rgentine Republic
conventional short form:
Argentina
local long form:
Republica Argentina
local short form:
Argentina
Digraph:
AR
Type:
republic
Capital:
Buenos Aires
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 federal
district* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires; Catamarca; Chaco; Chubut;
Cordoba; Corrientes; Distrito Federal*; Entre Rios; Formosa; Jujuy; La
Pampa; La Rioja; Mendoza; Misiones; Neuquen; Rio Negro; Salta; San
Juan; San Luis; Santa Cruz; Santa Fe; Santiago del Estero; Tierra del
Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur; Tucuman
note:
the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica or Argentina's
claims to the Falkland Islands
Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution:
1 May 1853
Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President
(position vacant); election last held 14 May 1989 (next to be held
summer 1995); results - Carlos Saul MENEM was elected
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate:
elections last held May 1989, but provincial elections in late 1991
set the stage for indirect elections by provincial senators for
one-third of 48 seats in the national senate in May 1992; seats (48
total) - PJ 30, UCR 11, others 7
Chamber of Deputies:
elections last held NA October 1993 ( next to be held October 1995);
elections are held every two years and half of the total membership is
elected each time for four year terms; seats--(257 total) PJ 128, UCR
81, MODIN 7, UCD 5, other 36
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
Justicialist Party (PJ), Carlos Saul MENEM, Peronist umbrella
political organization; Radical Civic Union (UCR),Raul ALFONSIN,
moderately left-of-center party; Union of the Democratic Center (UCD),
Jorge AGUADO, conservative party; Intransigent Party (PI), Dr. Oscar
ALENDE, leftist party; Dignity and Independence Political Party
(MODIN), Aldo RICO, right-wing party; Grand Front (Frente Grande),
Carlos ALVAREZ, center-left coalition; several provincial parties
Other poli