Argentina at a Glance

• Population: Approx. 37 million


• Capital city: Buenos Aires, approx. 2.73 million inhabitants


• Language: Spanish


• Religions: Catholics 90% (of which less than 20% are practicing), Protestants 2% and Jews 1%


• Form of government:: Presidential democracy, federal republic

Economy

Since the beginning of the 1990s, German-Argentinean trade has had an average annual volume of around 2.2 billion U.S.-Dollars. Argentinean exports to Germany are predominantly primary products and agricultural produce. Accounting for 20 percent of these goods, meat and meat products play an important role. Of the meat delivered to the EU, 80 percent goes to Germany. The main Argentinean imports from Germany are traditionally industrial products, especially machinery, vehicles and vehicle parts, as well as pharmaceuticals and chemical products.Situated in Buenos Aires are the German-Argentinean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CADICAA), with around 500 members, and the office of a correspondent for the Bundesagentur für Außenwirtschaft (German Office for Foreign Trade). The traditional concentration on laying out long-term business goals guarantees a continuing German involvement in Argentina.

Culture and Science

The academic cooperation plays an important role in the German-Argentinean cultural relations. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has many cooperation agreements with government agencies and private Argentinean foundations regarding the exchange of scientists as well as scholarship programmes. The DAAD also finances four lectors and a tenured professor (the Walter Gropius Chair at the University of Buenos Aires) in the country. Between universities in the two countries, there are around 45 cooperation agreements of varying intensity, some going so far as to offer an integrated course of study with double-degrees at universities in both countries.

German culture of the past and present enjoys considerable respect in Argentina, and is evident in the cultural life. Both branches of the Goethe-Institute – in Buenos Aires and Córdoba – offer a diverse programme which provides insight into current German culture. This involvement is supplemented by the activities of over 60 German-Argentinean cultural societies throughout the country. There are 18 German-sponsored schools in Argentina, at which about 10,000 pupils are taught. This situation lead to a German-Argentinean intergovernmental agreement on German Schools in 1997, the first of its kind with another country. A further 90 schools in the country teach German. In keeping with the policy of promoting the German language, efforts are made towards the introduction of German at public schools.

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