden|2013}} it suffered a long and steady decline and now it's just an upper middle-income country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.worldbank.org/country/argentina|title=Data–Argentina|publisher=World Bank|place=Washington, D. C.|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140404185925/http://data.worldbank.org/country/argentina|archivedate=4 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

High [[inflation]]—a weakness of the Argentine economy for decades—has become a trouble once again, with rates in 2013 between the official 10.2% and the privately estimated 25%, causing heated public debate over manipulated statistics.<ref>{{cite news|last=Winter|first=Brian|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/25/argentina-inflation-minister-idUSL2N0DC1J820130425|title=Argentina minister ducks inflation question, causes stir|work=Reuters|place=London|date=25 April 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140305030958/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/25/argentina-inflation-minister-idUSL2N0DC1J820130425|archivedate=5 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/21548242?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/donelietomeargentina|title=Official statistics: Don't lie to me, Argentina|work=The Economist|place=London|date=25 February 2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131207101054/http://www.economist.com/node/21548242?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/donelietomeargentina|archivedate=7 December 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> [[Income distribution]], having improved since 2002, is classified as "medium", still considerably unequal.<ref name=gini/>

Argentina ranks 102nd out of 178 countries in the [[Transparency International]]'s 2012 [[Corruption Perceptions Index]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://files.transparency.org/content/download/537/2229/file/2012_CPI_brochure_EN.pdf|format=PDF|title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2012|publisher=Transparency International|year=2012}}</ref> While the country has settled most of its debts, it faces a technical debt crisis since 31 July 2014. A New York judge blocked Argentina's payments to 93% of its bonds unless it pays to "Vulture funds" the full value of the defaulted bonds they bought after its 2001 default. Argentina vowed not to capitulate to what it considered the ransom tactics of the funds.<ref name="ArgentinaBonds">{{cite news|title=Hectic efforts on by Argentina to avoid second default|url=http://www.argentinanews.net/index.php/sid/224277893/scat/d9ed072d737073b4/ht/Hectic-efforts-on-by-Argentina-to-avoid-second-default|accessdate=31 July 2014|publisher=''Argentina News.Net''}}</ref>

===Industry===
{{main|Industry in Argentina}}
[[File:Oildriller.jpg|thumb|200px|[[YPF]] petroleum perforation in [[General Roca, Rio Negro|General Roca]], [[Rio Negro Province]].]]
{{As of|2012|alt=In 2012}} [[manufacturing]] accounted for 20.3% of GDP—the largest goods-producing sector in the nation's economy.<ref name=infoeco1>{{cite web|url=http://www.mecon.gov.ar/download/infoeco/actividad_ied.xls|format=XLS|title=Información Económica al Día – Nivel de Actividad|publisher=Dirección Nacional de Política Macroeconómica – Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas Públicas|place=Buenos Aires|year=2013|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140410031557/http://www.mecon.gov.ar/download/infoeco/actividad_ied.xls|archivedate=10 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Well-integrated into Argentine agriculture, half of the industrial exports have rural origin.<ref name=infoeco1/>

With a 6.5% production growth rate {{as of|2011|alt=in 2011}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/industrial_production_growth_rate.html|title=Argentina – Industrial production growth rate|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130310152617/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/industrial_production_growth_rate.html|archivedate=10 March 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> the diversified manufacturing sector is organized around a steadily growing network of [[industrial park]]s (314 {{as of|2013|lc=y}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/economy_overview.html|title=Argentina – Economy Overview|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121203023305/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/economy_overview.html|archivedate=3 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://guardian.co.tt/business-guardian/2013-06-19/argentina-tic%E2%80%882013-country-pushing-cng-food-processing|title=Argentina at TIC 2013: Country pushing CNG, food processing|publisher=Digital Guardian|place=Port of Spain|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131109140709/http://www.guardian.co.tt/business-guardian/2013-06-19/argentina-tic%E2%80%882013-country-pushing-cng-food-processing|archivedate=9 November 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>

{{As of|2012|alt=In 2012}} the leading sectors by volume were: food processing, beverages and tobacco products; motor vehicles and auto parts; [[textiles]] and leather; [[petroleum refineries|refinery products]] and [[biodiesel]]; chemicals and pharmaceuticals; steel, aluminum and iron; industrial and farm machinery; home appliances and furniture; plastics and tires; glass and cement; and recording and print media.<ref name=infoeco1/> In addition, Argentina has since long been one of the top five wine-producing countries in the world.<ref name=infoeco1/> However, it has also been classified as one of the 74 countries where instances of [[child labor]] and [[forced labor]] have been observed and mentioned in a 2014 report published by the [[Bureau of International Labor Affairs]].<ref>[http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/ List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor]</ref> The ILAB's ''[[List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor]]'' clearly shows that Argentina's [[Agriculture in Argentina|agricultural sector]] relies heavily on such practices.

Córdoba is Argentina's major industrial center, hosting metalworking, motor vehicle and auto parts manufactures. Next in importance are the [[Greater Buenos Aires]] area (food processing, metallurgy, motor vehicles and auto parts, chemicals and petrochemicals, consumer durables, textiles and printing); [[Rosario]] (food processing, metallurgy, farm machinery, oil refining, chemicals, and tanning); San Miguel de Tucumán (sugar refining); [[San Lorenzo, Santa Fe|San Lorenzo]] (chemicals and pharmaceuticals); [[San Nicolás de los Arroyos]] (steel milling and metallurgy); and [[Ushuaia]] and [[Bahía Blanca]] (oil refining).<ref name=eotn2>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-INDUSTRY.html|title=Argentina – Industry|publisher=Encyclopedia of the Nations|year=2002|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130927101922/http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-INDUSTRY.html|archivedate=27 September 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Other manufacturing enterprises are located in the provinces of [[Santa Fe Province|Santa Fe]] (zinc and copper smelting, and flour milling); Mendoza and Neuquén (wineries and fruit processing); Chaco (textiles and sawmills); and Santa Cruz, Salta and Chubut (oil refining)<ref name=eotn2/>

The electric output of Argentina {{As of|2009|alt=in 2009}} totaled over {{convert|122|TWh|abbr=on|lk=on}}, of which about 37% was consumed by industrial activities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iea.org/stats/electricitydata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=AR|title=Electricity/Heat in Argentina in 2009|publisher=IEA – International Energy Agency|place=Paris|year=2009|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130803085612/http://www.iea.org/stats/electricitydata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=AR|archivedate=3 August 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in Argentina}}
[[Tourism]] in Argentina is characterized by its cultural offerings and its ample and varied natural assets. The country had 5.57 million visitors in 2013, ranking in terms of the international tourist arrivals as the top destination in [[South America]], and second in [[Latin America]] after [[Mexico]].<ref name=UNWTO2014>{{cite web |url=http://mkt.unwto.org/publication/unwto-tourism-highlights-2014-edition |title=UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2014 Edition |publisher= [[World Tourism Organization]] (UNWTO) |accessdate= 27 April 2015}}</ref> Revenues from international tourists reached {{USD|4.41}} billion in 2013, down from {{USD|4.89}} billion in 2012.<ref name=UNWTO2014 /> The country's capital city, [[Buenos Aires]], is the most visited city in [[South America]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://america.infobae.com/notas/52348-Ciudad-de-Mexico-Buenos-Aires-y-San-Pablo-los-destinos-turisticos-favoritos|title=México DF, Buenos Aires y San Pablo, los destinos turísticos favoritos|publisher=Infobae América|language=Spanish|date=June 2011|accessdate=19 December 2012}}</ref>

{{double image|right|CerroCastor01.jpg|240|04 - San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina).jpg|217|<center>[[Cerro Castor]] in [[Ushuaia]], the commonly regarded as the [[southernmost city in the world]].</center>|<center>[[Bariloche]], the city emerged as a major tourism centre with ski, trekking and [[mountaineering]] facilities.</center>}}

Tourist destinations:
* Autonomous City of [[Tourism in Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]], the capital of the Nation.
* [[Iguazú National Park]], waterfalls and jungle.
* [[Mendoza Province|Mendoza]], Andes mountains and main wine producing region.
* [[Bariloche]], the largest ski centre in Latin America, and [[Villa La Angostura]].
* [[Los Alerces National Park]] in central Patagonia.
* [[Los Glaciares National Park]], glaciers.
* [[Ushuaia]], southernmost city in the world.
* [[Mar del Plata]], seaside beach resort.
* [[Salta Province|Salta]], Inca and colonial sites in [[Quebrada de Humahuaca|Humahuaca]], the [[Calchaquí Valleys]], [[Iruya]], [[Pucará de Tilcara|Tilcara]], and other cities of the North.
* [[Valdes Peninsula]], sea lions, elephant seals and fur seals, Magellanic penguins and Southern right whales.
* [[Sierras de Córdoba]], mild climate and landscapes ranging from the bucolic and wild.
* [[Ischigualasto]], strange landscape where there is a shortage of vegetation and more varied palette of soils.
* [[El Chaltén]], mountain village and [[El Calafate]], city with beautiful attractions and ski centers.


{{wide image|43 - Iguazu - Décembre 2007.jpg|1300px|[[Iguazu Falls]], Misiones, in [[Argentina-Brazil relations|Argentina-Brazil border]], is the second most popular destination for foreign tourists who come to Argentina. The waterfalls are in 80% in the Argentine side, and only 20% belonging to Brazil.}}

===Transport===
{{main|Transport in Argentina}}
[[File:Buenos Aires Subte station Peru.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Vintage [[Line A (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line A]] station entrance of [[Buenos Aires Underground]].]]
[[File:Línea Mitre Retiro.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Electric train for the [[Mitre Line]] in [[Retiro railway station]].]]

Argentina has the largest [[Rail transport in Argentina|railway system]] in Latin America, with {{convert|36966|km|abbr=on}} of operating lines {{as of|2008|alt=in 2008}}, out of a full network of almost {{convert|48000|km|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/railways.html|title=Argentina – Railways|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140407074801/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/railways.html|archivedate=7 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> This system links all 23 provinces plus Buenos Aires City, and connects with all neighboring countries.<ref name=eotn1>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-TRANSPORTATION.html|title=Argentina – Transportation|publisher=Encyclopedia of the Nations|year=2002|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130927095951/http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-TRANSPORTATION.html|archivedate=27 September 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> There are four incompatible [[Track gauge|gauges]] in use; this forces virtually all interregional freight traffic to pass through Buenos Aires.<ref name=eotn1/> The system has been in decline since the 1940s: regularly running up large budgetary deficits, by 1991 it was transporting 1,400 times less goods than it did in 1973.<ref name=eotn1/> However, in recent years the system has experienced a [[Rail transport in Argentina#Recent developments and moves towards re-nationalisation|greater degree of investment]] from the state, in both commuter rail lines and long distance lines, renewing rolling stock and infrastructure.<ref>[http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1766910-desde-hoy-toda-la-linea-mitre-tiene-trenes-0-km Desde hoy, toda la línea Mitre tiene trenes 0 km] - La Nacion, 09, February, 2015</ref><ref>[http://enelsubte.com/noticias/exitosa-prueba-en-la-renovada-via-a-rosario/ Exitosa prueba en la renovada vía a Rosario] - EnElSubte, 09, March, 2015</ref> In April 2015, by overwhelming majority the [[Argentine Senate]] passed a law which re-created [[Ferrocarriles Argentinos|Ferrocarriles Argentinos (2015)]], effectively re-nationalising the country's railways, a move which saw support from all major political parties on both sides of the political spectrum.<ref>[http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/economia/2-270658-2015-04-16.html Otro salto en la recuperación de soberanía] - Pagina/12, 16 April 2015</ref><ref>[http://enelsubte.com/noticias/es-ley-la-creacion-de-ferrocarriles-argentinos/ Es ley la creación de Ferrocarriles Argentinos] - EnElSubte, 15 April 2015</ref><ref>[http://prensa.argentina.ar/2015/04/15/57505-ferrocarriles-argentinos-randazzo-agradecio-a-la-oposicion-parlamentaria-por-acompanar-en-su-recuperacion.php Ferrocarriles Argentinos: Randazzo agradeció a la oposición parlamentaria por acompañar en su recuperación] - Sala de Prensa de la Republica Argentina, 15 April 2015</ref>

{{As of|2004|alt=By 2004}} Buenos Aires, all provincial capitals except Ushuaia, and all medium-sized towns were interconnected by {{convert|69412|km|abbr=on}} of paved roads, out of a total road network of {{convert|231374|km|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/roadways.html|title=Argentina – Roadways|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131014061828/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/roadways.html|archivedate=14 October 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> Most important cities are linked by a growing number of [[Controlled-access highway|expressways]], including [[Buenos Aires-La Plata Highway|Buenos Aires–La Plata]], [[Rosario-Córdoba Highway|Rosario–Córdoba]], Córdoba–Villa Carlos Paz, Villa Mercedes–Mendoza, [[National Route 14|National Route 14 ''General José Gervasio Artigas'']] and [[Provincial Route 2 (Buenos Aires)|Provincial Route 2 ''Juan Manuel Fangio'']], among others.
Nevertheless, this road infrastructure is still inadequate and cannot handle the sharply growing demand caused by deterioration of the railway system.<ref name=eotn1/>

{{As of|2012|alt=In 2012}} there were about {{convert|11000|km|0|abbr=on}} of [[waterway]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/waterways.html|title=Argentina – Waterways|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121101200000/http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/waterways.html|archivedate=1 November 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> mostly comprising the La Plata, Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers, with Buenos Aires, [[Zárate, Buenos Aires|Zárate]], [[Campana, Buenos Aires|Campana]], Rosario, San Lorenzo, Santa Fe, [[Barranqueras]] and San Nicolas de los Arroyos as the main [[fluvial port]]s.
Some of the largest [[sea port]]s are [[La Plata]]–[[Ensenada, Buenos Aires|Ensenada]], Bahía Blanca, [[Mar del Plata]], [[Quequén]]–[[Necochea]], [[Comodoro Rivadavia]], [[Puerto Deseado]], [[Puerto Madryn]], Ushuaia and [[San Antonio Oeste]].
Buenos Aires has historically been the most important port; however since the 1990s the Up-River port region has become dominant: stretching along {{convert|67|km|abbr=on}} of the Paraná river shore in Santa Fe province, it includes 17 ports and {{As of|2013|alt=in 2013}} accounted for 50% of all exports.

{{As of|2013|alt=In 2013}} there were 161 airports with paved runways<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/airports_with_paved_runways.html|title=Argentina – Airports with paved runways|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|year=2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121101195757/http://www.indexmundi.com/ARGENTINA/airports_with_paved_runways.html|archivedate=1 November 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> out of more than a thousand.<ref name=eotn1/> The [[Ezeiza International Airport]], about {{convert|35|km|abbr=on}} from downtown Buenos Aires,{{sfn|Aeberhard|Benson|Phillips|2000|p=76}} is the largest in the country, followed by [[Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport|Cataratas del Iguazú]] in Misiones, and [[El Plumerillo International Airport|El Plumerillo]] in Mendoza.<ref name=eotn1/> [[Aeroparque]], in the city of Buenos Aires, is the most important domestic airport.{{sfn|Aeberhard|Benson|Phillips|2000|pp=24–25}}

===Media and communications===
{{main|Communications in Argentina}}
[[File:Estudio Pais1.JPG|thumb|left|200px|"''Estudio Pais 24, the Program of the Argentines''" in [[TV Pública Digital (Argentina)|Channel 7]], the first television station in the country.|alt=]]
Print media industry is highly developed in Argentina, with more than two hundred newspapers. The major national ones include ''[[Clarín (Argentine newspaper)|Clarín]]'' (centrist, Latin America's best-seller and the second most widely circulated in the Spanish-speaking world), ''[[La Nación (Buenos Aires)|La Nación]]'' (center-right, published since 1870), ''[[Página/12]]'' (leftist, founded in 1987), the [[Buenos Aires Herald]] (Latin America's most prestigious English language daily, liberal, dating back to 1876), ''[[La Voz del Interior]]'' (center, founded in 1904),{{sfn|Aeberhard|Benson|Phillips|2000|p=45}} and the ''[[Argentinisches Tageblatt]]'' (German weekly, liberal, published since 1878){{sfn|Akstinat|2013|p=20}}

Argentina began [[History of radio|the world's first regular radio broadcasting]] on 27 August 1920, when [[Richard Wagner]]'s ''[[Parsifal]]'' was aired by a team of medical students led by [[Enrique Telémaco Susini]] in Buenos Aires' [[Teatro Coliseo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pateplumaradio.com/south/misc/argendx.html|last=Moore|first=Don|title=Radio with a past in Argentina|year=1995|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130523000648/http://www.pateplumaradio.com/south/misc/argendx.html|archivedate=23 May 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{sfn|Moore|1995}} {{As of|2002|alt=By 2002}} there were 260 [[AM broadcasting|AM]] and 1150 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] registered radio stations in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mibuenosairesquerido.com/xArgentina6.htm|title=Argentina–Infraestructura|publisher=Mi Buenos Aires Querido|year=2002|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130723032928/http://www.mibuenosairesquerido.com/xArgentina6.htm|archivedate=23 July 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>

The [[Television in Argentina|Argentine television]] industry is large, diverse and popular across Latin America, with many productions and [[TV format]]s having been exported abroad. Since 1999 Argentines enjoy the highest availability of cable and satellite television in Latin America,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/tilan/statistics/cable_table.html|title=Homes with Cable TV in Latin America|publisher=LANIC – Latin American Network Information Center|place=Austin, TX, USA|year=1999|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131113022948/http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/tilan/statistics/cable_table.html|archivedate=13 November 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> {{as of|2014|lc=y}} totaling 87.4% of the country's households, a rate similar to those in the United States, Canada and Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lamac.org/argentina/metricas/total-por-tv-paga/|title=Penetración TV paga en hogares 2014 – Argentina|publisher=LAMAC – Latin American Multichannel Advertising Council|place=Coral Gables, FL, USA|year=2014|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140502045137/http://www.lamac.org/argentina/metricas/total-por-tv-paga/|archivedate=2 May 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

{{As of|2011|alt=By 2011}} Argentina also had the highest coverage of networked telecommunications among Latin American powers: about 67% of its population had internet access and 137.2%, mobile phone subscriptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internetworldstats.com/south.htm|title=South America|publisher=IWS–ITU – Internet World Stats|year=2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140402230620/http://www.internetworldstats.com/south.htm|archivedate=2 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

===Science and technology===
{{Main|Science and technology in Argentina}}
[[File:Aquarius SAC-D Launch.jpg|thumb|Argentine [[satellite]] [[SAC-D]], launched in 2011.]]
Argentines have three Nobel Prize laureates in the Sciences. [[Bernardo Houssay]], the first Latin American among them, discovered the role of [[pituitary gland|pituitary hormones]] in regulating [[glucose]] in animals. [[César Milstein]] did extensive research in [[antibody|antibodies]]. [[Luis Leloir]] discovered how organisms store energy converting glucose into [[glycogen]] and the compounds which are fundamental in [[metabolism|metabolizing]] [[carbohydrate]]s. Argentine research has led to the treatment of [[heart disease]]s and several forms of cancer. [[Domingo Liotta]] designed and developed the first [[artificial heart]] successfully implanted in a human being in 1969. [[René Favaloro]] developed the techniques and performed the world's first ever coronary [[Coronary artery bypass surgery|bypass surgery]].

Argentina's nuclear programme has been highly successful. In 1957 Argentina was the first country in Latin America to design and build a [[research reactor]] with homegrown technology, the [[RA-1 Enrico Fermi]]. This reliance in the development of own nuclear related technologies, instead of simply buying them abroad, was a constant of Argentina's nuclear programme conducted by the civilian [[National Atomic Energy Commission]] (CNEA). Nuclear facilities with Argentine technology have been built in Peru, Algeria, Australia and Egypt. In 1983, the country admitted having the capability of producing weapon-grade [[uranium]], a major step needed to assemble [[nuclear weapon]]s; since then, however, Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://carnegieendowment.org/2009/01/08/brazil-and-argentina-s-nuclear-cooperation/3jqa|title= Brazil and Argentina's Nuclear Cooperation|author= Argüello, Irma |date= 8 January 2009|publisher= Carnegie Endowment for international peace}}</ref> As a member of the Board of Governors of the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]], Argentina has been a strong voice in support of nuclear non-proliferation efforts<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26516.htm |title=Background Note: Argentina |publisher=State.gov}}</ref> and is highly committed to global nuclear security.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/04/140130.htm |title=Hillary Clinton: Argentina is on the forefront of the fight for nuclear security |publisher=State.gov |date=13 April 2010}}{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref> In 1974 it was the first country in Latin America to put in-line a commercial nuclear power plant, [[Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant|Atucha I]]. Although the Argentine built parts for that station amounted to 10% of the total, the nuclear fuel it uses are since entirely built in the country. Later nuclear power stations employed a higher percentage of Argentine built components; [[Embalse Nuclear Power Station|Embalse]], finished in 1983, a 30% and the 2011 [[Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant|Atucha II]] reactor a 40%.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tiempo.infonews.com/2012/09/29/argentina-87001-atucha-iii-se-construira-con-un-60-de-componentes-nacionales.php |title= Atucha III se construirá con un 60% de componentes nacionales |author= Reneau, Leandro |date= 29 September 2012 | publisher= Tiempo Argentino| language= Spanish}}{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref> [[File:El Arianne 5 despegando.jpeg|thumb|left|200px|Argentine satellite [[ARSAT-1 ]] launched in October, 2014 from the [[Guiana Space Centre]].]]

Despite its modest budget and numerous setbacks, academics and the sciences in Argentina have enjoyed an international respect since the turn of the 1900s, when Dr. [[Luis Agote]] devised the first safe and effective means of [[blood transfusion]] as well as [[René Favaloro]], who was a pioneer in the improvement of the [[coronary artery bypass surgery]]. Argentine scientists are still on the cutting edge in fields such as [[nanotechnology]], [[physics]], [[computer science]]s, molecular biology, oncology, ecology, and cardiology. [[Juan Maldacena]], an Argentine-American scientist, is a leading figure in [[string theory]].

Space research has also become increasingly active in Argentina. Argentine built satellites include LUSAT-1 (1990), Víctor-1 (1996), PEHUENSAT-1 (2007),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aate.org/pehuensat.html |title=PEHUENSAT-1 |language= Spanish|publisher=Asociación Argentina de Tecnología Espacial}}</ref> and those developed by [[CONAE]], the Argentine space agency, of the SAC series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://momento24.com/en/2010/03/20/argentine-satellite-sac-d-will-be-presented-in-bariloche/ |title='Argentine satellite SAC-D' will be presented in Bariloche |publisher=Momento 24}}{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref>  Argentina has its own satellite programme, nuclear power station designs (4th generation) and public nuclear energy company [[INVAP]], which provides several countries with nuclear reactors.<ref name=science>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080617145706/http://www.argentina.ar/sw_seccion.php?id=124&idioma_sel=en Science and Education in Argentina]. argentina.ar</ref> Established in 1991, the [[CONAE]] has since launched two satellites successfully and,<ref>[http://www.conae.gov.ar/eng/satelites/satelites.html satellites]{{dead link|date=August 2014}}. CONAE. Retrieved on 25 October 2012.</ref> in June 2009, secured an agreement with the [[European Space Agency]] on for the installation of a 35-m diameter antenna and other mission support facilities at the [[Pierre Auger Observatory]], the world's foremost [[cosmic ray]] observatory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.auger.org/news/releases/inauguration_release.html |title=Scientists celebrate inauguration of Pierre Auger Observatory |publisher=Pierre Auger Observatory}}</ref> The facility will contribute to numerous ESA space probes, as well as CONAE's own, domestic research projects. Chosen from 20 potential sites and one of only three such ESA installations in the world, the new antenna will create a triangulation which will allow the ESA to ensure mission coverage around the clock <ref>[http://buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/4670 Interplanetary support station to be installed in Argentina]. Buenos Aires Herald (23 June 2009). Retrieved on 25 October 2012.</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Argentina}}
{{See also|Argentine people}}
[[File:Avenida Callao al 500.jpg|thumb|[[Balvanera]], filled with picturesque Dutch style tenements.]]
In the {{census-ar|2001}}, Argentina had a population of 36,260,130, and preliminary results from the [[INDEC|2010 census]] were of 40,091,359 inhabitants.<ref name="pop2009">{{cite web|url= http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/2/proyecciones_provinciales_vol31.pdf|title= Proyecciones provinciales de población por sexo y grupos de edad 2001–2015|work=Gustavo Pérez|format= PDF|publisher=[[INDEC]]|page= 16|language=Spanish}}{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censo2010.indec.gov.ar/ |title=Censo 2010: Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas|language=Spanish|publisher=Censo2010.indec.gov.ar | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110615003729/http://www.censo2010.indec.gov.ar/| archivedate= 15 June 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref> 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. The population growth rate in 2010 was an estimated 1.03% annually, with a birth rate of 17.7 live births per 1,000 inhabitants and a mortality rate of 7.4 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The [[net migration rate]] has ranged from zero to four immigrants per 1,000 inhabitants per year.<ref name=cia>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html|title=Argentina|work=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090830153530/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html| archivedate= 30 August 2009 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

The proportion of people under 15 is 25.6%, a little below the world average of 28%, and the proportion of people 65 and older is relatively high at 10.8%. In Latin America this is second only to [[Uruguay]] and well above the world average, which is currently 7%. Argentina has one of Latin America's lowest [[population growth rate]]s, recently about 1% a year, as well as a comparatively low [[infant mortality rate]]. Its birth rate of 2.3 children per woman is still nearly twice as high as that in [[Spain]] or [[Italy]], compared here as they have similar religious practices and proportions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prb.org/pdf09/09wpds_eng.pdf |title=PRB |format=PDF | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100422034436/http://www.prb.org/pdf09/09wpds_eng.pdf| archivedate= 22 April 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref><ref>''UN Demographic Yearbook, 2007.''</ref> The median age is approximately 30 years and [[life expectancy]] at birth is 77.14 years.<ref name=cia/>

Argentina became in 2010 the first country in Latin America and the second in the Americas to allow same-sex marriage nationwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012368514_argentina16.html |title=Argentina becomes second nation in Americas to legalize gay marriage |publisher=seattletimes.nwsource.com |date= 15 July 2010|accessdate=15 July 2010 | first=Juan | last=Forero}}</ref> It was the tenth country to allow [[same-sex marriage in Argentina|same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Fastenberg |first=Dan |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2005678,00.html |title=International Gay Marriage |work=Time |date=22 July 2010 |accessdate=20 November 2011}}</ref>

===Ethnography===
{{main|Ethnography of Argentina|Immigration to Argentina}}
[[File:Norwegian Argentine kids.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Norwegian-Argentine children, during the celebration of the National Day of [[Norway]].]]
[[File:Europeans in Argentina (1914).svg|thumb|200px|Percent of European-born people in Argentina, by provinces and territories, according to the 1914 Argentine Census]]
As with other areas of new settlement such as the [[Demography of the United States|United States]], [[Demography of Canada|Canada]], [[Demography of Australia|Australia]], [[Demography of New Zealand|New Zealand]], [[Demography of Brazil|Brazil]] and [[Demography of Uruguay|Uruguay]], it is considered that Argentina is a country of immigrants.<ref name=encuesta>{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080611004448/http://www.indec.gov.ar/webcenso/ECPI/index_ecpi.asp |archivedate=11 June 2008 |url=http://www.indec.gov.ar/webcenso/ECPI/index_ecpi.asp|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina]]|title=Encuesta Complementaria de Pueblos Indígenas 2004–2005|language=es}}</ref><ref name="Coke">{{cite pmid|7815439}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1669|title=About Argentina|publisher=Government of Argentina| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090919230812/http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1669| archivedate= 19 September 2009 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Argentines usually refer to the country as a ''crisol de razas'' (crucible of races, or [[melting pot]]).

During the 18th and 19th centuries especially, Argentina was the country with the second biggest immigration wave in the world, with 6.6 million, second only to the [[USA]] in the numbers of immigrants received (27 millions) and ahead of such other areas of new settlement like Canada, Brazil and Australia.<ref name="ref1">https://web.archive.org/web/20070610215422/http://www.cels.org.ar/Site_cels/publicaciones/informes_pdf/1998.Capitulo7.pdf</ref><ref name="ref2">https://web.archive.org/web/20110814202421/http://docentes.fe.unl.pt/~satpeg/PapersInova/Labor%20and%20Immigration%20in%20LA-2005.pdf</ref>

Strikingly, at those times, the national population doubled every two decades. This belief is endured in the popular saying ''"los argentinos descienden de los barcos"'' (Argentines descend from the ships). Therefore, most Argentines are descended from the 19th- and 20th-century immigrants of the [[Immigration to Argentina|great immigration wave to Argentina]] (1850–1955),<ref name="Lizcano">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=LcabJ98-t1wC&pg=PA93|title=Composición Étnica de las Tres Áreas Culturales del Continente Americano al Comienzo del Siglo XXI|isbn=978-970-757-052-8|author=Fernández, Francisco Lizcano|year=2007}}</ref><ref name=statesmen>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Argentina.html|title=Argentina|publisher=World Statesmen.org|author=Cahoon, Ben }}</ref> with a great majority of these immigrants coming from diverse European countries. The majority of these European immigrants came from [[Italy]] and [[Spain]].<ref>
 
− [https://web.archive.org/web/20070610215422/http://www.cels.org.ar/Site_cels/publicaciones/informes_pdf/1998.Capitulo7.pdf Capítulo VII. Inmigrantes]. CELS – Informe 1998</ref> The majority of Argentines descend from multiple European ethnic groups with an Italian majority (55% of Argentines have [[Italian people|Italian]] origins), followed by [[Spanish people|Spanish]] plurality. An estimated 17% of the population also have [[French people|French]] origins, and 8% descend from [[German people|German]]s.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}}
 
Argentina is home to a significant population of [[Arab Argentine|Arab]] and partial Arab background, mostly of [[Syrian people|Syrian]] and [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] origin (in Argentina they are considered among the [[White people]], just like in the [[USA]] Census). The [[Asian Argentine|Asian]] population in the country numbers at around 180,000 individuals, most of whom are of [[Chinese people|Chinese]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarin.com/sociedad/comunidad-china-duplico-ultimos-anos_0_343165728.html|author=Sánchez, Gonzalo |title=La comunidad china en el país se duplicó en los últimos 5 años |publisher=Clarin.com|date=27 September 2010}}</ref> and [[Korean people|Korean]] descent, although an older [[Japanese people|Japanese]] community that traces back to the early 20th century also exists.

A study conducted on 218 individuals in 2010 by the Argentine geneticist Daniel Corach, has established that the genetic map of Argentina is composed by 79% from different European, mainly Italian and Spanish ethnicity, 18% of different ethnicities Native American, and 4.3% of African ethnic groups, and 63.6% of the tested group had at least one ancestor who was Indian.<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1809.2009.00556.x/full Inferring Continental Ancestry of Argentineans from Autosomal, Y-Chromosomal and Mitochondrial DNA - Corach - 2009 - Annals of Human Genetics - Wiley Online Library<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0025-76802006000200004&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es Medicina (B. Aires) vol.66 número2; Resumen: S0025-76802006000200004<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

From the 1970s, immigration has mostly been coming from [[Bolivia]], [[Paraguay]] and [[Peru]], with smaller numbers from [[Dominican Republic]], Ecuador and [[Romania]].<ref>[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/03/04/sociedad/s-01373795.htm "El varieté de la calle Florida"] (Editorial) – [[Clarín (Argentine newspaper)|Clarín]] {{es icon}}</ref> The Argentine government estimates that 750,000 inhabitants lack official documents and has launched a program<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patriagrande.gov.ar |title=Patria Grande |publisher=Patriagrande.gov.ar}}</ref> to encourage illegal immigrants to declare their status in return for two-year residence visas —so far over 670,000 applications have been processed under the program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2007/07/21/noticia_0035.html |title=Alientan la mudanza de extranjeros hacia el interior – Sociedad – |publisher=Perfil.com}}</ref>

===Languages===
{{main|Languages of Argentina}}
[[File:Dialectos del español en Argentina.svg|thumb|200px|Dialectal variants of the [[Spanish language]] in Argentina]]
The ''[[de facto]]''{{efn-ua|name=es}} official language is [[Spanish language|Spanish]], spoken by almost all Argentines.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
The country is the largest [[Hispanophone|Spanish-speaking society]] that universally employs ''[[voseo]]'', the use of the [[pronoun]] ''vos'' instead of ''tú'' ("you"), which imposes the use of alternate verb forms as well.
Due to the extensive Argentine geography, Spanish has a strong variation among regions, although the prevalent dialect is ''[[Rioplatense Spanish|Rioplatense]]'', primarily spoken in the La Plata Basin and accented similarly to [[Neapolitan language]].{{sfn|Colantoni|Gurlekian|2004|pp=107–119}} Italian and other European immigrants influenced ''[[Lunfardo]]''—the regional slang—permeating the vernacular vocabulary of other Latin American countries as well.

There are several second-languages in widespread use among the Argentine population:
* English,{{efn-ua|English is also the primary language of the disputed Falkland Islands.}} taught since [[elementary school]]. 42.3% of Argentines claim to speak it, with 15.4% of them claiming to have a high level of language comprehension.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}
* [[Italian language|Italian]], by 1.5&nbsp;million people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}{{efn-ua|Many elder people also speak a [[macaronic language]] of Italian and Spanish called ''[[cocoliche]]'', which was originated by the Italian immigrants in the late 19th century.}}
* [[Arabic language|Arabic]], specially its [[Levantine Arabic|Northern Levantine dialect]], by one million people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
* [[Standard German]], by 400,000 people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}{{efn-ua|It gave origin to a mixture of Spanish and German called ''[[Belgranodeutsch]]''.}}
* [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]], by 200,000 people,{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} the [[Jewish Argentine|largest Jewish population]] in Latin America and 7th in the world.{{sfn|DellaPergola|2013|pp=25–26, 49–50}}
* [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]], by 200,000 people,{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} mostly in Corrientes (where it is official ''de jure'') and Misiones.<ref name=gn/>
* [[Catalan language|Catalan]], by 174,000 people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
* [[French language|French]], including the rare [[Occitan language]].
* [[Quechua language|Quechua]], by 65,000 people, mostly in the Northwest.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
* [[Wichí languages|Wichí]], by 53,700 people, mainly in Chaco{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} where, along with [[Kom language (South America)|Kom]] and [[Moqoit language|Moqoit]], it is official ''de jure''.<ref name=kom/>
* [[Vlax Romani language|Vlax Romani]], by 52,000 people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} 
* [[Japanese language|Japanese]], by 32,000 people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} 
* [[Aymara language|Aymara]], by 30,000 people, mostly in the Northwest.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
* [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], by 27,000 people.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}}
* [[Welsh language|Welsh]], including its [[Patagonian Welsh|Patagonian dialect]], in which 25,000 people are fluent.{{sfn|Lewis|Simons|Fennig|2014}} Some districts have recently incorporated it as an educational language.{{sfn|Aeberhard|Benson|Phillips|2000|p=602}}

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Argentina}}
[[File:Papa Francisco en Canonizazion de Juan XXIII y Juan Pablo II.PNG|thumb|200px|[[Pope Francis|Francis]], the first pope from the New World, was born and raised in Argentina.|alt=]]
The Constitution guarantees [[freedom of religion]].{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=arts. 14, 20}} Although it enforces neither an official nor a state faith,{{sfnm|1a1=Fayt|1y=1985|1p=347|2a1=Bidart Campos|2y=2005|2p=53}} it gives [[Roman Catholicism]] a differential status.{{sfn|Constitution of Argentina|loc=art. 2}}{{efn-ua|In practice this privileged status amounts to tax-exempt school subsidies and licensing preferences for radio broadcasting frequencies.<ref name=irfr1>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|title=International Religious Freedom Report 2012 – Argentina|publisher=US Department of State|place=Washington, D. C.|year=2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140412184054/http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|archivedate=12 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>}}

According to a CONICET poll, Argentines are 76.5% Catholic, 11.3% [[Agnostic]]s and [[Atheist]]s, 9% [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestants]], 1.2% [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], 0.9% [[Mormon]]s; 1.2% follow other religions, including [[Islam]], [[Judaism]] and [[Buddhism]].{{sfn|Mallimaci|Esquivel|Irrazábal|2008|p=9}}

The country is home to both the [[Islam in Argentina|largest Muslim]]<ref name=irfr1/> and [[Jewish Argentine|largest Jewish]] communities in Latin America, the latter being the 7th most populous in the world.{{sfn|DellaPergola|2013|p=50}} Argentina is a member of the [[International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance]].<ref name=irfr1/>

Argentines show high individualization and de-institutionalization of religious beliefs;{{sfn|Mallimaci|Esquivel|Irrazábal|2008|p=21}} 23.8% of them claim to always attend religious services; 49.1%, to seldom do and 26.8%, to never do.{{sfn|Mallimaci|Esquivel|Irrazábal|2008|p=24}}

On 13 March 2013, Argentine [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[Jorge Mario Bergoglio]] was elected as [[Pope of the Catholic Church]] and took the name "Francis", becoming the first pope from the [[Americas]] and from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European pope in 1272 years, and the first [[Jesuit]] one.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/world/europe/cardinals-elect-new-pope.html|title=Cardinals Pick Bergoglio, Who Will Be Pope Francis|last=Donadio|first=Rachel|work=The New York Times|publisher=|place=New York, NY, USA|date=13 March 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140326231033/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/world/europe/cardinals-elect-new-pope.html|archivedate=26 March 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

===Urbanization===
{{see also|List of cities in Argentina by population}}
Argentina is highly urbanized, with 92% of its population living in cities:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/urbanization.html|title=Argentina – Urbanization|publisher=Index Mundi – CIA World Factbook|date=26 July 2012|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121102145553/http://www.indexmundi.com/ARGENTINA/urbanization.html|archivedate=2 November 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> the ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population.
About 3&nbsp;million people live in the city of Buenos Aires, and including the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area it totals around 13&nbsp;million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world.<ref name=majorcities>{{cite web|url=http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1484|title=About Argentina – Major Cities|publisher=Government of Argentina|place=Buenos Aires|date=19 September 2009| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090919212817/http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1484| archivedate=19 September 2009|deadurl=yes}}</ref>

The metropolitan areas of Córdoba and Rosario have around 1.3&nbsp;million inhabitants each.<ref name=majorcities/> Mendoza, San Miguel de Tucumán, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe have at least half a million people each.<ref name=majorcities/>

The population is unequally distributed: about 60% live in the Pampas region (21% of the total area), including 15&nbsp;million people in Buenos Aires province. The provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe, and the city of Buenos Aires have 3&nbsp;million each. Seven other provinces have over one million people each: Mendoza, Tucumán, Entre Ríos, Salta, Chaco, Corrientes and Misiones. With {{convert|64.3|PD/km2}}, Tucumán is the only Argentine province more densely populated than the world average; by contrast, the southern province of Santa Cruz has around {{convert|1.1|/km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://200.51.91.231/censo2010/ | title = República Argentina por provincia. Densidad de población. Año 2010 | publisher = INDEC | language = Spanish | accessdate = 6 March 2015}}</ref>
{{Largest cities of Argentina}}

===Education===
{{main|Education in Argentina}}
[[File:World literacy map UNHD 2007 2008-ar.png|thumb|250px|Argentina has historically been placed high in the [[List of countries by literacy rate|global rankings of literacy]], with rates similar to those of developed countries.|alt=]]
The Argentine education system consists of four levels:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portal.educacion.gov.ar/sistema/la-estructura-del-sistema-educativo/|title=El Sistema Educativo – Acerca del Sistema Educativo Argentino|publisher=Ministerio de Educación – Presidencia de la Nación|place=Buenos Aires|year=2009|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140226041917/http://portal.educacion.gov.ar/sistema/la-estructura-del-sistema-educativo/|archivedate=26 February 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
* An initial level for children between 45 days to 5 years old, with the last year being compulsory.
* An elementary or [[lower school]] mandatory level lasting 6 or 7 years.{{efn-ua|name=leveldiff|Level duration depends on jurisdiction.}} {{As of|2010|alt=In 2010}} the [[literacy rate]] was 98.07%.<ref name=educ1>{{cite web|url=http://www.indec.gov.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/5/P7-P_Total_pais.xls|format=XLS|title=Población de 10 años y más por condición de alfabetismo y sexo, según provincia. Año 2010|work=Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2010|publisher=INDEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos|place=Buenos Aires|year=2010|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140226003634/http://www.indec.gov.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/5/P7-P_Total_pais.xls|archivedate=26 February 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
* A secondary or [[high school]] mandatory level lasting 5 or 6 years.{{efn-ua|name=leveldiff}} {{as of|2010|alt=In 2010}} 18.3% of people over age 15 had completed secondary school.<ref name=educ2>{{cite web|url=http://www.indec.gov.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/5/P29-Total_pais.xls|format=XLS|title=Total del país. Población de 5 años y más que asistió a un establecimiento educativo por nivel de educación alcanzado y completud del nivel, según sexo y grupo de edad. Año 2010|work=Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2010|publisher=INDEC – Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos|place=Buenos Aires|year=2010|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140226003726/http://www.indec.gov.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/5/P29-Total_pais.xls|archivedate=26 February 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
* A [[Higher education|higher level]], divided in tertiary, university and post-graduate sub-levels. {{As of|2013|alt=in 2013}} there were 47 [[List of Argentine universities|national public universities]] across the country, as well as 46 private ones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portales.educacion.gov.ar/spu/sistema-universitario/|title=Sistema Universitario|publisher=Ministerio de Educación – Presidencia de la Nación|place=Buenos Aires|year=2011|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140209070100/http://portales.educacion.gov.ar/spu/sistema-universitario/|archivedate=9 February 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> {{As of|2010|alt=In 2010}} 6.3% of people over age 20 had graduated from university.<ref name=educ2/> The public universities of [[University of Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]], [[Universidad Nacional de Córdoba|Córdoba]], [[Universidad Nacional de La Plata|La Plata]], [[Universidad Nacional de Rosario|Rosario]], and the [[National Technological University]] are some of the most important.

The Argentine state guarantees universal, secular and free-of-charge public education for all levels.{{efn-ua|The post-graduate sub-level of higher education is usually paid.}} Responsibility for educational supervision is organized at the federal and individual provincial states. In the last decades the role of the private sector has grown across all educational stages.

===Health care===
{{Main|Health care in Argentina}}
[[File:Plaza Houssay Av Córdoba Facultad Medicina.jpg|thumb|The University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, alma mater to many of the country's 3,000 medical graduates, annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ama-med.org.ar/ |title=AMA |publisher=Ama-med.org.ar | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100413102652/http://www.ama-med.org.ar/| archivedate= 13 April 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref>]]
Health care is provided through a combination of employer and labor union-sponsored plans (''Obras Sociales''), government insurance plans, public hospitals and clinics and through private health insurance plans. Health care cooperatives number over 300 (of which 200 are related to [[Trade union|labor unions]]) and provide health care for half the population; the national INSSJP (popularly known as PAMI) covers nearly all of the five million senior citizens.<ref name=iadb>{{cite web|url=http://www.iadb.org/sds/doc/Desregulacion.pdf |title=IADB |publisher=IADB}}</ref>

There are more than 153,000 hospital beds, 121,000 physicians and 37,000 dentists (ratios comparable to [[developed country|developed nations]]).<ref name=deis>[http://www.deis.gov.ar/Publicaciones/Archivos/Serie5Nro52.pdf ESTADISTICAS VITALES – INFORMACION BASICA AÑO 2008]. Ministry of Health (December 2009)</ref><ref name=undata>[http://undata.un.org/ UNData]</ref> The relatively high access to medical care has historically resulted in mortality patterns and trends similar to developed nations': from 1953 to 2005, deaths from [[cardiovascular disease]] increased from 20% to 23% of the total, those from [[tumors]] from 14% to 20%, [[respiratory]] problems from 7% to 14%, [[digestive system|digestive]] maladies (non-infectious) from 7% to 11%, strokes a steady 7%, injuries, 6%, and [[infection|infectious]] diseases, 4%. Causes related to [[senility]] led to many of the rest. Infant deaths have fallen from 19% of all deaths in 1953 to 3% in 2005.<ref name=deis/><ref name=un57>''UN Demographic Yearbook. 1957.''</ref>

The availability of health care has also reduced [[infant mortality]] from 70 per 1000 live births in 1948<ref name=un97>''UN Demographic Yearbook. Historical Statistics. 1997''.</ref> to 12.1 in 2009<ref name=deis/> and raised [[life expectancy|life expectancy at birth]] from 60 years to 76.<ref name=un97/> Though these figures compare favorably with global averages, they fall short of levels in developed nations and in 2006, Argentina ranked fourth in Latin America.<ref name=undata/>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Argentina}}
{{see also|List of Argentines}}
Argentina is a [[multiculturalism|multicultural country]] with significant European influences. Its cities are largely characterized by both the prevalence of people of European descent, and of conscious imitation of European styles in fashion, architecture and design.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=91}} The other big influence is the [[gaucho]]s and their traditional country lifestyle of self-reliance.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=123}} Finally, indigenous American traditions have been absorbed into the general cultural milieu.

===Literature===
{{main|Argentine literature}}
[[File:Argentine literature.jpg|thumb|200px|Four of the most influential Argentine writers. Top-left to bottom-right: [[Julio Cortázar]], [[Victoria Ocampo]], [[Jorge Luis Borges]] and [[Adolfo Bioy Casares]]|alt=Mosaic image showing the four photographs]]
Although Argentina's rich literary history began around 1550,{{sfn|Rivas|1989|p=11}} it reached full independence with [[Esteban Echeverría]]'s ''[[El Matadero]]'', a [[Romantic literature|romantic]] landmark that played a significant role in the development of 19th century's Argentine narrative,{{sfn|Foster|Lockhart|Lockhart|1998|p=99}} split by the ideological divide between the popular, federalist epic of [[José Hernández (writer)|José Hernández]]' ''[[Martín Fierro]]'' and the elitist and cultured discourse of [[Domingo Faustino Sarmiento|Sarmiento]]'s masterpiece, ''[[Facundo]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Foster|1a2=Lockhart|1a3=Lockhart|1y=1998|1pp=13, 101|2a1=Young|2a2=Cisneros|2y=2010|2p=51}}

The [[Modernist literature|Modernist]] movement advanced into the 20th century including exponents such as [[Leopoldo Lugones]] and poet [[Alfonsina Storni]];{{sfn|Young|Cisneros|2010|pp=51–52}} it was followed by [[Vanguardism]], with [[Ricardo Güiraldes]]'s ''[[Don Segundo Sombra]]'' as an important reference.{{sfnm|1a1=Foster|1a2=Lockhart|1a3=Lockhart|1y=1998|1pp=104, 107–109|2a1=Young|2a2=Cisneros|2y=2010|2p=223}}

[[Jorge Luis Borges]], Argentina's most acclaimed writer and one of the foremost figures in the [[history of literature]],{{sfn|Bloom|1994|p=2}} found new ways of looking at the modern world in [[metaphor]] and philosophical debate and his influence has extended to authors all over the globe. Short stories such as ''[[Ficciones]]'' and ''[[The Aleph (short story collection)|The Aleph]]'' are among his most famous books. He was a friend and collaborator with [[Adolfo Bioy Casares]], who wrote one of the most praised [[science fiction]] [[novel]]s, ''[[The Invention of Morel]]''.{{sfn|Young|Cisneros|2010|pp=52, 80}}
[[Julio Cortázar]], one of the leading members of the [[Latin American Boom]] and a major name in 20th century literature,{{sfn|Young|Cisneros|2010|pp=79, 144}} influenced an entire generation of writers in the Americas and Europe.{{sfn|Young|Cisneros|2010|pp=3, 144}}

Other highly regarded Argentine writers, poets and [[essay]]ists include [[Estanislao del Campo]], [[Eugenio Cambaceres]], [[Pedro Bonifacio Palacios]], [[Hugo Wast]], [[Benito Lynch]], [[Enrique Banchs]], [[Oliverio Girondo]], [[Ezequiel Martínez Estrada]], [[Victoria Ocampo]], [[Leopoldo Marechal]], [[Silvina Ocampo]], [[Roberto Arlt]], [[Eduardo Mallea]], [[Manuel Mujica Láinez]], [[Ernesto Sábato]], [[Silvina Bullrich]], [[Rodolfo Walsh]], [[María Elena Walsh]], [[Tomás Eloy Martínez]], [[Manuel Puig]], [[Alejandra Pizarnik]], and [[Osvaldo Soriano]].{{sfnm|1a1=Foster|1a2=Lockhart|1a3=Lockhart|1y=1998|1pp=66, 85, 97–121||2a1=McCloskey|2a2=Burford|2y=2006|3p=43|3a1=Díaz|3y=2010|3pp=22, 91|4a1=Young|4a2=Cisneros|4y=2010|4pp=51–54}}

===Music===
{{main|Music of Argentina}}
[[File:Gardel.jpg|thumb|200px|Argentine singer and songwriter [[Carlos Gardel]], perhaps the most prominent figure in the [[history of tango]]<div  style="text-align:center; clear:both; margin-top:4px; padding-top:4px; border-top:1px solid #aaa;">[[:File:Carlos Gardel - Por Una Cabeza.ogg|''Por una Cabeza'']][[File:Carlos Gardel - Por Una Cabeza.ogg|noicon|196px|Por una Cabeza. Tango|alt=One of Gardel's most famous compositions]]</div>|alt=Black and white photograph of Gardel]]
[[Tango]], a ''[[Río de la Plata|Rioplatense]]'' musical genre with European and African influences,{{sfn|Miller|2004|p=86}} is one of Argentina's international cultural symbols.{{sfn|Foster|Lockhart|Lockhart|1998|p=121}}
The golden age of tango (1930 to mid-1950s) mirrored that of [[jazz]] and [[swing music|swing]] in the United States, featuring large orchestras like those of [[Osvaldo Pugliese]], [[Aníbal Troilo]], [[Francisco Canaro]], [[Julio de Caro]] and [[Juan d'Arienzo]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=43}}
After 1955, virtuoso [[Ástor Piazzolla]] popularized ''[[Nuevo tango]]'', a subtler and more intellectual trend for the genre.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=43}}
Tango enjoys worldwide popularity nowadays with groups like [[Gotan Project]], [[Bajofondo]] and [[Tanghetto]].

Argentina developed strong classical music and dance scenes that gave rise to renowned artists such as [[Alberto Ginastera]], composer; [[Alberto Lysy]], violinist; [[Martha Argerich]] and [[Eduardo Delgado]], pianists; [[Daniel Barenboim]], pianist and [[symphonic orchestra]] director; [[José Cura]] and [[Marcelo Álvarez]], tenors; and to [[ballet dancer]]s [[Jorge Donn]], [[José Neglia]], [[Norma Fontenla]], [[Maximiliano Guerra]], [[Paloma Herrera]], [[Marianela Núñez]], [[Iñaki Urlezaga]] and [[Julio Bocca]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=43}}

A national Argentine folk style emerged in the 1930s from dozens of regional musical genres and went to influence the entirety of [[Latin American music]]. Some of its interpreters, like [[Atahualpa Yupanqui]] and [[Mercedes Sosa]], achieved worldwide acclaim.

The [[romantic ballad]] genre included singers of international fame such as [[Sandro de América]].

[[Argentine rock]] developed as a distinct musical style in the mid-1960s, when Buenos Aires and Rosario became cradles of aspiring musicians.
Founding bands like [[Los Gatos]], [[Sui Generis]], [[Almendra (band)|Almendra]] and [[Manal]] were followed by [[Seru Giran]], [[Los Abuelos de la Nada]], [[Soda Stereo]] and [[Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota]], with prominent artists including [[Litto Nebbia]], [[Andrés Calamaro]], [[Luis Alberto Spinetta]], [[Charly García]], [[Fito Paez]] and [[León Gieco]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=43}}

[[Tenor saxophone|Tenor saxophonist]] [[Gato Barbieri|Leandro "Gato" Barbieri]] and composer and [[big band]] conductor [[Lalo Schifrin]] are among the most internationally successful Argentine jazz musicians.

===Theatre and cinema===
{{main|Theatre in Argentina|Cinema of Argentina}}
[[File:Colon-interior-escenario-TM.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Teatro Colón]],  the third best opera house in the world.|alt=View of the theatre's stage]]
Buenos Aires is one of the great theater capitals of the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/cndy/2005-10/17/content_485395.htm|title=Eclectic dramatic mix to grace Shanghai stages|publisher=China Daily|date=17 October 2005|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140419052502/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/cndy/2005-10/17/content_485395.htm|archivedate=19 April 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radarmagazine.com.au/en/?p=1558|title=Buenos Aires – A Passionate City|publisher=Radar Magazine|date=10 February 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130503182412/http://www.radarmagazine.com.au/en/?p=1558|archivedate=3 May 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> with a scene of international caliber centered around [[Corrientes Avenue]], "the street that never sleeps", sometimes referred to as an intellectual [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in Buenos Aires.{{sfn|Foster|Lockhart|Lockhart|1998|p=48}} [[Teatro Colón]] is a global landmark for [[opera]] and classical performances; its acoustics are considered among the world's top five.{{sfn|Long|2009|pp=21–25}}{{efn-ua|The other top venues being Berlin's [[Konzerthaus Berlin|Konzerthaus]], Vienna's [[Musikverein]], Amsterdam's [[Concertgebouw]] and Boston's [[Symphony Hall, Boston|Symphony Hall]].{{sfn|Long|2009|pp=21–25}}}} Other important theatrical venues include [[Teatro General San Martín]], [[Cervantes Theatre (Buenos Aires)|Cervantes]], both in Buenos Aires City; [[Teatro Argentino de La Plata|Argentino]] in La Plata, [[Teatro El Círculo|El Círculo]] in Rosario, [[Teatro Independencia|Independencia]] in Mendoza, and [[Libertador Theatre|Libertador]] in Córdoba.
[[Griselda Gambaro]], [[Copi]], [[Roberto Cossa]], [[Marco Denevi]], [[Carlos Gorostiza]], and [[Alberto Vaccarezza]] are a few of the most prominent Argentine playwrights.

Development of Argentine cinema started in 1896; by the early 1930s it had already become Latin America's leading film producer, a place it kept until the early 1950s.{{sfn|King|2000|p=36}}
The world's first [[list of animated feature films|animated feature films]] were made and released in Argentina, by cartoonist [[Quirino Cristiani]], in 1917 and 1918.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.4/articles/bendazzi1.4.html|title=Quirino Cristiani, The Untold Story of Argentina's Pioneer Animator|first=Giannalberto|last=Bendazzi|publisher=Animation World Network|year=1996|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130928121624/http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.4/articles/bendazzi1.4.html|archivedate=28 September 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>

Argentine films have achieved worldwide recognition: the country has won fourteen [[Goya Award for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film|Goya Awards for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film]]—being by far the most awarded—and is also the only Latin American country that has won an [[Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film]], with ''[[The Official Story]]'' (1985) and ''[[The Secret in Their Eyes]]'' (2009).
In addition, Argentine composers [[Luis Enrique Bacalov]] and [[Gustavo Santaolalla]] have been honored with [[Academy Award for Best Original Score]] nods.
Many other Argentine films have been acclaimed by the international critique: ''[[Camila (film)|Camila]]'' (1984), ''[[Man Facing Southeast]]'' (1986), ''[[A Place in the World (film)|A Place in the World]]'' (1992), ''[[Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes]]'' (1997), ''[[Nine Queens]]'' (2000), ''[[A Red Bear (film)|A Red Bear]]'' (2002), ''[[The Motorcycle Diaries (film)|The Motorcycle Diaries]]'' (2004), ''[[The Aura]]'' (2005), ''[[Chinese Take-Away]]'' (2011) and ''[[Wild Tales (film)|Wild Tales]]'' (2014) being some of them.

{{As of|2013|alt=In 2013}} about 100 full-length motion pictures were being created annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.german-films.de/fileadmin/mediapool/pdf/Marktanalyse/MarketStudy_ARGENTINA_Aug2013.pdf|format=PDF|title=Market Study – Argentina|publisher=German Films|place=Munich, Germany|date=August 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140611142447/http://www.german-films.de/fileadmin/mediapool/pdf/Marktanalyse/MarketStudy_ARGENTINA_Aug2013.pdf|archivedate=11 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

===Visual arts===
{{See also|Argentine painting}}
[[File:Buenos Aires - Las Nereidas.jpg|thumb|200px|Detail of ''The Nereids Fountain'' by [[Lola Mora]].|alt=Carrara marble sculpture showing the Nereids helping the birth of Venus]]
Some of the best-known Argentine painters are [[Cándido López]] and [[Florencio Molina Campos]] ([[Naïve art|Naïve style]]); [[Ernesto de la Cárcova]] and [[Eduardo Sívori]] ([[Realism (art)|Realism]]); [[Fernando Fader]] ([[Impressionism]]); [[Pío Collivadino]], [[Atilio Malinverno]] and [[Cesáreo Bernaldo de Quirós]] ([[Postimpressionism]]); [[Emilio Pettoruti]] ([[Cubism]]); [[Julio Barragán]] ([[Concretism (art)|Concretism]] and Cubism) [[Antonio Berni]] ([[Neofigurativism]]); [[Roberto Aizenberg]] and [[Xul Solar]] ([[Surrealism]]); [[Gyula Košice]] ([[Constructivism (art)|Constructivism]]); [[Eduardo Mac Entyre]] ([[Generative art]]); [[Juan Del Prete]] ([[Futucubism]]); [[Luis Seoane]], [[Carlos Torrallardona]], [[Luis Aquino (painter)|Luis Aquino]], and [[Alfredo Gramajo Gutiérrez]] ([[Modernism]]); [[Lucio Fontana]] ([[Spatialism]]); [[Tomás Maldonado]] and [[Guillermo Kuitca]] ([[Abstract art]]); [[León Ferrari]] and [[Marta Minujín]] ([[Conceptual art]]); and [[Gustavo Cabral]] ([[Fantasy art]]).

In 1946 Gyula Košice and others created The [[Madí Movement]] in Argentina, which then spread to Europe and United States, where it had a significant impact.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stewart|first=Jennifer|title=Lively, playful geometric works of art for fun|work=St. Petersburg Times|place=St. Petersburg, FL|date=16 July 2006}}</ref>
Tomás Maldonado was one of the main theorists of the [[Ulm School of Design|Ulm Model]] of design education, still highly influential globally.

Other Argentine artists of worldwide fame include [[Adolfo Bellocq]], whose [[lithograph]]s have been influential since the 1920s, and [[Benito Quinquela Martín]], the quintessential port painter, inspired by the immigrant-bound [[La Boca]] neighborhood.

Internationally laureate sculptors [[Erminio Blotta]], [[Lola Mora]] and [[Rogelio Yrurtia]] authored many of the classical evocative monuments of the Argentine cityscape.

===Architecture===
{{main|Architecture of Argentina}}
{{Multiple image
|align =left
|direction=vertical
|width =210
|image1=190 - Buenos Aires - Galerias Pacifico - Janvier 2010.jpg
|caption1=
|image2=Galerías Pacífico.jpg
|caption2=''Argentine Bon Marché'', inside of [[Galerías Pacífico]].
}}
The colonization brought the [[Spanish Baroque architecture]], which can still be appreciated in its simpler ''Rioplatense'' style in the [[Indian Reductions|reduction]] of [[San Ignacio Miní]], the [[Cathedral of Córdoba (Argentina)|Cathedral of Córdoba]], and the Cabildo of Luján. Italian and French influences increased at the beginning of the 19th century with strong [[Eclectic architecture|eclectic]] overtones that gave the local architecture a unique feeling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20130226-preserving-history-in-buenos-aires|title=Preserving history in Buenos Aires|last=Martínez-Carter|first=Karina|publisher=BBC Travel|date=14 March 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140123055257/http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20130226-preserving-history-in-buenos-aires|archivedate=23 January 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>

Numerous Argentine architects have enriched their own country's cityscape and those around the world: [[Juan Antonio Buschiazzo]] helped popularize [[Beaux-Arts architecture]] and [[Francisco Gianotti]] combined [[Art Nouveau]] with [[Italianate]] styles, each adding flair to Argentine cities during the early 20th century. [[Francisco Salamone]] and [[Viktor Sulčič]] left an [[Art Deco]] legacy, and [[Alejandro Bustillo]] created a prolific body of [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] and [[Rationalist architecture]]. [[Alberto Prebisch]] and [[Amancio Williams]] were highly influenced by [[Le Corbusier]], while [[Clorindo Testa]] introduced [[Brutalist architecture]] locally. [[César Pelli]]'s and [[Patricio Pouchulu]]'s [[Futurist architecture|Futurist]] creations have graced cities worldwide: Pelli's 1980s throwbacks to the Art Deco glory of the 1920s made him one of the world's most prestigious architects, with the [[Norwest Center]] and the [[Petronas Towers]] among his most celebrated creations.

===Cuisine===
{{main|Argentine cuisine}}
[[File:Bife de chorizo (2).jpg|thumb|200px|[[Argentine beef]] as ''[[asado]]'', a traditional dish|alt=Table with a cut of Argentine beef, wine, sauces and spices]]
Besides many of the pasta, sausage and dessert dishes common to continental Europe, Argentines enjoy a wide variety of Indigenous and [[Criollo people|Criollo]] creations, including ''[[empanada]]s'' (a small stuffed pastry), ''[[locro]]'' (a mixture of corn, beans, meat, bacon, onion, and gourd), ''[[humita]]'' and ''[[mate (beverage)|mate]]''.{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|pp=79, 199, 221}}

The country has the highest consumption of [[red meat]] in the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.choicesmagazine.org/2006-2/tilling/2006-2-12.htm|last=Steiger|first=Carlos|title=Modern Beef Production in Brazil and Argentina|publisher=Choices Magazine|place=Milwaukee, WI, USA|year=2006|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131202235801/http://www.choicesmagazine.org/2006-2/tilling/2006-2-12.htm|archivedate=2 December 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> traditionally prepared as ''[[asado]]'', the Argentine barbecue. It is made with various types of meats, often including ''[[chorizo]]'', [[sweetbread]], [[chitterlings]], and [[blood sausage]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|p=79}}

Common desserts include ''[[facturas]]'' ([[Viennese cuisine|Viennese-style]] pastry), [[cake]]s and [[pancake]]s filled with ''[[dulce de leche]]'' (a sort of milk [[caramel]] jam), ''[[alfajor]]es'' (shortbread cookies sandwiched together with chocolate, ''dulce de leche'' or a fruit paste), and ''[[torta frita|tortas fritas]]'' (fried cakes){{sfnm|1a1=Aeberhard|1a2=Benson|1a3=Phillips|1y=2000|1p=31|2a1=McCloskey|2a2=Burford|2a3=2006|2pp=80, 143}}

[[Argentine wine]], one of the world's finest,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wine-pages.com/resources/argenexp.htm|first=Tom|last=Cannavan|title=About Argentine wine|publisher=Wine Pages|date=|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121211132347/http://www.wine-pages.com/resources/argenexp.htm|archivedate=11 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> is an integral part of the local menu. [[Malbec]], [[Torrontés]], [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], [[Syrah]] and [[Chardonnay]] are some of the most sought-after [[international varieties|varieties]].{{sfn|McCloskey|Burford|2006|pp=230, 252, 261–262, 265}}

===Sport===
{{main|Sport in Argentina}}
[[File:Messi in Germany and Argentina face off in the final of the World Cup 2014 -2014-07-13 (24).jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Lionel Messi]], four times [[FIFA Ballon d'Or]] winner, is the current captain of the [[Argentina national football team]]]]
Argentina has a varied sporting culture, with a rich story among the world's elite in several disciplines, including:
* ''[[Pato]]'': the [[national sport]],<ref name=pato1>{{cite Argentine law|d=17468/1953|date=25 de septiembre de 1953|bo=17490}}</ref> an ancient horseback game locally originated in the early 1600s and predecessor of [[horseball]].{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|pp=124–125}}<ref name=pato2>{{cite web|url=http://www.en.argentina.ar/_en/sports/C480-pato-argentinas-national-sport.php|title=Pato, Argentina's national sport|work=Argentina – Portal público de noticias de la República Argentina|publisher=Secretaría de Medios de Comunicación – Presidencia de la Nación|place=Buenos Aires|date=18 November 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110706075011/http://www.en.argentina.ar/_en/sports/C480-pato-argentinas-national-sport.php|archivedate=6 July 2011|deadurl=no|quote=In 1610, thirty years after [[Buenos Aires]]' second foundation and two hundred years before the [[May Revolution]], a document drafted by the military anthropologist [[Félix de Azara]] described a ''pato'' sport scene taking place in the city.}}</ref>
* [[Association Football|Football]]: {{as of|2014|lc=y}} the [[Argentina national football team|men's national team]] is, along with France's, the only to have won the most important international triplet: [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], [[FIFA Confederations Cup|Confederations Cup]], and [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Gold Medal]]. It has also won 14 [[Copa América|Copas América]], 6 [[Football at the Pan American Games|Pan American Gold Medals]], and many other trophies.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|pp=14–23}} [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]], [[Diego Maradona]], and [[Lionel Messi]] are among the best players in the game's history.{{sfn|Friedman|2007|pp=56, 127}}
* [[Rugby Union|Rugby]]: {{as of|2014|lc=y}} the [[Argentina national rugby union team|men's national team]], known as 'Los Pumas' has competed at the [[Rugby World Cup]] each time it has been held, achieving their highest ever result in [[2007 Rugby World Cup|2007]] when they came third. Since [[2012 Rugby Championship|2012]] the Los Pumas have competed against [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]], [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] & [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] in [[The Rugby Championship]], the premier international Rugby competition in the Southern Hemisphere. Since 2009 the [[Argentina Jaguars|men's national 'A' team]] known as the 'Los Jaguares' has competed against the [[USA Selects|USA]] & [[Canada A national rugby union team|Canada]] 'A' teams along with [[Uruguay national rugby union team|Uruguay]] in the [[Americas Rugby Championship]], The Los Jaguares have won every year the competition has been competed.
* [[Auto racing]]: [[Juan Manuel Fangio]] was five times [[Formula One]] world champion under four different teams, winning 102 of his 184 international races, and is widely ranked as the greatest driver of all time.{{sfnm|1a1=Nauright|1a2=Parrish|1y=2012|1p=98|2a1=Dougall|2y=2013|2pp=170–171}} Other distinguished racers were [[Oscar Alfredo Gálvez]], [[Juan Gálvez]], [[Froilán González]], and [[Carlos Reutemann]].{{sfnm|1a1=Arbena|1y=1999|1p=147|2a1=Dougall|2y=2013|2pp=170–171, 195}}
* [[Basketball]]: {{as of|2014|lc=y}} the [[Argentina national basketball team|men's national team]] is the only one in the [[FIBA Americas]] zone that has won the quintuplet crown: [[FIBA World Championship|World Championship]], [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Gold Medal]], [[FIBA Diamond Ball|Diamond Ball]], [[FIBA Americas Championship|Americas Championship]], and [[Basketball at the Pan American Games|Pan American Gold Medal]]. It has also conquered 13 [[South American Basketball Championship|South American Championship]]s, and many other tournaments.<ref name=fiba1>{{cite web|url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/team/p/rid//sid/6241/tid/237/profile.html|title=Argentina – Profile|publisher=FIBA – ''Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball'' [International Basketball Federation]|place=Mies, Switzerland|year=2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140616165816/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/14/wcm/team/p/rid//sid/6241/tid/237/profile.html|archivedate=16 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> [[Emanuel Ginóbili]], [[Luis Scola]], [[Andrés Nocioni]], [[Fabricio Oberto]], [[Pablo Prigioni]] and [[Juan Ignacio Sánchez]] are a few of the country's most acclaimed players, all of them part of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]].{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=11}}
* [[Boxing]]: Argentina has produced some of the most formidable champions for the sport, including [[Carlos Monzón]], the best [[middleweight]] in history;<ref name=thering1>{{cite web|url=http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/169390-10-best-middleweight-titleholders-of-the-last-50-years/11|last=Fischer|first=Doug|title=10: Best middleweight titleholders of the last 50 years|publisher=The Ring|place=Blue Bell, PA, USA|date=30 September 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140615032944/http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/169390-10-best-middleweight-titleholders-of-the-last-50-years/11|archivedate=15 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> [[Pascual Pérez (boxer)|Pascual Pérez]], one of the most decorated [[flyweight]] boxers of all times; [[Víctor Galíndez]], {{as of|2009|lc=y}} record holder for consecutive world [[light heavyweight]] title defenses; and [[Nicolino Locche]], nicknamed "The Untouchable" for his masterful defense; they are all inductees into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]].{{sfn|Rodríguez|2009|pp=164–165}}
* [[Tennis]]: [[Guillermo Vilas]], the greatest Latin American player of the [[History of tennis|Open Era]],{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=144}} and [[Gabriela Sabatini]], the most accomplished Argentine female player of all time—having reached #3 in the [[WTA Ranking]],{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=135}} are both inductees into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]].<ref name=ithf1>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/members|title=Hall of Fame Members|publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum|place=Newport, RI, USA|year=2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140214070259/http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/members|archivedate=14 February 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
* [[Field hockey]]: the [[Argentina women's national field hockey team|women's national team ''Las Leonas'']] is one of the world's most successful, with four Olympic medals, two World Cups and six [[Hockey Champions Trophy]].{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=11}} [[Luciana Aymar]] is recognized as the best female player in the history of the game,<ref name=hwc1>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com/video/meet-luciana-aymar-las-leonas-argentina|title=Meet Luciana Aymar – Las Leonas (Argentina)|publisher=Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014|place=Nieuwegein, The Netherlands|year=2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140616131926/http://www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com/video/meet-luciana-aymar-las-leonas-argentina|archivedate=16 June 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> being the only person to have received the [[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year Award]] eight times.<ref name=fih1>{{cite web|url=http://www.fih.ch/en/news-4873-amazing-aymar-lands-eighth-fih-player-of|title=Amazing Aymar lands eighth FIH Player of the Year crown|publisher=FIH – ''Fédération Internationale de Hockey sur Gazon'' [International Hockey Federation]|place=Lausanne, Switzerland|date=8 December 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131212013213/http://www.fih.ch/en/news-4873-amazing-aymar-lands-eighth-fih-player-of|archivedate=12 December 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> 
* [[Polo]]: where Argentina reigns undisputed, having won more international championships than any other country and been seldom beaten since the 1930s.{{sfn|Aeberhard|Benson|Phillips|2000|pp=50–51}} The [[Argentine Polo Championship]] is the sport's most important international team trophy. The country is home to most of the world's top players, among them [[Adolfo Cambiaso]], the best in Polo history.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=128}}

===National symbols===
{{main|National symbols of Argentina}}
Some of Argentina's national symbols are defined by law, while others are traditions lacking formal designation.<ref name=natsymb>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkloredelnorte.com.ar/tucuman/argdatos.htm#simbolos|title=Datos generales de Argentina|publisher=Folklore del Norte Argentino|year=2004|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110613103149/http://www.folkloredelnorte.com.ar/tucuman/argdatos.htm|archivedate=13 June 2011|deadurl=no|language=Spanish}}</ref>
The [[Flag of Argentina]] consists of three horizontal stripes equal in width and colored light blue, white and light blue, with the [[Sun of May]] in the center of the middle white stripe.<ref>{{cite Argentine law|d=1650/2010 – Símbolos Nacionales|date=23 de noviembre de 2010|bo=32033|p=5}}</ref> The flag was designed by [[Manuel Belgrano]] in 1812; it was adopted as a national symbol on 20 July 1816.{{sfn|Ferro|1991|pp=234–235}} The [[Coat of Arms of Argentina|Coat of Arms]], which represents the union of the provinces, came into use in 1813 as the [[seal (emblem)|seal]] for official documents.<ref name=dec10302>{{cite Argentine law|d=10302/1944 – Símbolos Nacionales|date=10 de mayo de 1944|bo=14894|p=4}}</ref>
The [[Argentine National Anthem]] was written by [[Vicente López y Planes]] with music by [[Blas Parera]], and was adopted in 1813.<ref name=dec10302/> The [[Cockade of Argentina|National Cockade]] was first used during the [[May Revolution]] of 1810 and was made official two years later.{{sfn|Calvo|1864|pp=20ff}} [[Our Lady of Luján|The Virgin of Luján]] is Argentina's [[patron saint]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.me.gov.ar/efeme/virgendelujan/index.html|title=Nuestra Señora de Luján|publisher=Ministerio de Educación de la Nación – Efemérides Culturales Argentinas|place=Buenos Aires|date=|language=Spanish}}</ref>

The [[Furnarius rufus|''hornero'']], living across most of the national territory, was chosen as the [[national bird]] in 1928 after a lower school survey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redargentina.com/Faunayflora/Aves/hornero.asp|title=El Hornero|publisher=Red Argentina|place=Carlos Casares, Argentina|date=24 September 2009|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131113022038/http://www.redargentina.com/Faunayflora/Aves/hornero.asp|archivedate=13 November 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
The [[Erythrina crista-galli|''ceibo'']] is the [[national floral emblem]] and [[national tree]],<ref name=natsymb/><ref>{{cite Argentine law|d=138974/1942|date=25 de enero de 1943|bo=14519|p=5}}</ref> while the [[Schinopsis balansae|''quebracho colorado'']] is the national forest tree.<ref>{{cite Argentine law|d=15190/1956|date=5 de septiembre de 1956}}</ref>
[[Rhodochrosite]] is known as the [[national gemstone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecolo.mrecic.gov.ar/content/piedra-nacional-la-rodocrosita|title=Piedra nacional: la Rodocrosita|publisher=Embajada de la
República Argentina en la República de Colombia|place=Bogotá|year=2013|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130929050230/http://www.ecolo.mrecic.gov.ar/content/piedra-nacional-la-rodocrosita|archivedate=29 September 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
The national sport is ''pato''.<ref name=pato1/>

[[Argentine wine]] is the [[national liquor]], and ''[[mate (beverage)|mate]]'', the national [[infusion]].<ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=26870 – Declárase al Vino Argentino como bebida nacional|date=2 de agosto de 2013|bo=32693|p=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite Argentine law|l=26871 – Declárase al Mate como infusión nacional|date=2 de agosto de 2013|bo=32693|p=1}}</ref>
''[[Asado]]'' and ''[[locro]]'' are considered the [[national dish]]es.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viaresto.clarin.com/Notas/El-asado-660.aspx|title=El asado|work=Via Restó|publisher=Grupo Clarín|place=Buenos Aires|date=28 April 2010|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131203103920/http://viaresto.com/Notas/El-asado-660.aspx|archivedate=3 October 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.argentina.ar/_es/turismo/C791-gastronomia.php|title=Argentina–Gastronomia|publisher=Argentina – Portal oficial de promoción de la República Argentina|place=Buenos Aires|date=6 June 2008|language=Spanish|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080727003909/http://www.argentina.ar/_es/turismo/C791-gastronomia.php|archivedate=27 July 2008|deadurl=no}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Argentina|Latin America}}
* [[Outline of Argentina]]
* [[International rankings of Argentina]]
* [[Index of Argentina-related articles]]
* <!--[[Bibliography of Argentina]] -->
* <!--[[List of places in Argentina]] -->
* [[El Sonido de mi Tierra - The Great Dance of Argentina]]

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Bibliography==
;Legal documents
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation|url=http://www.senado.gov.ar/web/interes/constitucion/english.php|title=Constitution of the Argentine Nation|authors=National Constituent Convention|place=Santa Fe|date=22 August 1994|ref={{harvid|Constitution of Argentina}}}}
{{refend}}

;Articles
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Bolt|first1=Jutta|last2=Van Zanden|first2=Jan Luiten|title=The First Update of the Maddison Project; Re-estimating Growth Before 1820|url=http://www.ggdc.net/maddison/maddison-project/data/mpd_2013-01.xlsx|format=XLS|work=Maddison Project Working Paper 4|publisher=|place=|year=2013|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Colantoni|first1=Laura|last2=Gurlekian|first2=Jorge|title=Convergence and intonation. Historical evidence from Buenos Aires Spanish|journal=Bilingualism: Language and Cognition|volume=7|issue=2|publisher=Cambridge University Press|place=Cambridge, UK|date=August 2004|pages=107–119|doi=10.1017/S1366728904001488|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Cruz, Jr.|first1=Arturo|title=Glory Past but Not Forgotten|work=Insight on the News|volume=6|issue=32|publisher=News World Communications|place=New York, NY, USA|date=6 August 1990|page=8|ref={{harvid|Cruz|1990}}}}
* {{cite journal|last1=DellaPergola|first1=Sergio|authorlink=Sergio DellaPergola|title=World Jewish Population, 2013|url=http://www.jewishdatabank.org/Studies/downloadFile.cfm?FileID=3113|format=PDF|volume=113|editor1-last=Dashefsky|editor1-first=Arnold|editor1-link=Arnold Dashefsky|editor2-last=Sheskin|editor2-first=Ira|work=The American Jewish Year Book, 2013|publisher=Springer|place=Dordrecht, The Netherlands|year=2013|pages=279–358|isbn=978-3319016580|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Long|first1=Marshall|title=What is So Special About Shoebox Halls? Envelopment, Envelopment, Envelopment|url=http://mlacoustics.com/PDF/Shoebox.pdf|format=PDF|work=Acoustics Today|volume=5|issue=2|publisher=ASA – Acoustical Society of America|date=April 2009|pages=21–25|doi=10.1121/1.3182843|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last=Malamud|first=Andrés|title=A Leader Without Followers? The Growing Divergence Between the Regional and Global Performance of Brazilian Foreign Policy|journal=Latin American Politics and Society|volume=53|issue=3|publisher=Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon|place=Lisbon|year=2011|pages=1–24|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Mallimaci|first1=Fortunato|last2=Esquivel|first2=Juan Cruz|last3=Irrazábal|first3=Gabriela|title=Primera Encuesta Sobre Creencias y Actitudes Religiosas En Argentina|url=http://www.ceil-conicet.gov.ar/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/encuesta1.pdf|format=PDF|journal=|publisher=CONICET – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas|place=Buenos Aires|date=26 August 2008|language=Spanish|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Moore|first1=Don|title=Argentina: Radio with a Past|work=Monitoring Times|publisher=Grove Enterprises|place=Brasstown, NC, USA|date=January 1995|ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Solomon|first1=Hussein|title=South African Foreign Policy, Middle Power Leadership and Preventive Diplomacy|url=http://www.cips.up.ac.za/files/pdf/uafspublications/South%20African%20foreign%20policy%2C%20middle%20power%20leadership%20and%20preventive%20diplomacy.pdf|format=PDF|journal=|publisher=Centre for International Political Studies|place=Pretoria, South Africa|year=1997|ref=harv}}
{{refend}}

;Books
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* {{cite book|last1=Adler|first1=Emanuel|last2=Greve|first2=Patricia|title=Globalising the Regional, Regionalising the Global|series=Review of International Studies|volume=35|contribution=When security community meets balance of power: overlapping regional mechanisms of security governance|editor-last=Fawn|editor-first=Rick|publisher=Cambridge University Press|place=Cambridge, UK|year=2009|pages=59–84|isbn=978-0521759885|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Aeberhard|first1=Danny|last2=Benson|first2=Andrew|last3=Phillips|first3=Lucy|title=The rough guide to Argentina|publisher=Rough Guides|place=London|year=2000|isbn=978-1858285696|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Akstinat|first=Björn|title=Handbuch der deutschsprachigen Presse im Ausland|publisher=IMH–Verlag|place=Berlin|year=2013|language=German|isbn=978-3981515817|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Arbena|first=Joseph|title=Sport in Latin America and the Caribbean|contribution=In Search of the Latin American Female Athlete|editor-last1=Arbena|editor-first1=Joseph|editor-last2=LaFrance|editor-first2=David Gerald|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|place=Lanham, MD, USA|year=2002|pages=219–232|isbn=978-0842028219|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Arbena|editor-first1=Joseph|editor-last2=LaFrance|editor-first2=David Gerald|title=Sport in Latin America and the Caribbean|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|place=Lanham, MD, USA|year=2002|isbn=978-0842028219|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Barnes|first=John|title=Evita, First Lady: A Biography of Eva Perón|publisher=Grove Press|place=New York, NY, USA|year=1978|isbn=978-0802134790|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Bidart Campos|first=Germán J.|title=Manual de la Constitución Reformada|volume=I|publisher=Ediar|place=Buenos Aires|year=2005|language=Spanish|isbn=950-5741219|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Bloom|first=Harold|title=The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages|publisher=Harcourt Brace & Company|place=New York, NY, USA|year=1994|isbn=978-1573225144|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Boughton|first=James M.|title=Tearing Down Walls. The International Monetary Fund 1990–1999|publisher=International Monetary Fund|place=Washington, D. C.|year=2012|isbn=978-1616350840|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Calvo|first=Carlos|title=Anales históricos de la revolucion de la América latina, acompañados de los documentos en su apoyo. Desde el año 1808 hasta el reconocimiento de la independencia de ese extenso continente|volume=2|publisher=A. Durand|place=Paris|year=1864|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Crooker|first=Richard A.|title=Argentina|publisher=Infobase Publishing|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2009|isbn=978-1438104812|ref=harv}}
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* {{cite book|last=Díaz Alejandro|first=Carlos F.|title=Essays on the Economic History of the Argentine Republic|publisher=Yale University Press|place=New Haven, CT, USA|year=1970|isbn=978-0300011937|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Dougall|first=Angus|title=The Greatest Racing Driver|publisher=Balboa Press|place=Bloomington, IN, USA|year=2013|isbn=978-1452510965|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Edwards|first=Todd L.|title=Argentina: A Global Studies Handbook|publisher=ABC-CLIO|place=Santa Barbara, CA, USA|year=2008|isbn=978-1851099863|ref=harv}}
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* {{cite book|last=Fayt|first=Carlos S.|authorlink=Carlos Fayt|title=Derecho Político|volume=I|edition=6th|publisher=Depalma|place=Buenos Aires|year=1985|language=Spanish|isbn=978-9501402766|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Fearns|first1=Les|last2=Fearns|first2=Daisy|title=Argentina|publisher=Evans Brothers|place=London|year=2005|isbn=978-0237527594|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Ferro|first=Carlos A.|title=Historia de la Bandera Argentina|publisher=Ediciones Depalma|place=Buenos Aires|year=1991|language=Spanish|isbn=978-9501406108|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Foster|first1=David W.|last2=Lockhart|first2=Melissa F.|last3=Lockhart|first3=Darrell B.|title=Culture and Customs of Argentina|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|place=Westport, CT, USA|year=1998|isbn=978-0313303197|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Ian C.|title=Latino Athletes|publisher=Infobase Publishing|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2007|isbn=978-1438107844|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Galasso|first=Norberto|authorlink=Norberto Galasso|title=Historia de la Argentina, vol. I&II|publisher=Colihue|place=Buenos Aires|year=2011|language=Spanish|isbn=978-9505634781|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Huntington|first=Samuel P.|authorlink=Samuel P. Huntington|title=Globalization, Power, and Democracy|contribution=Culture, Power, and Democracy|editor-last=Plattner|editor-first=Marc|editor2-last=Smolar|editor2-first=Aleksander|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|place=Baltimore, MD, USA|year=2000|pages=3–13|isbn=978-0801865688|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=King|first=John|title=Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America|series=Critical Studies in Latin American & Iberian Cultures|publisher=Verso|place=London|year=2000|isbn=978-1859842331|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Kopka|first=Deborah|title=Central & South America|publisher=Lorenz Educational Press|place=Dayton, OH, USA|year=2011|isbn=978-1429122511|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Lake|first=David|title=Globalising the Regional, Regionalising the Global|series=Review of International Studies|volume=35|contribution=Regional Hierarchies: Authority and Local International Order|editor-last=Fawn|editor-first=Rick|publisher=Cambridge University Press|place=Cambridge, UK|year=2009|pages=35–58|isbn=978-0521759885|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Levene|first=Ricardo|title=Desde la Revolución de Mayo a la Asamblea de 1813–15|series=Historia del Derecho Argentino|volume=IV|publisher=Editorial G. Kraf|place=Buenos Aires|year=1948|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Daniel K.|title=The History of Argentina|series=Palgrave Essential Histories Series|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|place=New York. NY, USA|year=2003|isbn=978-1403962546|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Lewis|editor-first1=M. Paul|editor-last2=Simons|editor-first2=Gary F.|editor-last3=Fennig|editor-first3=Charles D.|title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World|edition=17th|publisher=Summer Institute of Linguistics International|place=Dallas, TX, USA|year=2014|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Paul|title=The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|place=Chapel Hill, NC, USA|year=1990|isbn=978-0807843567|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Maddison|first=Angus|authorlink=Angus Maddison|title=Monitoring the World Economy 1820–1992|publisher=OECD Publishing|place=Paris|year=1995|isbn=978-9264145498|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Maddison|first=Angus|authorlink=Angus Maddison|title=The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective|publisher=OECD Publishing|place=|year=2001|isbn=978-9264186545|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Maldifassi|first1=José O.|last2=Abetti|first2=Pier A.|title=Defense industries in Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Chile|publisher=Praeger|year=1994|isbn=978-0275947293|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Margheritis|first=Ana|title=Argentina's foreign policy: domestic politics and democracy promotion in the Americas|publisher=FirstForumPress|place=Boulder, CO, USA|year=2010|isbn=978-1935049197|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=McCloskey|first1=Erin|last2=Burford|first2=Tim|title=Argentina|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|place=Guilford, CT, USA|year=2006|isbn=978-1841621388|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=McKinney|first=Kevin|title=Everyday geography|publisher=GuildAmerica Books|place=New York, NY, USA|year=1993|isbn=978-1568650326|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Menutti|first1=Adela|last2=Menutti|first2=María Mercedes|title=Geografía Argentina y Universal|publisher=Edil|place=Buenos Aires|year=1980|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Morris|first=Michael|title=The Strait of Magellan|series=International Straits of the World|volume=11|editor-last=Mangone|editor-first=Gerard|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishes|place=Dordrecht, The Netherlands|year=1988|isbn=978-0792301813|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Mosk|first=Sanford A.|title=People and Issues in Latin American History|volume=II: From Independence to the Present|contribution=Latin America and the World Economy, 1850–1914|editor-last1=Hanke|editor-first1=Lewis|editor-last2=Rausch|editor-first2=Jane M.|publisher=Markus Wiener Publishing|place=New York, NY, USA|year=1990|pages=86–96|isbn=978-1558760189|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Nauright|editor1-first=John|editor2-last=Parrish|editor2-first=Charles|title=Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice|volume=3|publisher=ABC-CLIO|place=Santa Barbara, CA, USA|year=2012|isbn=978-1598843019|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Nierop|first=Tom|title=The Territorial Factor|contribution=The Clash of Civilisations|editor-last=Dijkink|editor-first=Gertjan|editor2-last=Knippenberg|editor2-first=Hans|publisher=Vossiuspers UvA – Amsterdam University Press|place=Amsterdam|year=2001|pages=51–76|isbn=978-9056291884|ref=harv}}
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* {{cite book|last=Rey Balmaceda|first=Raúl|title=Mi país, la Argentina|publisher=Arte Gráfico Editorial Argentino|place=Buenos Aires|year=1995|language=Spanish|isbn=84-599-3442-X|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Rivas|first=José Andrés|title=Santiago en sus letras: antología criticotemática de las letras santiagueñas|publisher=Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero|place=Santiago del Estero, SE, Argentina|year=1989|language=Spanish|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Robben|first=Antonius C. G. M.|title=Political Violence and Trauma in Argentina|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|place=Philadelphia, PA, USA|year=2011|isbn=978-0812203318|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Rock|first=David|authorlink=David Rock (historian)|title=Argentina, 1516–1987: From Spanish Colonization to the Falklands War|publisher=University of California Press|place=Berkeley, CA, USA|year=1987|isbn=978-0520061781|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Rodríguez|first=Robert G.|title=The Regulation of Boxing: A History and Comparative Analysis of Policies Among American States|publisher=McFarland|place=Jefferson, NC, USA|year=2009|isbn=978-0786452842|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Rosenblat|first=Ángel|authorlink=Ángel Rosenblat|title=El nombre de la Argentina|publisher=EUDEBA – Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires|place=Buenos Aires|year=1964|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Ruiz-Dana|first=Alejandra|last2=Goldschag|first2=Peter|last3=Claro|first3=Edmundo|last4=Blanco|first4=Hernán|title=Regional Trade Integration and Conflict Resolution|contribution=Regional Integration, Trade and Conflicts in Latin America|editor-last=Khan|editor-first=Shaheen Rafi|publisher=Routledge|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2009|pages=15–44|isbn=978-0415476737|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Sánchez Viamonte|first=Carlos|title=Historia Institucional Argentina|edition=2nd|publisher=Fondo de Cultura Económica|place=Mexico D. F.|year=1948|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Traba|first=Juan|title=Origen de la palabra "¿¡Argentina!?"|publisher=Escuela de Artes Gráficas del Colegio San José|place=Rosario, SF, Argentina|year=1985|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Vanossi|first=Jorge R.|series=Cuadernos de ciencia política de la Asociación Argentina de Ciencia Política|volume=2|title=Situación actual del federalismo: aspectos institucionales y económicos, en particular sobre la realidad argentina|publisher=Ediciones Depalma|place=Buenos Aires|year=1964|language=Spanish|isbn=|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Wood|first=Bernard|title=The middle powers and the general interest|publisher=North–South Institute|place=Ottawa|year=1988|isbn=978-0920494813|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Richard|last2=Cisneros|first2=Odile|title=Historical Dictionary of Latin American Literature and Theater|publisher=Scarecrow Press|place=Lanham, MD, USA|year=2010|isbn=978-0810874985|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Young|first=Ronald|title=Encyclopedia of World Geography|volume=I|contribution=Argentina|editor-last=McColl|editor-first=Robert W.|publisher=Golson Books|place=New York, NY, USA|year=2005|pages=51–53|isbn=978-0816072293|ref=harv}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|voy=Argentina|n=Argentina}}
;Government
* {{external link|url=http://www.argentina.gob.ar/|name=Argentina|official=yes|language=es}}

;Travel & tourism
* {{external link|url=http://www.turismo.gov.ar/eng/menu.htm|name=Argentina Ministry of Tourism|official=yes}}
* {{external link|url=http://www.argentina.travel/en|name=National Institute of Tourism Promotion|official=yes}}

;Overview
* {{CIA World Factbook link|ar|Argentina}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/South_America/Argentina}}
* {{external link|url=http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/argentina/|name=Argentina|site=[[Latin American Network Information Center]]}}
* {{external link|url=http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/argentina.htm|name=Argentina|site=[[University of Colorado Boulder|University Libraries – University of Colorado Boulder]]}}
* {{external link|url=http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=AR|name=Key Development Forecasts for Argentina|site=[[International Futures]]}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|286393}}
* {{wikipedia books link|Argentina}}
* {{wikiatlas|Argentina}}

{{Argentina topics|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Navboxes
|title=International membership
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{{Andean Community of Nations}}
{{G15 nations}}
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{{Organization of American States}}
{{Union of South American Nations}}
{{World Trade Organization}}
{{Founding member states of the United Nations}}
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{{Countries of South America}}

[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:Countries in South America]]
[[Category:Federal constitutional republics]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:G15 nations]]
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[[Category:Liberal democracies]]
[[Category:Member states of Mercosur]]
[[Category:Member states of the Union of South American Nations]]
[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1816]]