Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a federal state located in the Southern Cone of South America. It spans an area of 2,766,890 km2 and is governed from the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.

Political structure and territorial claims

The nation is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, with each province and the capital possessing its own constitution under a federal system. Argentina asserts sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and a part of Antarctica.

Historical evolution of governance

The Argentine Declaration of Independence occurred on July 9, 1816, followed by decades of civil war until the country's reorganisation as a federation in 1880. National politics later experienced a series of coups d'état in 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966, and 1976. The final military junta led the Dirty War until the election of Raúl Alfonsín as president in 1983.

International role and demographic context

Argentina operates as a regional middle power, maintaining status as a major non-NATO ally of the United States and holding membership in the G-15, G-20, United Nations, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The country has a population of 44,494,502, uses the Argentine peso (ARS), and recognizes Spanish (es-AR), English, Italian, German, French, and Guaraní among its languages.

For further reference see Argentina and the GeoNames record for Argentina.

Argentina’s Landscape and Climate

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the Southern Cone of South America. It covers an area of 2,766,890 square kilometres and supports a population of 44,494,502 people.

The national territory shares borders with Chile to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, and Uruguay along with the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, while the Drake Passage marks the southern limit. Argentina claims sovereignty over the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and a part of Antarctica, reflecting its far-reaching southern geography.

Buenos Aires serves as the federal capital and largest city, positioned at latitude -34.61315 and longitude -58.37723. The official currency is the ARS, and spoken languages include es-AR, en, it, de, fr, and gn.

Geographic Attribute	Specification
ISO2 Code	AR
ISO3 Code	ARG
Capital City	Buenos Aires
Total Area (km²)	2766890

Overview

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a sovereign nation in the Southern Cone of South America. It occupies the second‑largest territory on the continent, covering about 2,766,890 km².

The country stretches from the subtropical north to the sub‑Antarctic south, sharing borders with Chile to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage at its southern tip. This extensive latitudinal range creates pronounced climatic gradients, from warm, humid lowlands to cold, windy high plateaus.

Argentina’s landscape is a mosaic of major physiographic zones. The central Pampas form expansive, fertile grasslands that support the nation’s grain and cattle production. To the west, the Andes rise sharply, presenting glaciated peaks, steep valleys, and the high‑altitude climate of the Altiplano. South of the Andes, the Patagonian steppe spreads across arid plateaus, interspersed with wind‑scoured plains and the dramatic southern ice fields. Along the Atlantic coast, the Río de la Plata estuary creates a broad, low‑lying floodplain that hosts the capital, Buenos Aires, and a network of wetlands.

The climate mirrors this geographic diversity. The north experiences a subtropical climate with hot summers and abundant rainfall, supporting subtropical forests and agricultural belts. Central Argentina enjoys a temperate climate with moderate precipitation, ideal for the Pampas grain belt. The western Andes exhibit alpine conditions, with cold winters, heavy snowfall, and permanent ice caps. Patagonia endures a semi‑arid to cold desert climate, marked by strong westerly winds, low precipitation, and occasional frosts even in summer. Coastal regions benefit from the moderating influence of the Atlantic, producing milder temperatures and higher humidity.

Politically, Argentina is a federal state composed of twenty‑three provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, each possessing its own constitution within the national framework. The population totals 44,494,502 inhabitants, who primarily speak Spanish (es‑AR) alongside English, Italian, German, French, and Guaraní. The national currency is the Argentine peso (ARS), and the country is identified by the ISO codes AR (alpha‑2) and ARG (alpha‑3).

Item	Detail
Official name	Argentina
Capital	Buenos Aires
Area	2,766,890 km²
Population	44,494,502
Currency	ARS
Languages	es‑AR, en, it, de, fr, gn
Region	South America

For a comprehensive geographic profile, see the Argentina entry on Wikipedia.

History and Landscape

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the Southern Cone of South America. It spans roughly 2,780,085 km², making it the second‑largest nation on the continent.

The nation borders Chile to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. It is a federal state of twenty‑three provinces plus the autonomous capital, Buenos Aires, each with its own constitution under a national framework. Human presence dates to the Paleolithic, and the Inca Empire reached its northwest before Spanish colonisation in the sixteenth century. Argentina emerged from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, declared independence on 9 July 1816, and endured a civil war that concluded in 1880 with the establishment of a federation.

The country's geography varies dramatically: the western frontier rises into rugged mountains, while the central plains—known as the Pampas—support extensive agriculture. Far to the south, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and the surrounding Patagonia region introduce a cold, glacial environment. These contrasting landscapes have shaped settlement patterns, economic activity, and the climate zones that range from temperate in the interior to subpolar in the extreme south.