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 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; formerly, three members appointed by
each of the provincial legislatures; presently transitioning to
one-third of the members being elected every three years to a
nine-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 26 October 1997 (next to be held NA
1999)
election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-PJ 39, UCR 1, others 32; Chamber of Deputies-percent of vote by
party-NA; seats by party-PJ 119, UCR 69, Frepaso 36, other 33

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 [Fernando DE LA RUA]; Union of the Democratic Center or UCD
(conservative party); Dignity and Independence Political Party or
MODIN (right-wing party); Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso
(a four party coalition) [leader Carlos ALVAREZ]