Head of state: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi Prime minister: Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi
Population
42,192,494
194,320
Life Expectancy
77.140 years
72.660 years
Capital City
Buenos Aires
Largest city
Buenos Aires (population: 13,076,300)
Apia (population: 40,407)
Human Development Index
0.86
0.76
GDP per capita
$17,700 US
Literacy Rate
97.2%
99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
2.9
4.4
Percentage of Women in Parliament
39.8%
8.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
Gregorio Perez Companc & family ($1.8bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
7.200%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
republic
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages
Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Exports
soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat
External Debt
$136,800,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar - 3.1636 (2008 est.), 3.1105 (2007), 3.0543 (2006), 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
0
Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Area
2,780,400 km sq
2,831 km sq
Coastline
4,989 km
403 km
Climate
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
