The thought of relocating to Argentina is maybe not something which would spring to the mind of many people outside of South America but there is certainly a trend towards moving to the region. Moving to Argentina is something which has grown in popularity but what exactly does Argentina have to offer and what can you expect?
Where is Argentina?
Argentina is situated on the southwest coast of South America and is indeed the second-largest country in South America behind Brazil. The country has a total land mass of just over 1,000,000 mi.² although there is approaching 12,000 mi.² of land water within the country. There are four major regions of Argentina which are the central plains, the southern plateau, the subtropical northern flats and the renowned Andes mountain range. As we touched on above, there are many lakes and rivers within Argentina and the highest point above sea level is around 23,000 feet with the lowest point actually below sea level at -344 feet.
The weather in Argentina
There are few countries which can offer the massive range of climates which Argentina has with subtropical temperatures in the north of Argentina to sub-polar temperatures in the south of Argentina. You can expect everything from long hot summers to cold winters and heavy snow and every other climate you can think of in between. Amazingly, the southern regions of Argentina can experience extended daylight between November and February of up to 19 hours a day. However, between May and August the situation is reversed and much of the day is cast in darkness and overcast. The level of rain throughout the country also varies significantly depending on the region in which you are living.
The population of Argentina
While the last official consensus back in 2001 confirmed a population of just over 36 million in Argentina, the unofficial forecast for 2009 is in the region of 40 million people. This is one of the least populated areas of the world with a population density of around 15 people per square kilometre which is well below the world average of 50 people per square kilometre. Population growth in the region has slowed to around 1% and indeed net migration is zero with the same number of people leaving the country as moving to start a new life in Argentina.
On the whole Argentina is considered something of a migrant population with around 86% of the current Argentinian population descended from areas of Europe, with a significant number of Spanish descendents. In the mid-19th to 20th century the country saw the population doubling every 20 years due in the main to the high-level of immigration into Argentina. But while the Spanish still dominate the Argentinian population, there is also a relatively large Italian presence with others immigrants from France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Greece, Portugal and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom. Much-publicised issues between the UK government and the Argentinian authorities, in relation to the Falklands, have seen the demise of the relationship between the two governments and the two countries.
There are also significant immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and other areas of Eastern Europe.
The language of Argentina
While the official language of Argentina is Spanish, there is some dispute as to whether the influence of the Italian language is greater than that of the Spanish. However, there is no doubt that there are very close connections between these countries which have allowed the relatively fluid movement of immigrants between the two regions. There are however a number of indigenous communities within Argentina who have managed to retain their original languages which vary across the country.
The economy in Argentina
Historically the economy of Argentina has been very volatile due in the main to both monetary and political uncertainty which has gripped the nation for many years. However, over the last 20 years we have seen a gradual recovery in the Argentinian economy and indeed it has retained much of the ground lost in the early 1900s. The Argentina we see today is a very different animal to the Argentina of 30 years ago which was gripped by political and monetary issues. Between 1975 and 1990 the country was forced to pay record foreign debt interest payments which resulted in a massive balance of payments crisis which nearly pushed the country over the edge.
The government of the time then introduced a period of trade liberalization and deregulation which initially saw a massive increase in GDP. However, by the early part of 2000 the country was about to default on its debt payments, unemployment reached 25% and the peso had fallen by over 70% after being unleashed from the dollar. However, the situation is very different today.
Transport network in Argentina
Thankfully the transport network in Argentina is relatively developed even if the internal transport network did suffer from significant mismanagement and underinvestment in the latter part of the 1900s. There are over 144,000 miles of road, over 21,000 miles of rail and the country also has a relatively well-developed airport network which services the internal and external flights to the country. So while historically transport may well have been a problem for expats looking towards Argentina as their new homeland, this is not really an issue at this moment in time and indeed after a period of relative political calm it seems as though the country is now back on its feet.
Major cities in Argentina
There are a number of major cities around Argentina which are attracting the attention of expats and businesses from overseas which include:-
Buenos Aires is the capital city of Argentina with a population of around 3 million spread across a number of provincial district. The city is actually the third largest conurbation in Latin America and as such attracts the lion share of investment and visitors to the country. It will come as no surprise to learn that the city is the financial hub of Argentina with significant industrial, commercial and agricultural businesses operating in and around the region. It is also one of South America’s largest ports with fairly strong links to Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is estimated that the economy of Buenos Aires is worth in the region of US$90 billion a year which is a massive financial input by any standards (estimated at around 25% of Argentina’s overall economic output).
Cordoba
Cordoba is situated in the geographical center of Argentina and is around 435 miles northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the second-largest city in Argentina with a population of around 1.3 million and history which goes back to 1573 with very strong Spanish links. These Spanish links remained to this day and there is still a very strong Spanish influence in and around the city.
Historically Cordoba has been one of the more industrialised cities in Argentina with a strong car manufacturing presence with companies such as Renault, Volkswagen and Fiat. However, over the last few years there has been a significant increase in the technological sector in Argentina and Cordoba is seen by many as the center of this particular business arena. Software and electronic industries are now amongst the largest exporters in and around Cordoba which bodes well for the future with names such as Motorola and Intel prominent in the region. This offers an interesting mix of different employment opportunities, the likes of which are relatively scarce in other parts of Argentina.
Rosario
Rosario is the third-largest city in Argentina with a population of just under 1.3 million although again, like many other prominent cities within Argentina, it is still a relatively short distance from the capital. While many of the more prominent cities within Argentina are able to pinpoint their history and individual founders, with the Spanish having a very strong presence in the region, Rosario which has ultimately grown by itself. The close proximity to water has opened up a number of industrial arenas and industrial activities which local authorities have made good use of.
Like many modern-day economies, the local economy in and around Rosario is dominated by the services industry. However there are a number of other sectors which are prominent in the region including petrochemical, chemistry, the meat industry, iron works, auto parts, agricultural machinery as well as construction to name but a few. There are a great number of well-known companies in the region such as General Motors, Cargill, Unilever and Tenneco.
Mendoza
The city of Mendoza is the fourth-largest in Argentina with a population just under 900,000 and again the city has very close links with the capital city of Argentina. It seems that many of the industrial areas of the Argentine economy are based in and around the capital with very close links to other prominent cities allowing the free flow of business and services across Argentina. However, Mendoza does offer a number of different opportunities to other well-known cities in Argentina with mountaineering, hiking, horseback riding and winter sports very prominent in the area.
For those looking at employment in the region the two main industries in Mendoza are olive oil production and winemaking with the area seen as the largest wine producing region in Latin America. Not only has this increased employment in this particular area but the tourism industry is now also growing at an impressive rate. If you are looking for something a little different than maybe Mendoza is the place for you?
The cost of living in Argentina
Even though there has been significant economic activity within Argentina over the last decade, which often leads to a higher cost of living, the overall cost of living in Argentina is still relatively low compared to other countries such as America. It is worthwhile remembering that Argentina has the highest literacy rate in Latin America, a well-developed transport network, a free education system and in many ways is only scratching the surface of the potential of the area.
While Buenos Aires is maybe a different situation, being the hub of Argentina and the capital of the country, there are still many opportunities to live a relatively high standard of living at a relatively low cost. Despite the fact that the region has had a reputation as a “political and economic basket case” in the past, this is something from the bygone days and the Argentina of today is almost unrecognisable from the Argentina of 20 or 50 years ago.
As with so many South American countries, political stability has led to economic growth and a significant improvement in the prospects for the region. At some stage there is no doubt that the cost of living will increase in line with the economic activity in the country but hopefully the vast majority of the population will be able to benefit and thereby affords future product price and service price increases.
Conclusion
For many years Argentina was a country which, like so many other South American countries, was often avoided by both expats and businesses. However, a degree of political stability has led to economic growth and whilst there is still a very strong connection between South America and United States of America, countries such as Argentina have expanded their economic base to take in international companies and worldwide industries.
While the major cities in Argentina are relatively highly populated it is easy to forget that Argentina has one of the lowest population densities per square mile in the world but has natural resources which on the whole remain relatively untapped. The potential for Argentina in the future is there for all to see and there would appear to be political and management systems in place to take advantage of this. Whether or not South America returns to political instability and economic volatility in the future is a question often asked, with many experts believing this relatively restless period in the history of the region is now over for good.
Argentina is often overlooked in favour of areas such as Brazil but there is no doubt that the country has much to offer and even the ongoing political and potential military spat with the UK has not stopped UK expats and UK businesses from looking towards the region for the future.
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