Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic 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 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the second-largest in Latin America, and the largest Spanish-speaking one. Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The earliest recorded human presence in the area modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region beginning in 1512. Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas colony founded in 1776.

The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, which culminated in the country's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city. From then on—while 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 developed nation in the world.

After 1930 Argentina descended into political instability and suffered periodic economic crises that pushed it back into underdevelopment, though it nevertheless remained among the fifteen richest countries until the mid-20th century. Argentina retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs, and is a prominent regional power in the Southern Cone and Latin America. Argentina has the third-largest economy in Latin America and is a member of the G-15 and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, WTO, Mercosur, UNASUR, CELAC and OEI. Because of its stability, market size and growing high-tech sector, Argentina is classified as a middle emerging economy with a "very high" rating on the Human Development Index.

Capital          : Buenos Aires
Largest City  : Buenos Aires

Area
- Land            : 2,780,400 Km²
- Water(%)     : 1.57

Population     : 42,669,500
Density          : 14.4/Km²

Currency        : Peso (ARS)

Time zone      : (UTC-3)

Drives on the : right