Argentina General Information

INTERESTING FACTS

Official Name: The Republic of Argentina (República Argentina)Area: 2,791.810 km2 / 1,078,386 sq miles. Capital: Buenos AiresPopulation: Over 40.100.000; a third resides in Buenos Aires. (Census 2010) Language: SpanishReligion: 92% Roman Catholic (less than 20% practicing), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish and 4% other religions.Education: 97.2% literacy rate, one of the highest in Latin America.Government: Federal Republic with a Senate and Chamber of Deputies and the President as Head of State.Current President: Mr. Alberto Fernandez (Populist Party)Neighbouring Countries: Chile (West); Bolivia and Paraguay (North); Brazil and Uruguay (East). Telephone Dialling Country Code: +54Internet LTD: .ar

CURRENCY

The official Argentine currency is the Peso.
There are bills of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 & 1.000 pesos and coins of 10, 5, 2 & 1 peso and 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents. There are different 10, 20, 50- and 100-peso bills (all valid currency) You should be aware of counterfeit money.

ATM (AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINES


Availability is generally good, but you should not rely sole¬ly on using international debit cards to access funds (in Argentine pesos). You may also wish to check with your bank before traveling to make certain your PIN is valid in Argentina and what, if any, restrictions there are per day on withdrawal amounts.
IMPORTANT: In many cases your card is returned at the END of the transaction. Do not forget it.

CREDIT CARDS


VISA, AMEX and MASTERCARD are accepted in most hotels and major shops and restaurants. Shops sometimes charge extra for the usage of the card or give important discounts for paying in cash. We would not recommend travellers checks.
Lost/stolen credit cards: American Express (011 4310-3636 or 0-810-555-2639) – MasterCard (011 4340-5700 or 0810 999 5700) - Visa (4379-3333 or 0810 666 3368)


CASH




US dollars/EUROS are not widely accepted outside the major tourist areas for cash transactions, but it is worth bringing a supply of dollars (small denominations) to exchange for pesos. Other currencies are not accepted except at some banks and exchange houses.