ARGENTINA
(Argentine Republic)

Capital: Buenos Aires

Flag: national flag consists of a white horizontal strip between two blue horizontal strips. In a white strip the shining yellow sun with a human face is concentrated.

Motto: Himno Nacional, beginning "Oid, mortales, el grito sagrado Libertad" ("Listen, mortal, sacred shout of freedom").

MONETARY BLOCK: peso ($ A) - paper currency in 100 cents. There are coins from 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 sentav and a note of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 peso. Exchange rate is about $0,44722 (or $1 = $2,88) as of 2005.

WEIGHT AND MEASURES: the metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New year, on January 1; Labor Day, on May 1; Anniversary of revolution of 1810, on May 25; Islas Malvinas Occupation, on June 10; Day of a flag, on June 20; Independence Day, on July 9; Anniversary of St Martin, on August 17; Day of Columbus, on October 12; Immaculate conception, on December 8; Christmas, on December 25. Moveable religious feasts include a carnival (two days in February or March) and Good Friday.

TIME: The 9th mornings - midday.

ARRANGEMENT, SIZE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Argentina, the second-large country in South America, dominates in the southern part of the continent as a wedge with its point in the south. Argentina is a little less than three tenth the size of the United States with a total area of 2766890 sq.km (1 068 302 quarter. Miles); length is about 3,650 km (2,268 miles) nanosecond, and width - 1430 km (889 miles). Then Argentina is limited to Bolivia; to Paraguay; to Brazil, Uruguay and to the Atlantic Ocean; and to s and w across Chile, with a total length of border of 9 665 km (6 006 miles).

Argentina applies for the site of Antarctic about 1 235 000 sq.km (477 000 quarter. Miles). Both Argentina, and the United Kingdom claim that the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) use the United Kingdom, taking the effective place. In 1978 Argentina almost went to war with three Chilean islands in Bigl channel. Business was referred to papal mediation; On November 29, 1984 both countries signed the contract which confirmed sovereignty of Chile over three islands.

The capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, is located along east suburb of the country on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

TOPOGRAPHY

Except for the mountainous western area, Argentina mostly is the low-lying country. It is divided into four topographical regions: Andean region, Patagonia, subtropical plain in the north and pampas. The Andean region, nearly 30% of the country, passes from the high plateau of the Bolivian border on the South to the western Argentina. In the Andes there are more than 1800 volcanoes, about 28 of which are still considered as active. Patagonia includes all area from Black Rio to the southernmost tip of the continent or about 777 000 sq.km (300 000 quarter. Miles). Having left the narrow coastal plain, it stretches for the West in a row of the plateau. In the majority of places the range of height is 90-490 m (300-1600 feet) though it can rise up to 1500 m (5000 feet).