- Argentina - Portal público de noticias de la República Argentina.
Argentina is located in the Western Southern hemisphere. Its capital city is Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, lying on the East shore of the Rio de la Plata. With respect to its territorial distribution, the country is divided into 23 provinces.
The Argentine Antarctica Sector is that part of the national territory stretching between Meridians 25° West and 74° West, at the parallel 60° South latitude.
American Sector Borders:
• Northern Area
It borders with the Republics of Bolivia and Paraguay, its farthest extreme lying in the Grande de San Juan and Mojinete rivers confluence area, in the province of Jujuy at a 21°46' South Latitude ; 66°13' West Longitude.
• Southern Area
It borders with the Republic of Chile and the Atlantic Ocean up to its Southernmost extreme located in Cape San Pío, in Tierra del Fuego Grande Island, at a 55°03' South Latitude; and a 66°31' West longitude.
• Eastern Area
It shares borders with the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay and the Atlantic Ocean. Its Easternmost extreme is located at the Northeastern end of Bernardo de Irigoyen district in the province of Misiones, at a 26°15' South Latitude; and a 53°38' West longitude.
• Western Area
It borders with the Republic of Chile. Its extreme point lies between Cerro Agassis and Cerro Bolados (Agassis Hills and Bolados Hills)– along the Mariano Moreno Range in the Glaciers National Park, province of Santa Cruz, at a 49°33' South latitude; and a 73°34' West longitude.
Territorial Area
Argentina ranks second among South American countries due to its vast areas. As a matter of fact, it extends over a total area of 3,761,274 Km², where 2,791,810 Km² belong to the American Continent, and 969,464 Km² stand as part of the Antarctic Continent, also comprising the South Orcadas islands, the Southern Islands, the South Georgias Islands and the South Sandwich Islands.
The enormous vastness of Argentine territory offers all kinds of landscape such as woods, rainforests, vast beaches, lakes, dams, falls, ice fields and glaciers, as welll as desertic high plateaus depicting multicolour hills and valleys. Furthermore, Argentina features vast Eastern plains, as well as the breathtaking Andes Mountains rising in the West, and hosting the 6,959 meter Mount Aconcagua, regarded as the Western hemisphere highest peak.
Climate
Warm Climate
The Argentine Northeastern region has a warm climate. The winds primarily blowing in this region come from the North, Northeastern and Eastern areas. The warm climate comprises the three climate types detailed below:
• Subtropical climate with no dry season: this type of climate extends along the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, and the north of Entre Ríos and Chaco´s Eastern region. Its main features are high temperatures and abundant rainfalls the whole year round.
• Tropical climate with a dry season: this type of climate is found in one portion of Salta province, in Formosa and Chaco´s western areas, Tucuman`s Eastern high plateau, nearly all of Santiago del Estero province and Santa Fe´s Northwestern region. The dry season lasts up until the middle of the year.
• Tropical mountain climate: this type of climate is found in Argentina´s Northwestern region, the Sub-Andean Sierras, valleys and ravines.
Temperate Climate
It is the climate found in the country´s central region, the province of Buenos Aires, a large portion of Entre Rios, Santa Fe´s central and southern regions, Cordoba´s Eastern area, and one portion of La Pampa´s Northeastern region.
• “Pampeano” temperate climate: this climate type extends along the Paraná-Plata riverbank area.
• Temperate climate influenced by the ocean: this type of climate extends along Buenos Aires coastline area, Mar del Plata and Necochea.
• Mountain temperate climate: this climate type is found in Cordoba province valleys and sierras.
Arid Climate
This type of climate extends from the country´s Northeastern to Southeastern regions in la Puna, Catamarca´s Andes, La Rioja and San Juan, the Pre-Andean adjacent area and the extra-Andean Patagonia region. If offers four different types of climate depending on the region´s height and altitude parameters.
• Arid Mountain Climate: this type of climate extends from Catamarca to Mendoza provinces along the Puna Region and the Andes Mountains, at a 3000 meter-altitude above the sea level. There is a wide daily and yearly temperature range and frosts are recorded throughout the whole year.
• Sierras-and-Fields Arid Climate: this climate type is found in the Andes Eastern area and the “Sierras Pampeanas” region. The annual mean temperature stands roughly at 18º C. The temperature range is higher between daytime and nightime.
• Steppe arid climate: this type of climate is found in the Northern Patagonia, the mean temperature recorded standing below 15º C. Frosts occur quite often and rainfalls are scarcely recorded.
• Cold Arid climate: this climate type extends along Southern Patagonia region, the mean temperature recorded standing close to 10º C.
Cold Climate
• Cold arid windy climate: this type of climate is found in Patagonia region featuring scarce rainfalls and winter snowstorms.
• Southern humid climate: this climate type appears in Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego province.
• Snowy climate: it is glacier type of climate extending along the Southern Mountain Ranges, Santa Cruz continental ice region and the glacier spots lying at the High Patagonia Mountain Ranges.
• Cold ocean climate: this type of climate is found in the Southern islands. As to the cold weather, it lasts most of the year and snowfalls and frequent storms are usually recorded.
Temperature Transformations
• From º C to º F: multiply 1,8 and add 32.
• From º F to º C: substract 32 and multiply this figure by 5/9.
Below there follows the list of the seasons taking place in Argentina.
• Summer: December 21-March 20
• Autumn: March 21-June 20
• Winter: June 21- September 20
• Spring: September 21- December 20
Language
Spanish (or Castellano) is the official languge spoken in Argentina. Brought in by the Spanish conquerors, it definitely enriched itself as it began to be spoken by native Indian populations, a phenomenon which was also boosted by the successive immigration waves arriving at the end of the XIX century. The “vos” form rather than the “Tú” one has been adopted as a colloquially distinctive feature. With respect to dialects, they are spoken all over Argentina, and they are regarded as intelligible among each other. Furthermore, some regions speak native Indian population languages such as Araucano, Guaraní and Quechua.
Population
Argentina counts a population of roughly 40 million Argentine inhabitants. Most of them are of European descent, mainly of Spanish or Italian origin. Furthermore, there is also a native Indian population minority living in Argentina. In turn, we can find a large number of minority groups such as those of German, Arab, Armenian, Bolivian, Brazilian, Catalan, Croatian, Scottish, Slovenian, Galician, Greek, British, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Swizz, Ucranian and Basque origin, among others.
Political System
The Argentine government is based upon a Republican, Representative and Federal system, which is divided into three branches:
• Executive Branch: it is primarily headed by the President–who is elected for a four-year term by means of a direct popular vote. Presidential elections are held every four years and the president may be re-elected for a single consecutive term - the vice-president, the head of the government Cabinet- appointed by the President- ministries and secretaries.
• Legislative Branch: it is made up of the Senate represented by three senators on behalf of every province and three further senators representing the city of Buenos Aires. They are elected for a six-year term through a direct vote. As to The House of Representatives, it is staffed by two houses and 257 members elected for a four-year term through a direct vote. Such members may be re-elected.
• Judicial Branch: it is made up of the Supreme Court of Justice, federal and appeal chambers, federal, and ordinary judges and Justices of the Peace.
Currency
The peso ($) is the Argentine official currency. There are circulating notes of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2 pesos; 1 peso and 50 cent coins, and coins being worth 25, 10 and 5 cents.
The US dollar is the major international currency. With respect to foreign currencies, they may be exchanged in banks or authorized exchange bureaus where passports are to be submitted to that effect.
VAT
The Value added tax (rate) in Argentina is 21%.
Tax free
In order for the tax-free products VAT return to be obtained, purchases receipts or bills are to be kept and forms that can be picked up at the Airport have to be filled in.
Telecommunications
• Telephone Service: it comprises a landline or mobile or domicile telephones as well as pay phones located on the street and cybercafes.
• Postal Service: it extends all over the country, the major vendor being Correo Argentino (Argentina ´s Postal Service).
• Means of Communication: this system counts over 200 newspapers. The ones having the major print run are published in the City of Buenos Aires and most cities own local newspapers. Furthermore, there are roughly 1500 am and fm radio stations.
• Buenos Aires´ major TV broadcasting signals are Channel 13, América TV, Telefé, Channel 9 and 7, the latter one being state-owned and the only one channel reaching out fully at a national level. Additionally, large cities have their own channels with local programs as well as broadcast TV repeaters transmitting from the city of Buenos Aires. It is to be highlighted that there is a vast number of cable television channels with a local and international programming system.
• Internet Service: it reaches out to all major cities and tourist centres. Private domiciles may hire a vendor providing services & rates options. In turn, internet access may be also obtained in shops, cybercafes and/or pay phone centres where a fee is charged in terms of the time the internet service is used. Similarly, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafeterias, airports, shopping malls, among other places, usually provide their clients with a free wireless service.
