Tatyana Schneider 4/23/13 Geography 100 Samuel Hanes Argentina Physical Geography Argentina is the 2nd largest country

in South America and the 8th largest country in the world with about 2,780,400 square miles. It is ranked just above Kazakhstan with 2,724,900 square miles, and just below India with 3,287,263 square miles. Compared to the US, Argentina is the size 3/10ths of the US. 2,736,690 square kilometers of Argentina is made up of land, while only 43,710 square kilometers consists of water. Argentinas landscapes range from Tropical to Tundra although most of Argentinas region has a temperate climate. In the southeast the climate is very dry and arid, while the southwest has a subantarctic climate. The northern region of Argentina has very rich plains, while the southern region has the flat rolling plateau of Patagonia. The Andes mountain range runs along Argentinas Western border. Argentina is famous for having the highest point in South America, Cero Aconcagua which reaches 6,960m high. Argentina currently has problems such as deforestation, pollution (water and air), and desertification and soil degradation. Argentina was strategically placed where it is between the south Atlantic and south Pacific oceans to be near the Strait of Magellan, the Drake Passage, and the Beagle Channel. Areas in the Andes Mountains, Mendoza and San Miguel de Tucuman often have earthquakes, while pamperos (violent windstorms) can flood and destroy some areas in the northeast. Volcanic activity is not unusual in the region along the Chilean border and the Andes Mountains. Some famous active volcanoes are Maipo, San Jose, Viedma, Tromen and Planchon-Peteroa. Agriculture Argentinas agriculture is thriving and makes up 10.3% of its income. It has 13.68% arable land. Some of its most prosperous crops are sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat, and livestock. It also has many natural resources to benefit from such as lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, and uranium. Languages Argentinas main language is Spanish (referred to Castilian by natives) but many other languages such as Italian (2nd most spoken language) and English are spoken due to the large amounts of immigration from Spain, Italy and other European countries. German and French are also spoken in Argentina. There are also indigenous languages like Mapudungun and Quechua that are spoken. In Patagonia many communities speak Welsh as their second language. Due to immigration, Chinese and Korean have also been brought to Argentina but these languages are mostly spoken in the capitol, Buenos Aires. Religion Argentinas main religion is Roman Catholic (92%), but fewer than 20% are actually practicing and regularly attending services. There are some other religions throughout Argentina also such as Protestantism (2%), Judaism (2%) and other (4%). Argentina has the largest Jewish population of any countries in Latin America. Although the Constitution promises freedom of religion, the government is still required to financially support Roman Catholicism because it is the most dominant religion in the

country. Catholicism is a very influential part of the Argentinas government. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergolio was elected as Pope Francis, the new leader of the Catholic Church on March 13th, 2013. Population Geography Argentina has a population of 42,610,981 and is ranked 32nd in the world. It is just below Kenya with 44,037,656, and just above Poland with 38,383,809. The majority of the population is made up of people between the ages of 25 and 54 years old. 25.1% is between 0 and 14 years of age, 15.8% is between the age of 15-24, 38.8% is between 25-54, 9.1% is between 55 and 64, and 11.3% is 65 years or older. The average age for both men and women is 30.7 years old. For just men, the average age is 29.7 years old and for just women, the average age is 31.8 years. Argentinas growth rate is ranked as 118th in the world at 0.997%. It is in between Haiti (0.99%, 117th) and Kyrgyzstan (0.97%, 119th). The age group below 15 years old is a shrinking population. Almost 97% of Argentinas population is white while about 3% is Mestizo Amerindian or other non-white groups. Argentinas Birth rate is ranked at 113th in the world with 17.34 births per every 1,000 people. This is just above El Salvador and just below Tunisia. Argentinas death rate is ranked at 119th with 7.36 deaths per every 1,000 people. It is ranked just above The Gambia with 7.38 deaths per every 1,000 people, and below China with 7.31 deaths per every 1,000 people. Over 110,000 people are currently living with Aids in Argentina and it is ranked 39th in the world for this. Argentinas population is growing very slowly due to the steadily decreasing birth rate. Health care is providing through employers, government and private insurance plans, and hospitals and clinics. Almost all of the nearly 5 million elderly citizens are provided with health care. Argentina has pretty good health care with over 153,000 hospital beds, 121,000 doctors and 37,000 dentists. From 1953 to 2005 deaths caused by heart attacks have increased from 20% to 23%, and many other mortality patterns have also changed due to the increased access health care. The Infant mortality rate dropped from 19% in 1953 to 3% in 2005. It has gone from 70 infant deaths per every 1,000 live births in 1948 to only 12.1 in 2009. Life expectancy in Argentina has risen from 60 years old to 76 years old, and ranks 4th in Latin America.

Economic Geography Argentinas economy is Latin Americas 3rd largest economy with a GDP of $746.9 billion. Comparatively, Argentina is ranked as having an upper middle income economy. It benefits from many natural resources such as lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, and uranium. It thrives off of exporting its agricultural products. Industry makes up 30.6% of the countrys income. Some of their most important industries are food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, pharmaceuticals, steel and aluminum, textiles, farm machinery, electronics and home appliances, and chemicals and petrochemicals. Some other manufactured goods that Argentina produces are, glass and cement, lumber, clothing, plastic, and furniture. Argentina is also one of the top 5 wine producing countries in the world. Manufacturing (along with agriculture) is one of the most important parts of Argentinas economy and makes up about 19% of its GDP. Since the 1st half of the 20th century, Argentinas industrial production has developed much diversity. Argentina has man natural resources that benefit the economy. It used to be one of the wealthiest countries over 100 years ago but has recently suffered a lot throughout the last 10 to 15 years due to a severe depression, debt, and inflation. For many decades, Argentina has suffered from high inflation. The percentage of poverty has recovered since the major economic crisis that occurred in 2001. Argentinas economy is improving but it is doing so very slowly.

Urban Geography Argentina is a very urban country, its 10 largest cities account for over half of the countrys population alone. Only 1 out of every 10 people actually live in rural areas of Argentina. 92% of Argentinas population is urban and its rate of urbanization is pretty low at 1.1% annual rate of change. Argentinas has many major cities but the biggest and most important is its capitol, Buenos Aires with 12.988 million people. Some other major cities are Cordoba with 1.493 million people, Rosario with 1.231 million people, Mendoza with 917,000 million people, and San Miguel de Tucuman with 831,000 million people. Political Geography Argentina is split up into 23 different provinces but still only has one major city, Buenos Aires. Each province has its own constitution and power that is separate from Argentinas national government. In 1860 Buenos Aires was made a federal territory. In 1862 a law stating that any territory still controlled by Argentina that was outside the frontiers of the provinces would be considered to be National territories. The final national territory to become a province was Tierra del Fuego in 1990. Along with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, Argentinas military has the Argentine National Gendarmerie. This is used to guard the Naval Prefecture and major rivers and Navy areas. The President is the commander in chief of the military along with the Defense Ministry. The Naval Prefecture protects the Rivers and other waters of Argentina while the National Gendarmerie protects the regions borders. To enlist in the military on has to be at least 16 years old. Argentina is mandated by the United Nations to maintain international peace and is relied upon for emergency relief and humanitarian aid in Antarctica. Argentinas military has always been well developed and has been making its own jet fighters in the 1050s and it has a defense budget of about $3 million. In 2007, an agreement was made between Argentina and France for peace and cooperation.

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Population Pyramid of Argentina Comparison showing variety of the climates Map showing where Argentina and its territories are in the world Map dividing up all of the political regions of Argentina Flag of Argentina Map of physical features

Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html http://sweettravelblog.com/travels/what-to-do-in-patagonia/