Argentina. Ballpoint Pens, Rollerball Pens,Cartridges, Fountain Pens.

Pen Ink City Buenos Aires Pen Ink City Córdoba Pen Ink City Rosario Pen Ink City Mendoza Pen Ink City La Plata Pen Ink City San Miguel de Tucumán Pen Ink City Mar del Plata Pen Ink City Salta Pen Ink City Santa Fe Pen Ink City San Juan Pen Ink City Resistencia Pen Ink City Neuquén Pen Ink City Santiago del Estero Pen Ink City Corrientes Pen Ink City Avellaneda Pen Ink City Bahía Blanca Pen Ink City Quilmes England Description Argentina In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands by force, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the successive resignations of several presidents. Location Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay WebCam   Geographic Coordinates 34 00 S, 64 00 W Area - comparative slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US Coast line 4,989 km Climate mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest Terrain Argentina rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border Natural Resources Argentina fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium Irrigated land 15,500 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 814 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding in some areas Environment Currentissues environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution Geography Note second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere Population Argentina 41,343,201 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.036% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 17.75 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 7.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.5% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 120,000 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3% Religions nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% Languages Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French Education Expenditures 3.8% of GDP (2004) Government Type republic Administrative Divisions 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur, Tucuman Independence 9 July 1816 (from Spain) National Holiday Revolution Day, 25 May (1810) Constitution 1 May 1853; amended many times starting in 1860 Legal System mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Legislative Branch bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to serve four-year terms) Political Partie Sand Leaders Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of the Senate) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); White and Blue CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation); Roman Catholic Church International Organization Participation AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Flag Description three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun Economy Overview Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and a bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - the largest in history - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar in early 2002. The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. Real GDP rebounded to grow by an average 8.5% annually over the subsequent six years, taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, an audacious debt restructuring and reduced debt burden, excellent international financial conditions, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation also increased, however, during the administration of President Nestor KIRCHNER, which responded with price restraints on businesses, as well as export taxes and restraints, and beginning in early 2007, with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as President in late 2007, and the rapid economic growth of previous years began to slow sharply the following year as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. Her government nationalized private pension funds in late 2008 in an attempt to bolster government coffers, but the move also adversely affected private investment spending. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $558 billion (2009 est.) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) $304.9 billion (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate -2.5% (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) $13,800 (2009 est.) Labor Force 16.54 million Unemployment Rate 9.6% (2009 est.) Population Below Poverty Line 13.90% Distribution Of Family Income 45.7 (2009) Unvestment Gross Fixed 21% of GDP (2009 est.) Inflation Rrate 49.1% of GDP (2009 est.) Central Bank Discount Rate 7.7% (2009 est.) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate NA% Stock Of Money 19.47% (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $31.7 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Domestic Credit $NA (31 December 2008) Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares $NA (31 December 2008) Agriculture - Products $97.1 billion (31 December 2008) Industries sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock Industrial Production Growth Rate food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel Electricity Production 0.4% (2009 est.) Electricity Consumption 109.5 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 99.21 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Imports 2.628 billion kWh (2007 est.) Oil Production 10.28 billion kWh (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 792,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Exports 610,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Imports 314,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 52,290 bbl/day (2007 est.) Natural Gas Production 2.616 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 44.06 billion cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 44.47 billion cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Imports 890 million cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves 1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.) Current Account Balance 441.7 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Exports $14.43 billion (2009 est.) Exports Commodities $55.7 billion (2009) Exports Partners soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat Imports Brazil 18.9%, China 9.1%, US 7.9%, Chile 6.7%, Netherlands 4.2% (2008) Imports Commodities $38.71 billion (2009 est.) Imports Partners machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Brazil 31.3%, China 12.4%, US 12.2%, Germany 4.4% (2008) Debt - External $48.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations $79.54 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Television Broadcast Stations $29.55 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Internet Country Code Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar - 3.7639 (2009), 3.1636 (2008), 3.1105 (2007), 3.0543 (2006), 2.9037 (2005) Airports AM 260, FM (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998) Military Service Age and Obligation 1,130 (2009)

Copyright © 2010-2011 Pen Ink