Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (provincias, singular -
provincia), and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires;
Catamarca; Chaco; Chubut; Cordoba; Corrientes; Distrito Federal*;
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
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica
Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
National holiday: Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Constitution: 1 May 1853; revised August 1994
Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state : President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President Carlos RUCKAUF (since 8 July 1995); 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 14 May 1995 (next to be held May 1999) election results : Carlos Saul MENEM reelected president; percent of vote - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; three members appointed by each of the provincial legislatures, one-third of the members appointed every three years to a 9-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; one-half of the members elected every two years to four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held NA May 1995 (next to be held NA 1998); Chamber of Deputies - last held 14 May 1995; (next to be held NA October 1997) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PJ 38, others 34; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PJ 132, UCR 68, Frepaso 26, other 31
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of the Senate
Political parties and leaders: Justicialist Party or PJ [Carlos Saul MENEM] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Rodolfo TERRAGNO] (moderately left-of-center party); Union of the Democratic Center or UCD (conservative party); Dignity and Independence Political Party or MODIN [Aldo RICO] (right-wing party); Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso (a four party coalition) [leader Carlos ALVAREZ]; several provincial parties