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Physical geography
Rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border.
Local timeBuenos Aires ·
South America · Card 001
Argentina
Argentina is a country in South America. Its capital is Buenos Aires.
Find Argentina
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are administered by the UK and claimed by Argentina. They have a separate card; this map does not resolve the sovereignty dispute.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are administered by the UK and claimed by Argentina. They have a separate card; this map does not resolve the sovereignty dispute.
At a glance
- Capital
- Buenos Aires
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Argentine peso (ARS)
- Population
- 45.9 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 2,780,400 km²1,073,518.00 square miles
- Independence
- 1816from Spain
Argentina in context
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Buenos Aires; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Spanish is the main language of public life. Indigenous languages, including Guaraní, Quechua and Mapudungun, are also spoken; recognition varies by province.
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Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), white, and sky blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face that is known as the Sun of May
History & independence
Indigenous peoples inhabited the region long before Spanish colonisation. The May Revolution of 1810 established a local governing junta in Buenos Aires, and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared independence in 1816. Independence campaigns and conflicts over the structure of the new state followed. Twentieth-century politics alternated between civilian and military rule; democratic government returned in 1983 after the 1976–1983 dictatorship.
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The May Revolution establishes a local governing junta
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Independence from Spain is declared
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A national constitution is adopted
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Democratic civilian government returns
Economy
Main activities
Argentina has a diversified economy combining services, agriculture, manufacturing and energy. Soybeans and other grains, beef and food processing are important, while vehicles, chemicals and industrial goods contribute to manufacturing. Oil, natural gas and lithium are significant resources. Inflation, debt and exchange-rate instability have repeatedly affected households and businesses.
Industry and production
Food processing, motor vehicles, chemicals, machinery, petroleum, natural gas and mining.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people45.92025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 23,878,327 | 23.878 |
| 1980 | 28,011,596 | 28.012 |
| 1990 | 32,755,901 | 32.756 |
| 2000 | 37,213,984 | 37.214 |
| 2010 | 41,288,694 | 41.289 |
| 2020 | 45,191,965 | 45.192 |
| 2025 | 45,851,378 | 45.851 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars609.22025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 265,817,211,205 | 265.817 |
| 1991 | 290,094,591,012 | 290.095 |
| 1992 | 313,120,244,490 | 313.120 |
| 1993 | 338,817,957,426 | 338.818 |
| 1994 | 358,592,053,442 | 358.592 |
| 1995 | 348,389,357,874 | 348.389 |
| 1996 | 367,643,757,075 | 367.644 |
| 1997 | 397,463,514,161 | 397.464 |
| 1998 | 412,766,570,326 | 412.767 |
| 1999 | 398,792,535,409 | 398.793 |
| 2000 | 395,646,066,536 | 395.646 |
| 2001 | 378,202,665,752 | 378.203 |
| 2002 | 336,999,433,710 | 336.999 |
| 2003 | 366,780,211,149 | 366.780 |
| 2004 | 399,898,899,167 | 399.899 |
| 2005 | 435,296,589,745 | 435.297 |
| 2006 | 470,325,565,798 | 470.326 |
| 2007 | 512,690,850,742 | 512.691 |
| 2008 | 533,491,913,656 | 533.492 |
| 2009 | 501,917,060,966 | 501.917 |
| 2010 | 552,738,161,802 | 552.738 |
| 2011 | 585,924,294,025 | 585.924 |
| 2012 | 579,910,247,223 | 579.910 |
| 2013 | 593,858,966,307 | 593.859 |
| 2014 | 578,937,574,936 | 578.938 |
| 2015 | 594,749,285,413 | 594.749 |
| 2016 | 582,376,550,428 | 582.377 |
| 2017 | 598,790,850,844 | 598.791 |
| 2018 | 583,118,120,294 | 583.118 |
| 2019 | 571,450,737,224 | 571.451 |
| 2020 | 514,874,343,768 | 514.874 |
| 2021 | 568,636,554,720 | 568.637 |
| 2022 | 602,872,713,791 | 602.873 |
| 2023 | 591,684,674,129 | 591.685 |
| 2024 | 583,738,758,866 | 583.739 |
| 2025 | 609,232,576,079 | 609.233 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.865Very High human developmentRank 47 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.733
20000.789
20100.844
20200.851
20230.865
77.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
11.2 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A federal presidential republic. An elected President heads the executive, and the National Congress has a Chamber of Deputies and Senate. Provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires have their own institutions.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Argentina.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
How is Argentina’s national government organized?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.