*The Argentine Republic, or Argentina, is a sparsely

populated country on the continent of South

America, with a population of 40.6 million. It is the

8th largest country in the world, with an area of 2.8

million sq km which covers most of the southern

half of South America. Due to its length of almost

4000km, the country is one of climatic extremes,

ranging from the rainforest-covered tropics of the

north, to the sub-Antarctic conditions in the south.

*

*Argentina is a country of abundant natural

resources, is a member of the G-15 and G-20

major economies and has one of the strongest

economies in Latin America

*Yet Argentina has had a tumultuous economic

history, with a recent economic collapse in

2001 that many of the population are still

trying to recover from.

*

*A century ago, Argentina was one of the richest

countries in the world, thanks largely to its

natural resources. However, political and

economic turmoil have dogged the nation over

the last 100 years, making it difficult for the

country to retain its place as an economic

super power.

*Among the mineral resources present in the

country, the most important include lead, zinc, tin,

copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium

and lithium.

*As a recognized ‘middle power’ with a ‘very high’

human development index rating, Argentina has a

stable government and has secure mining policies

and legislation in place. A recent development is

the law passed in 2010, which forbids mining in and

around the large glaciers in the south of the

country, which is a forward-thinking move towards

sustainability. A tax on the export of copper, gold

and silver is also in place.

*The majority of mining in Argentina is open pit

mining, with only two underground mines currently

open. This is partly due to the lack of contractible

drilling companies in Argentina.

*In addition to traditional mining products, Argentina

produces more biofuel than any other country and is

ranked 3rd in the world as an exporter of biofuel.

*In 2010, according to the USGS, 16% of the

country’s economy was accounted for by the

mining sector.

*

*The major industrial mineral produced in

Argentina is Lithium. The lithium is found in

solutions, or brines, that are extracted via

aquifers. It is estimated that Argentina

contains more than 80% of the world’s reserves

of lithium brine just in the Puna Plateau in the

northwest.

*

*These brines are also rich in boron and

potassium. Lithium is extremely important in

the car manufacturing industry and due to this

there has been a large increase in lithium

exploration in the country. In 2010, Argentina

was estimated to be the 4th highest producer of

lithium in the world.

*

* Important metals found in Argentina are copper,

gold, silver, and zinc. The region of Argentina

adjacent to the Andes is possibly one of the most

metal-rich areas in the world.

*3 of the 4 most important mining projects in

Argentina are involved in the mining of copper, gold

and silver. The Bajo de la Alumbrera mine, owned

by Minera Alumbrera S.A., produces copper and

gold. The mine produced approximately 25million

metric tons of copper ore in 2010.

*Agriculture

*

*Agriculture is one of the bases of Argentina's

economy.

*Argentine agriculture is relatively capital

intensive, today providing about 7% of all

employment, and even during its period of

dominance around 1900, accounting for no

more than a third of all labor.

*

*One fourth of Argentine exports of about US$86

billion in 2011 were composed of unprocessed

agricultural primary goods, mainly soybeans,

wheat and maize. A further one third were

composed of processed agricultural products,

such as animal feed, flour and vegetable oils.

*

*On the international front, Argentina enjoys

good relations with most of the countries in the

region, particularly Brazil and Venezuela. The

country also has a leading role in advocating

the region's policy stance, as it represents

Latin America at the G-20, jointly with Mexico

and Brazil.

*

*Argentina has a strong tradition in advancing

public education and health. Currently 6% of

the GDP is invested in education and culture,

and 9.5% of the GDP is invested in health

services.

*

*in recent years, the country has experienced a

record growth of its national industry, in

particular automobile, textile and power. The

main commodities exported are wheat, soy

pellets and meal, soybeans, crude oil, gasoline,

and meat. The opening up of China's markets

has been a boost to support exports.

*

*Currently, 7.7% of the territory is under protected areas. There are 36 national parks and 400 provincial natural reserves. In the last 7 years, national protected areas increased by 24% and recently new marine reserves have been created. In 2009, the National Administration regulated the Forest Law, which aims to preserve the conservation of native forests. As part of its commitment to the environment, the Matanza-Riachuelo basin, one of the most polluted in South America, is being cleaned.

*

*Following a sharp slowdown in 2012, the

economy is recovering this year. Consecutive

years of rapid and pro-poor economic growth

enabled poverty and unemployment to be cut

to levels experienced prior to the country's

2001-2002 economic crisis. President Cristina

Fernández seeks to support economic growth

and stability after 10 years of continued GDP

increase.