Argentina - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Argentina. note 1: 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 Carbón is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; shares Iguazú Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Brazil

note 2: southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts. Mother's mean age at first birth is (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 45 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Argentina
Location Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Geographic coordinates 34 00 S, 64 00 W
Map references South America
Tarrain rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
Natural Resources fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land
Natural Hazards

San Miguel de Tucumán 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

volcanism: volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchón-Peteroa, San José, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma

Irrigated Land 23,600 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km) Río de la Plata/Paraná river mouth (shared with Brazil [s], Paraguay, and Uruguay) - 4,880 km; Paraguay (shared with Brazil [s], and Paraguay [m]) - 2,549 km; Uruguay (shared with Brazil [s] and Uruguay [m]) - 1,610 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major aquifers Guaraní Aquifer System
Land Boundaries 11,968 km
Border Countries Bolivia 942 km; Brazil 1,263 km; Chile 6,691 km; Paraguay 2,531 km; Uruguay 541 km
Coastline 4,989 km
Climate mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
Area
Total Area
Land Area 2,736,690 sq km
Water Area 43,710 sq km
comparative Area slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Contiguous zone 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone 200 nm
Continental shelf 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Elevations
Highest point Cerro Aconcagua (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America) 6,962 m
Lowest point Laguna del Carbón (located between Puerto San Julián and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) -105 m
Mean elevation 595 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 53.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 13.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 39.6% (2018 est.)
Forest 10.7% (2018 est.)
Other 35.4% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

One-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated

People and Society

In Argentina, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: European (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and Mestizo (mixed European and Indigenous ancestry) 97.2%, Indigenous 2.4%, African descent 0.4% (2010 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 0.79% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 15.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 10% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Total fertility rate 2.15 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 1.04 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 70.1% (2019/20)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 48.9% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Argentine | Argentine(s)
Languages
Religions Roman Catholic 62.9%, Evangelical 15.3% (Pentecostal 13%, other Evangelical 2.3%), Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1.4%, other 1.2% (includes Muslim, Jewish), none 18.9% (includes agnostic and atheist), unspecified 0.3% (2019 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 23.3% (male 5,632,983/female 5,301,778)
15-64 years 63.9% (male 15,071,215/female 14,956,069)
65 years and over 12.8% (2024 est.) (male 2,570,596/female 3,461,743)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 54.3
Youth dependency ratio 36
Elderly dependency ratio 18.2
Potential support ratio 5.5 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 33.3 years (2024 est.)
Male 32.1 years
Female 34.6 years
Urbanization
Urban population 92.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 15.490 million BUENOS AIRES (capital), 1.612 million Córdoba, 1.594 million Rosario, 1.226 million Mendoza, 1.027 million San Miguel de Tucumán, 914,000 La Plata (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.74 male(s)/female
Total population 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 78.8 years (2024 est.)
Male 75.8 years
Female 82 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 99.8% of population
Improved: rural rural: NA
Improved: total total: NA
Unimproved: urban urban: 0.2% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: NA
Unimproved: total total: (2020 est.) NA
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 100% of population
Improved: rural rural: NA
Improved: total total: NA
Unimproved: rural rural: NA
Unimproved: total total: (2020 est.) NA
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 7.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 3.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 24.5% (2020 est.)
Male 29.4% (2020 est.)
Female 19.6% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 2.4%
Women married by age 18 15.5% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile

Argentina’s population continues to grow but at a slower rate because of its steadily declining birth rate. Argentina’s fertility decline began earlier than in the rest of Latin America, occurring most rapidly between the early 20th century and the 1950s and then becoming more gradual in the 1990s.  Life expectancy has been improving, most notably among the young and the poor. While the population under age 15 is shrinking, the youth cohort – ages 15 – 24 – is the largest in Argentina’s history and will continue to bolster the working-age population. If this large working-age population is well-educated and gainfully employed, Argentina is likely to experience an economic boost and possibly higher per capita savings and investment. Although literacy and primary school enrollment are nearly universal, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. Both of these issues vary widely by region and socioeconomic group. Only 24% of Argentinians complete tertiary education.  With wages failing to keep pace with soaring inflation – one of the highest in the world – the poverty rate has climbed to over 4]0% in the first half of 2023.

Argentina has been primarily a country of immigration for most of its history, welcoming European immigrants (often providing needed low-skilled labor) after its independence in the 19th century and attracting especially large numbers from Spain and Italy. More than 7 million European immigrants are estimated to have arrived in Argentina between 1880 and 1930 (composing 30% of the total population by 1914), when it adopted a more restrictive immigration policy.  European immigration also began to wane in the 1930s because of the global depression.  The inflow rebounded temporarily following WWII and resumed its decline in the 1950s when Argentina’s military dictators tightened immigration rules and European economies rebounded. Regional migration increased, however, supplying low-skilled workers escaping economic and political instability in their home countries. As of 2022, immigrants make up 3.1% of the population, with over half coming from Paraguay and Bolivia.  Despite runaway inflation, hundreds of thousands immigrants arrive each year.

The first waves of highly skilled Argentine emigrant workers headed mainly to the United States and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s, driven by economic decline and repressive military dictatorships. The 2008 European economic crisis drove the return migration of some Argentinean and other Latin American nationals, as well as the immigration of Europeans to South America, where Argentina was a key recipient. 

All Important Facts about Argentina

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Argentina is found in South America