Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Argentina

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Argentina.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

Government Type: republic
Administrative Divisions: 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, 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
Legal System: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and mandatory
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years
Executive Branch: chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007) election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April 2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other 8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election
Legislative Branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a four-year term) elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ 3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ 9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34
Judicial Branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)
Political Parties: Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including RECREAR) [leader NA]; Justicialist Front or FJ [Eduardo DUHALDE]; Justicialist Party or PJ (Peronist umbrella political organization) [leader NA]; Radical Civic Union or UCR [Roberto IGLESIAS]; Republican Initiative Alliance or PRO (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio MACRI]); Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties
Head of State: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER
Head of Government: President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 October 2007 (next election to be held in 2011)
Election Results: Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER elected president; percent of vote - Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER 45%, Elisa CARRIO 23%, Roberto LAVAGNA 17%, Alberto Rodriguez SAA 8%
Constitution: 1 May 1853; revised August 1994
Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National Holiday: Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
International Organization Participation: AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MICAH, MINURSO, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400 FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
U.S. Diplomatic Representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Lino GUTIERREZ embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034 telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533 FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240

Capital City

Seat of government and political history.

Capital City: Buenos Aires
Location: 34 36 S, 58 22 W
Time Difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
History: the name translates as "fair winds" in Spanish and derives from the original designation of the settlement that would become the present-day city, "Santa Maria del Buen Aire" (Saint Mary of the Fair Winds)

Embassy and Diplomatic Representation

Embassy location and contact details.

U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires, Argentina Avenida Colombia 4300, Palermo Telephone: (54) (11) 5777-4533 Emergency after-hours telephone: (54) (11) 5777-4873 Facsimile: (54) (11) 5777-4250

Military

Branches, service obligations, expenditures, and manpower.

Military Branches: Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA)
Service Age and Obligation: 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription; if the number of volunteers fails to meet the quota of recruits for a particular year, Congress can authorize the conscription of citizens turning 18 that year for a period not exceeding one year

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

National Flag

Flag Symbolism: has three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May Its width-to-length ratio varies: proportions of 1 to 2 and of 9 to 14 are commonly used on land, while the ratio 2 to 3 is used at sea. This flag was adopted on February 12, 1812, four years after Argentina achieved independence from Spain (1816). The "Sun of May" design was added to the flag in 1818. The blue and white colors were chosen by Manuel Belgrano, the leader of the Argentinian revolution against Spain, and represent the blue sky parting to reveal white clouds, as is said to have happened when the Liberation demonstration began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 25, 1810.
Date of Adoption: February 12, 1812

National Anthem

Anthem Lyrics: Oid mortales el grito sagrado ¡Libertad! ¡Libertad! ¡Libertad! oid el ruido de rotas cadenas ved el trono en su noble igualdad Ya su trono dignisimo abrieron las provincias unidas del sud y los libres del mundo responden al gran pueblo Argentino ¡salud! al gran pueblo Argentino ¡salud! y los libres del mundo responden al gran pueblo Argentino ¡salud! Sean eternos los laureles que supimos conseguir que supimos conseguir coronados de gloria vivamos ¡oh! juremos con gloria morir ¡oh! juremos con gloria morir ¡oh! juremos con gloria morir
Anthem History: During the war of independence with Spain, the anthem underwent many modifications to tone down the militaristic and anti-Spanish nature of the song. However, in a presidential decree in 1900, it was declared that the anthem, as adopted on March 11, 1813, would be the official anthem,

Other National Symbols

Motto
National Motto
Spanish: En Unión y Libertad <br>English: In Union and Liberty
National Flower
Ceibo or Seibo
Erythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California in the United States. In South America, it is known by several common names: ceibo, seíbo, bucaré. In English it is known as the Cockspur coral tree. The tree's flower is the national flower of Argentina and Uruguay. It is also the official city tree of Los Angeles, California (where it is referred to simply as “the coral tree”). Erythrina crista-galli is a small tree, the girth of its trunk measuring 50 cm. Normally it grows 5–8 meters tall, although some, such as the ceibos in the Argentine provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, can grow up to 10 m. The species characteristically grows wild in gallery-forest ecosystems along water courses, as well as in swamps and wetlands. In urban settings, it often is planted in parks for its bright red flowers.

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