CountryGuide

President:Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Total area:2,766,890 sq km
Language:Spanish
Population (2010est):41,343,201
Capital and largest city:Buenos Aires, 13,349,000
Other large cities:Córdoba,Rosario,Mendoza
Official religion:Apostolic Roman Catholic
Monetary unit:Peso

The Argentine Republic is located in the South and West Hemisphere. Its relative position in South America gives the country a diversity of land and culture. From the artic regions in the south, to the forested jungle regions in the north, from the ocean coastline on the Atlantic, to the rugged mountain regions in the west, and bordering five other countries, Argentina provides an important cultural and economic connection for all of South America

Republic

Like all Latin American countries, Argentina has a tumultuous history, one tainted by periods of despotic rule, corruption and hard times. But it’s also an illustrious history, a story of a country that was once one of the world’s economic powerhouses, a country that gave birth to the tango, to international icons like Evita Perón and Che Guevara, and to some of the world’s most important inventions (the public bus, the coronary bypass and the ballpoint pen all come to mind). Understanding Argentina’s past is paramount to understanding its present and, most importantly, to understanding Argentines themselves.