roducts. Wheat, the chief crop, occupies about one seventh of the nation's cropland and is raised mainly in the Pampa. Corn (maize) covers less land, but the crop yields are high. Flax, grown for linseed oil, and rye, barley, and oats, used mainly for livestock feed, are also important. Sunflower seeds are a major source of the nation's cooking oilArgentina does not have adequate mineral resources The leading minerals produced are petroleum, lead, and zinc. From the Northwest come tungsten, beryllium, and manganese. The country has little iron ore or other ores necessary to modern industry. It is poorly supplied with coal, especially high-grade coking coal for steel. More than 90 percent of Argentina's exports are made up of crops, especially wheat, and livestock products. Countries that usually buy extensively from Argentina include the United States, Russia and other Eastern European countries, The Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, China, and Italy.Argentina has one of the highest literacy rates in South America. Public schools were built by government subsidies, especially under the leadership of President Domingo F. Sarmiento from 1868 to 1874. Primary education is compulsory and free, but further training is expensive. Vocational schools offer commercial, agricultural, and industrial instruction. Chief Manufactured Products. Automobiles, beer, cattle and buffalo hides, cement, commercial vehicles, cotton yarn, crude steel, lumber, man-made fibers, merchant vessels, paper, petroleum products, plastics and resins, refined sugar, steel tubes, sulfuric acid, synthetic rubber, textiles, wine, wheat flour, wood pulp. Monetary Unit. 1 peso = 100 centavos. PLACES OF INTEREST GDP (1991 US$ billions) 134 133 140 Real GDP growth rate (pct) -4.6 -0.7 5.0 GDP growth by sector Agriculture 2/ -2.9 9.8 7.0 Industry 2/ -7.1 -4.6 ...
