ARGENTINA (Updated 2014) 1. GENERAL INFORMATION The Argentine Republic is a federal state constituted by 23 provinces and one federal district. Each one of the Argentine provinces is also divided into administrative areas or departments. SOURCE: UNDERSECRETARIAT OF TERRITORIAL PLANNING OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT: http://www.planif-territorial.gov.ar/ 1.1 Country Overview 1.1.1 Governmental System Argentina adopts a Representative, Republican and Federal system of government. Argentina is based on a Democratic and Presidential system of government. The National Constitution was enacted in 1853 and amended in 1860, 1898, 1957 and 1994. The suffrage is universal and obligatory for every citizen as from the age of 18. Each province, as well as the City of Buenos Aires, elect their legislators and governors by direct ballot. Moreover, provincial states organise and have their own Justice administration. The City of Buenos Aires is the first financial, political, and economic centre of Argentina. SOURCE: PRESIDENCY OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. http://www.casarosada.gov.ar 1.1.2 Geography and Climate The Argentine Republic is located in the southern and western hemispheres with reference to the Equator and the Greenwich meridian, respectively. Argentina borders with Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, the Southern Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Chile to the west and south. The province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and the South Sandwich Islands engulf a continental area in the American continent, another in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands and South Georgias. These isles have been occupied by Great Britain since 1882. Argentina also claims the overseas territory of Antarctica. The total area is 3,761,274 km2.The continental area is 969,464 km2; including the Austral Islands (South Orkney, South Georgia and South Sandwich).Argentina is the second largest country of South America. The vast Argentine territory has a diversity of landscapes. To the west, Argentina has the rugged mountain regions, known as the Andes. Towards the east, it is completely plain or slightly undulated. The Argentinean pampas, originally treeless plains including the most productive agricultural sectors, stretches 1,600 km to the south of Chaco province (northern forests) and to the north of the Patagonia. The Patagonia, southern region of Argentina, has an area of almost 1 million km2 and is mostly arid with desolate steps. SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS AND CENSUS: http://www.indec.gov.ar GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC: http://www.ign.gob.ar/ 1 NAVY HYDROGRAPHICAL SERVICE: http://www.hidro.gov.ar There are four major kinds of climate in Argentina: warm, mild, arid and cold. Temperatures decrease generally from the north to the south as a consequence of the difference of latitude. To the north, the weather is tropical while to the south it is cold and has similar characteristics to the north of Europe. In general, there are large temperature and climactic variations due to Argentina’s complex geography. SOURCE: NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTRE: STATISTICAL DATA 1981 - 1990 PERIOD. http://www.smn.gov.ar 1.1.3 Population According to the 2010 census, Argentina has a total population of 40,117,096; an average density of 14.41 inhabitants per km2; the average annual total population growth rate is 10.6%, the ageing index is 40.2% (considering the population of 65 or more years, over the one which lies between 0 and 14 years), the crude birth rate2 is 18.7%, the crude infant mortality 3 4 rate is 11.9% and the masculinity ratio is 94.8%. The City of Buenos Aires, along with 24 administrative areas which make up what is known as Gran Buenos Aires, is one of the biggest cities worldwide. The 2010 Census shows that about one third of the population lives in this area, with a population of 12,806,866 inhabitants about 2,890,151 of whom live in the Federal District. Other major cities are: Córdoba (1,329,604 inhabitants), Rosario (1,193,605 inhabitants), San Miguel de Tucumán (548,866 inhabitants) and Mar del Plata (618,989). Around 91.4% of the total population lives in urban areas. Table 1 presents the historical population data. Table 1.Information on Population Annual average rate of growth (%) From 2000 to Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008 2010 2013** 2010 Population (millions) 24.0 28.1 32.6 36.8 38.6 39.1 40.1 42,2 0.9 Population density (inhabitants/km²) 8.6 10.1 11.7 13.2 13.8 14.0 14.4 15,11 0.9 Urban population as part of the total % 78.9 82.9 87.2 89.2 90.1 90.3 91.4 93,1*** 0.2 Continental surface (1000 km²) 2791.8* 2791,8* *Total land area excluding Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands departments. ** Population estimates and projections 2010-2040. Total Country, development based on results of the National Census of Population and Housing 2010. INDEC. *** Territorial Strategic Plan, Progress II, Urban Argentina. Strategic Guidelines for a National Urbanization Policy (2011) SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS AND CENSUS http://www.indec.gov.ar MINISTRY OF HEALTH http://www.msal.gov.ar/ UNDERSECRETARIAT OF TERRITORIAL PLANNING OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT. http://www.planif-territorial.gov.ar 1 The average density is 14.4 inhabitants/km², excluding Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands departments. 2Crude birth rate per 1000 inhabitants. 3Crude infant mortality rate per 1000 live births. 4Number of men per 100 women. 2 1.1.4 Economic Data At present, the most important contributing sectors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the 2011 registry, are: Services, Industry, Agriculture and Livestock (including Hunting and Forestry) Construction, Mining, Electricity, Gas and Water Services, and lastly Fisheries. The Energy Sector decreased its participation with the passing of time. The fundamental reason is the decrease in energy exports, mainly hydrocarbons, which are expected to decrease in the future, and to be replaced with imports, especially oil and natural gas. The Services Sector is the biggest sector in the Argentine economy and it is expected to continue as the dominant sector in the future. Table 2.Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Annual Average Rate of Growth (%) 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2000 a 2012 GDP (millions of current US$) 28,178 190,661 123,274 284,204 181,967 368,399 445,620 4.2 GDP (millions of constant US$ 2000) 51,564 136,915 193,284 284,463 290,822 442,078 569,367 ** - GDP per capita (PPP* US$ /capita) n/d 4,861 5,609 9,210 10,871 15,603 15,901 17,516 5.5 GDP per capita (US$/current capita) 1,176 6,787 3,828 7,929 4,629 9,189 11,018*** 11,647,1 3.3 * PPP: Purchasing Power Parity. ** Value currently not available. *** Calculated value based on estimated population projections based on the 2010 Census. SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS AND CENSUS http://www.indec.gov.ar CENTRAL BANK OF ARGENTINA http://www.bcra.gov.ar/pdfs/indicadores/radar.pdf 1.2 Energy Information 1.2.1 Estimated Available Energy Argentina has natural resources such as oil, natural gas, coal and uranium. While the situation has been changing throughout history, Argentina has been one of the countries self- sufficient in energy in the region and has even received exportable surpluses. In the late 80s and during the 90s, Argentina paralyzed its hydroelectric and nuclear development, despite having a hydroelectric potential greater than the installed capacity and a nuclear power extensively developed at all the stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. Moreover, the reserves of fossil fuels decreased sharply, given the lack of investment in exploration recorded in the late 90s, and unplanned exploitation, intended primarily to supply the high growth of domestic demand and the regional market. Since 2004, the National State has implemented a policy of a rational use of resources in a planned way, for sustenance in the future. According to the last available National Energetic Balance (BEN) of 2012, approximately 87.6% of the total primary energy offer comes from fossil fuels, corresponding to 54.1% natural gas (NG), 32.6% oil, and 0.9% mineral coal. The rest comes from hydraulic energy (3.9%), nuclear energy (2.3%), and renewable resources such as wood (0.9%), bagasse (1.2%), bio fuel (3.3%) and other primary resources (1.0%). This high concentration of hydrocarbons in Argentina’s primary energy sources (extracted from BEN Historical Series) is 3 a main structural characteristic of the Argentine energetic net. Figure 1 shows the information about the evolution of the composition of primary energy. Concerning the analysis of the National Energetic Balances for the period 1970-2011, significant changes can be observed related to the continuous replacement of oil with NG. Other remarkable changes are related to the evolution of water/hydroelectric power and nuclear energy. From less than 1% in 1970, both sources have significantly increased their share. As of late, however, the values given for 2011 show that the hydroelectric and the nuclear generation have been relegated because of the rise of thermal fossil generation. This trend is expected to revert with the entry into system of Atucha II NPP. Figure 1: Composition of Primary Energy Sources 1970-2012. The analysis of the National Energy Balance for the period 1970-2012 shows significant changes linked to the progressive replacement of oil by natural gas. Other notable changes are related to the evolution of hydro and nuclear energy. Since 1970, when hydroelectric generation represented only 0.6% of total sources and there was no contribution of nuclear energy, both sources have had a significant growth.