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  • As Argentina picks a new president in 2015, many are hoping for substantial changes. The

  • previous administration has been marred by corruption and misinformation, which has done

  • little to boost the country’s standing around the world. So as the government changes hands,

  • we wanted to know, just how powerful is Argentina?

  • Well, Argentina is a former Spanish colony comprising more than 1 million square miles.

  • That’s nearly the same size as India, but with only about 3% of the population. Still,

  • theyre the second largest country in South America, and the largest Spanish speaking

  • nation on earth. Argentina also claims a significant portion of Antarctica, though this claim is

  • disputed by the United Kingdom.

  • Argentina’s large size and population, along with its fertile farmlands, have allowed it

  • to develop at a rapid pace since the 19th century. The World Bank lists them as a “high

  • income economy”, with a diversifying industry and a high quality of life. Most trade exports

  • come from the agricultural sector, like soybean products and corn, and they are one of the

  • world’s leading producers of pears. With a GDP of more than half a trillion dollars,

  • their economic strength ranks above Belgium and Norway. However, political infighting

  • in past few decades has resulted in an economic recession and a lower global credit rating.

  • The country remains in debt over $100 billion dollars.

  • But that doesn’t stop Argentina from spending $4 billion dollars annually on their military,

  • which ranks 47th globally. Compared to similarly ranked militaries, Argentina has a large number

  • of active personnel, with roughly 100,000 personnel. Additionally, strong ties to superpowers

  • like the US and China, as well as their somewhat isolated position on the globe, make Argentina

  • an unlikely target for military action.

  • Argentina is a member of the G20, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

  • And, because theyre the second largest economy in South America, they are a majorly

  • involved in regional trade with neighboring Brazil.

  • Although it’s at times overshadow, Argentina remains a solid middle power with huge economic

  • growth potential and few national defense threats. Argentina has greatly benefitted

  • from a resilient workforce and many natural resources. If their government can improve

  • the nation’s global economic standing, Argentina has a very promising future as a major international

  • power.

  • The relationship between Argentina and the UK, on the other hand, isn’t very promising.

  • Watch our video to learn about why these two countries have had a troubled past. Thanks

  • for watching! Don’t forget to subscribe to TestTube News to watch new videos daily.

As Argentina picks a new president in 2015, many are hoping for substantial changes. The

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