Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Land Use
Arable land 9 percent
Permanent crops 1 percent
Permanent pastures 49 percent
Forest and woodlands 19 percent
Other
22 percent
Highest elevation
Cerro Aconcagua reaches 22,835 feet (6,960
meters) above sea level.
Demographics
Population
The official 2009 estimate places the figure at 40.9 million people,
ranking Argentina as the sixth most populous country in the Western
Hemisphere. Only the United States, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and
Colombia have larger populations.
Largest City
Gran Buenos Aires, made up of the federal capital and surrounding sub-
urbs, has a population of 12.3 million persons. More than 34 percent of
all Argentines live in this metropolitan area.
Language
Nearly all Argentines speak Spanish. Of the indigenous languages, only
Guaraní survives along the border with Paraguay, Aymara near the
Bolivian border, and Mapuche among the remaining native groups in
Patagonia. Some immigrant communities in the country still educate
their youth in German, English, Italian, or French.
Religion
Roman Catholic
92 percent (less than 20 percent practicing)
Jewish
2 percent
Protestant
2 percent
Other
4 percent
Economy
Gross Domestic Product
The GDP of Argentina was estimated at $575.2 billion in the year 2008.
The size of its economy ranks third in Latin America, following Brazil
and Mexico.
