ABSTRACT
Argentina is also self-sufficient in oil and natural gas and wealthy in mineral resources. Although comparable in size to Australia, it has failed to develop along the same lines; in 1930 it entered a long period of decline. Argentina remained disunited for much of the nineteenth century, owing to the rivalry between Buenos Aires and the other provinces. Buenos Aires seceded from the federation but in 1859 was defeated in a military confrontation with the other provinces. In September 1955 the armed forces intervened, and Peron went into exile in Spain. However, his legacy and his political movement survived to form the fundamental divide in Argentine politics for the next four decades. In the event, the presidential elections of 1995 were overshadowed by the economic impact of the Mexican economic crisis. In theory committed to eradicating the military from Argentine politics and establishing a working democratic system, Alfonsin soon had to temper his policies with reality.
