Argentina Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeastern South America.

Area
2,780,400 sq km (1,073,518 sq miles).

Population
39.9 million (official estimate 2006).

Population Density
14.4 per sq km.

Capital
Buenos Aires.
Population: 3 million (2006 estimate).

Government
Federal and Democratic Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1816.

Language
Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken with some French and German.

Religion
More than 90% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant with small Muslim and Jewish communities.

Time
GMT - 3.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plug fittings in older buildings are of the two-pin round type, but some new buildings use the three-pin flat type.

Head of State
President Néstor Carlos Kirchner since 2003.

Telephone
Country code: 54. Phone centers known as locutorios can be found in most towns. Users are given their own phone booth and calls are added up and paid for at the end. Public pay phones are available in shops and restaurants and on some streets. These take 1 peso or 50 and 25 centavos coins. Most public telephones accept international phone cards.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good.

Internet
Available in most towns and cities.

Media
The media enjoys press freedom in Argentina. Newspapers, magazines, radio and television are generally independent and trustworthy sources of information.

Post
Airmail to Europe generally takes between five and 10 days. Surface mail to Europe takes on average 20 to 25 days but can take as long as 50 days, so it is advisable to send everything airmail. An express service offers guaranteed 24-hour delivery in Argentina, and one to five days worldwide. The main post office in Buenos Aires is located in Sarmiento 189.

Post office hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0900-1300, with some regional variation.

Press
• Argentina’s principal dailies include Clarín, La Nación, Crónica, El Cronista Commercial, Página 12, Diario Popular and La Prensa.
• The Buenos Aires Herald is the leading English-language newspaper in Latin America.
• The Argentimes is an English-language newspaper for young people.

Radio
• There are hundreds of radio stations in Argentina, many of them unlicensed.
• Some of the biggest and best known stations are Radio Nacional, Radio America, FM Palermo and Radio Mitre.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
2 Apr Veterans’ Day (Malvinas).
6 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
25 May National Day (Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution).
18 Jun National Flag Day (Belgrano Day).
9 Jul National Independence Day.
20 Aug San Martín Day (Anniversary of the Death of General José de San Martín).
15 Oct Columbus Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Good Friday.
2 Apr Veterans’ Day (Malvinas).
1 May Labor Day.
25 May National Day (Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution).
16 Jun National Flag Day (Belgrano Day).
9 Jul National Independence Day.
18 Aug San Martín Day (Anniversary of the Death of General José de San Martín).
13 Oct Columbus Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the UK
65 Brook Street, London W1K 4AH, UK
Tel: (020) 7318 1300.
Website: www.argentine-embassy-uk.org  
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

Argentine Consulate in the UK
27 Three Kings Yard, London W1K 4DF, UK
Tel: (020) 7318 1340.
Website: www.argentine-embassy-uk.org  
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1400.

Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the USA
1600 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 238 6400 or 6460 (visa section).
Website: www.embassyofargentina.us

Argentina Government Tourist Office in the USA
12 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel: (212) 603 0443.
Website: www.turismo.gov.ar


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