Geography:
The country of Argentina occupies the southeastern part of the South American continent.
In the north, Argentina borders on Bolivia and Paraguay, in the east – on Brazil and Uruguay, in the south and west – on Chile. In the east it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The highest point in the country is Mount Cerro Aconcagua (6,960 m, the highest mountain in South America). The total area is 2.7 million square meters. km (the eighth largest country in the world).
Argentina can be divided into four topographical regions – the northeastern plains, the steppe region or “Pampa”, the elevated plateau of Patagonia, and the Andean mountain region.
The Andes (23% of the territory), which form the western border of the country, are a giant mountain range with heights from 400 to 6,960 meters above sea level. The Argentinean part of the Andes, in contrast to neighboring Chile, is more flat and heavily indented by wide river valleys. Earthquakes and powerful floods are not uncommon here. In the southwestern part of the Argentine Andes lies a picturesque region of mountain lakes and vast forests, called, as in Chile, where its continuation is located, the Lake District.
Climate:
The climate in Argentina varies from subtropical in the north to humid tropical in the center of the country and temperate in the south. The vast plains in the east of the country and the high wall of the Andes in the west lead to the fact that moist maritime air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean pass almost unhindered over the entire territory of the country, pouring out on the slopes of the Andes with powerful rains. In the central regions, there is often a noticeable lack of precipitation.
The average temperature in summer (January) in the northern regions is +28 C, in the center about +24 C and in the south +10 C. In winter (July), respectively +18 C, +15 C and +1 C. Precipitation falls from 100-300 mm per year in the flat areas of the west of the country, up to 1400-1600 mm in the northeast and on the mountain slopes. In winter, some inland areas are prone to drought.
In the Andes, during one day, temperature drops can reach 30 C. Dry hot winds of “probe” and “pamperos” are frequent, and powerful storms are not uncommon over the plains of the pampas and Patagonia.
The best time to visit the country is from October to May, although at any time of the year you can find an area with quite favorable weather conditions.
Language:
The official language is Spanish. German, English, French and Italian are also widely used. More than 17 local languages and dialects are also used in everyday life.
Population:
About 40 million people. More than 85% of Argentines are of European descent and are descendants of Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Germans, Slavs and other Europeans. The Indian population (often already mixed with whites) makes up about 15% of the population.
Political system:
Federal republic with a presidential form of government. According to A2zgov, the head of state and government is the president, elected by universal direct secret suffrage for a term of 4 years.
Administratively, the country is divided into 23 provinces and one federal capital district.
Religion:
In Argentina, complete freedom of religion is proclaimed. The majority of the population (92%) are Catholic Christians, about 2% are Protestants, and about 2% profess Judaism.
Money:
New Argentine peso (P, ARS), equal to 100 centavos. Banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2 pesos, coins of 1, 2 and 5 pesos, as well as 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 centavos are in circulation. The US dollar has an almost ubiquitous, albeit semi-official, circulation.
Currency exchange:
Currency can be exchanged in all banks and large shopping centers, hotels and specialized exchange offices. Most banks and exchange offices use a ticket system – instead of standing in line, you get a ticket with a number and then you just wait for the queue to arrive. This procedure takes quite a long time.
In the province, the use of non-cash means of payment is problematic.
Estimated exchange rate
Argentine Peso (ARS) / United States Dollar (USD)
1 USD = 3.96 ARS
10 ARS = 2.53 USD
Argentine Peso (ARS) / Euro (EUR)
1 EUR = 5.51 ARS
10 ARS = 1.82 EUR
Time:
Behind Moscow by 6 hours. From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October – at 7 o’clock.
Official holidays and days off:
January 1 – New Year.
March-April – Easter and Easter holidays.
April 4 – Day of the Malvinas Islands.
May 1 – Labor Day.
May 25 is the anniversary of the May Revolution.
June 20 – National Flag Day.
July 9 – Independence Day.
August 17 is the anniversary of the death of General José de San Martin.
October 12 – Day of the Americas (Columbus Day).
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.
December 25 – Christmas.
Communication and communication:
International country code – 54. Outgoing international code – 00.
The telecommunication system of Argentina is at a high level, most of the automatic telephone exchanges are digital.
Mobile communications (GSM 1900 and CDMA 800 standards) are well developed in Argentina. Operators Telecom Personal and Unifon, their subsidiaries provide almost complete coverage of the flat areas of the country and the capital. In mountainous areas, the coverage is patchy, even along many major highways the connection is unstable.