Argentina

Fact Sheet :

- Area : 2,766,890 sq km

- Population : 40,301,927 (July 2007 est.)

- Capital : Buenos Aires

- Language : Spanish (official)

- Currency : Argentine peso (ARS)

- Government type : republic

- Elements of History :

Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, a long period of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the

most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents. The economy has recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002. The government renegotiated its public debt in 2005 and paid off its remaining obligations to the IMF in early 2006.

- Climate :

mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest