ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Argentina. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities (PPP), life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Argentina. The Argentine Republic was established after independence from Spain in 1816. Democratic rule was often interrupted by military coups. Street crime has become one of the most important challenges facing Argentina. The depression-like state of the economy has been a major factor in the steady increase in the rate of violent crime experienced throughout the country. Public safety is a primary concern for Argentines, who just a generation ago enjoyed a country with one of the world's lowest rates of violent common crime. Within a decade, crime in Argentina has doubled, and, in Buenos Aires, tripled.
