gion.(Norden, Deborah L. pg. 154) Spanish is the official language and is spoken by most of the Argentines. Italian and a bunch of Native American languages are also spoken. "Roman Catholics make up 90 percent of the population. Judaism, Protestantism, and a number of other Christian and non-Christian religions are practiced. By law, the president and vice president of Argentina must be Roman Catholic."(Encarta Online) Argentina is a nation with a rich Spanish heritage. Primary education is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 14. Argentina's literacy rate of 96 percent is one of the highest in Latin America. Argentina has 25 national universities and many private universities. The leading library of Argentina is the National Library (1810) in Buenos Aires, which has about 1.9 million volumes.(Rock, DavidRock, David) The Argentine economy is based primarily on the production of agricultural products and the raising of livestock, but manufacturing and mining industries have shown marked growth in recent decades. Argentina is one of the world's leading cattle and grain regions. Argentina raises enough crops for domestic needs and export stuff to foreign markets. "Livestock raising and slaughtering are major enterprises in Argentina, as are the refrigeration and processing of meat and animal products; total annual meat production is nearly 3.5 million metric tons, three-quarters of it from cattle."(Encarta Online)Wheat is the most important crop. Argentina is one of the biggest producers of wheat in the world. "In 1998, the wheat crop totaled 11.7 million metric tons. Other major cash crops were maize (19.6 million metric tons), soybeans, and sorghum. Other major field crops include oats, barley, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, sugarcane, cotton, potatoes, rice, mat, peanuts, and tobacco, as well as a considerable crop of grapes, oranges, lemons, and grapefruit."(Encarta Online)Before, Argentina's money system was based on the peso oro ...
