Argentina Facts for Kids

 The official name of Argentina is the Argentine Republic.

 The name Argentina comes from the Latin word for sliver 'argentum'.
 By land area Argentina is the 2nd largest country in South America and the 8th largest
country in the world.
 Spanish is the official language of Argentina but there are many other languages spoken
throughout the country.
 Argentina shares a land border with 5 countries including Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia
and Paraguay.
 The capital city of Argentina is Buenos Aires.
 Argentina has a population of over 42 million people (42,610,981) as of July 2013.
 Argentina borders the Andes mountain range to the west, the highest point is Mount
Aconcagua 6,962 m (22,841 ft) located in the Mendoza province.
 The Argentine city of Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world.
 The Latin dance and music called the Tango began in Buenos Aires.
 Argentina has three Nobel Prize recipients in the Sciences, Bernardo Houssay, César
Milstein and Luis Leloir.
 The currency of Argentina is called the Peso.
 Argentine beef is famous around the world and Asado (an Argentine barbecue) is very
popular in the country which has the highest consumption of red meat in the world.
 Argentine cartoonist Quirino Cristiani made and released the world's first two animated
feature films in 1917 and 1918.
 The most popular sport in Argentina is football (soccer), the Argentine national team has
won the football World Cup twice in 1978 and 1986.
 The national sport of Argentina is Pato a game played on horseback. It takes aspects from
polo and basketball. The word Pato is Spanish for 'duck' as early games used a live duck
inside a basket instead of a ball.
 Basketball, Polo, rugby, golf and women's field hockey are also popular sports in the
country.
 There are over 30 national parks in Argentina.
 For more information, check out maps of Argentina or take a closer look at the
Argentinian flag.

Around
97% of
Argentina’s
population
is home to
people of
European
descent,
while 1.5%
of people
are of
Amerindian
descent,
0.2% of
people are
of Asian
descent and
1.5% of
their
population
is classified
as Mestizos.
Argentina is governed under a federal presidential constitutional republic, and
2 established their government after declaring their independence from Spain on July
9, 1816.
Since declaring their independence they have grown to have the third-largest
economy in South America. Their total nominal GDP is estimated to be $474.812
3 billion while their per capita GDP is around $11,572. Their nominal GDP ranks
Argentina as having the 27th best economy in the world, while their GDP per capita
is ranked 62nd.
The country is home to an abundance of natural resources, a growing agricultural
4 sector and a booming industrial market.

Argentina is known as one of the highest literary countries in the world, and prides
5 itself in producing highly literate citizens that can easily maneuver around and
succeed in the global business world.
Argentina’s history is entangled with European history. The Europeans first arrived
in Argentina in 1502 and established their own settlement in Buenos Aires.
6
Throughout the next two hundred years settlements were established and then
abandoned.
In 1816 Argentina wrote its own Declaration of Independence. Then, in 1856 they
established a constitution that is still used today in the country. Today, the
7 government is comprised of a President, Vice President and Supreme Court
President. Argentina also has a legislature that contains Congress, Senate and a
Chamber of Deputies.
Adults and children both travel home after lunch each day to take a siesta. Siestas
are short naps that people all around the country partake in. During siestas many
8
businesses and schools close down, and everyone in the country relaxes. There are
even a few hotels in the capital city that rent rooms specifically for siestas.
Soccer is a very popular sport in Argentina. Kids and adults both get into the game
and love to play it during their free time. Often kids will start up a game of soccer in
9
the streets outside their house and play all evening with their friends.

Pampas are large grassy areas that the Argentinean people use to herd cattle. Many
10 pampas are owned by gauchos, or cowboys. Gauchos herd cattle and ensure that all
of their cows are properly fed and kept healthy.
Since Argentina is located in the Southern Hemisphere its climates are completely
11 opposite than the climates in the Northern Hemisphere. When it is summer time in
the United States, it is winter in Argentina.
 Part of The Andes Mountain range is located in Argentina. The Andes Mountains
12 are great tourists attractions and provide people with abundant hiking and camping
lands.
The Argentinean people love to dance. Ballroom dancing is a great activity that
many people partake in on a daily basis. Many ballroom dances originated in the
country including the tango. Historically, the tango originated in the slaughterhouse
district in Buenos Aires. At first, the elite citizens in Argentina looked down upon
13
the dance, and thought of it as a dance of the poor people, however as their children
began entering the ghettos of Buenos Aires in search of a good time the dance
became popular. These teens brought the tango back to their friends and families
and it immediately gained popularity throughout the country and the world.
The very first animated film in the world was created by an Argentinean man.
14 Quirino Cristiani created the film “El Apostol” in 1917. This film was 70 minutes
long and had over 58,000 frames.
Argentina was the first country to utilize fingerprinting in order to determine if a
person was guilty of a crime. The first instance of fingerprinting occurred after a
particularly gruesome murder occurred in a small Argentinean town. The murder
15
was not witnessed by anyone; however the murderer left a bloody fingerprint at the
crime scene. The police used the bloody fingerprint to correctly identify the
murderer.
Paleontologists flock to Argentina each year to participate in archeological digs.
The oldest dinosaur species ever to be identified was traced back to both Argentina
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and Brazil. For this reason, many paleontologists travel to Argentina to search for
more clues about this rare dinosaur and others.
In the Latin language the world Argentina means silver. The original European
settlers believed that the country was full of silver, and established towns in the
17
country in order to search for the precious metal. Unfortunately, no silver was ever
found.
Argentina is the Latin American country that has the most Nobel Prize winners.
18 Five people from Argentina have won Nobel Prizes in the categories of science and
peace.
19 More Argentinean people utilize public transportation than driving their own cars.
El Dia de Tradicion is a festival that is celebrated around November 10th in
Argentina each year. This festival celebrates the birth of Jose Hernandez, an
20 Argentinean poet who is considered to be one of the greatest literary figures of the
country. The festival is a weeklong and contains concerts, food, parades and parties.

The currency of Argentina is the Argentine peso. This was introduced to the country
21
in 1992. Prior to this, the county had the Peso Ley, Escudos, Soles, and Reales.
The primary language of Argentina is Spanish. This language has been heavily
influenced by immigrants, including Italian French settlers. English is quickly
22
growing to become the second language, particularly in the metro areas of the
country.
Over 10% of the world's flora is found in Argentina. Parana Pine and Evergreen
23
Beeches are very common to the area.
The country has 14 sites classified as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance.
24
According to 2003 data, about 6.6% of the country's land is protected.
 The port of Buenos Aires is where approximately 80% of the country's imports and
25
exports arrive and depart.
Previously, the mayor of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected by the country's
26 president. This practice ended in 1996, and following constitutional reforms, mayor
is now an elected position.
Approximately 35% of the country's workforce belongs to a union. Unions began
27 during the reign of Juan Perón, who built up the General Confederation of Labor to
include approximately 6 million members.
Argentina is one of the biggest food producing and exporting countries in the world.
28 The country has over 86 million acres of arable land for crops. This is
approximately 12.8% of the country's total land area.
Wheat is the leading crop in Argentina. The country produces so much wheat, it is
29 the fifth leading wheat exporting country in the world, and grows over 60% of the
wheat in South America.
Argentina is a country known for making - and exporting - wine. In 2004, the
country exported over 159,000 tons, which accounted for 2% of the world's total
30
wine exports.

Argentina uses an educational system known as EGB, which divides nine years of
31 study into three-year segments. After nine years, students enter a "multimodal"
program that offers general and specialized training.
Children in Argentina are required to attend school from ages 5 to 14. The school
32
year in the country begins in March and ends in November.
José de San Martín, or the Protector of the South, is thought to be the most famous
33 person of Argentina. He is known for leading South America to freedom from
Spanish rule.
Argentina is divided into seven different regions. These regions include Northwest,
34
Cuyo, Pampas, Pantagonia, Mesopotamia, Gran Chaco, and Sierras Pampeanas.
After the death of Juan Peron in 1976, the military took control, beginning a period
35 known as the dirty war. During this time, it was estimated that between 20,000 to
30,000 people were killed.
Buenos Aires, Argentina is frequently called the Paris of South America due to its
36 European influences. As many as 95% of people in Argentina are of European
descent.
The national sport of Argentina is pato, a game that is played on horseback.
37 However, the most popular sport in the region is football - or what Americans know
as soccer.
This country is known for winning more international polo championships than any
38 other country in the world.

Argentines consume the second most beef per capita in the entire world, only being
39
beaten out by Hong Kong.
The city of Ushuaia, located in Argentina, is believed to be the most southernmost
40
city in the entire world.
Argentina holds the records for both the highest and lowest recorded temperatures
41 on the continent. The record-high temperature of 120.4 degrees was reached in
1920, while 1907 saw a record low of -27 degrees.
 The Avenida 9 de Julio -- or July 9 Avenue -- located in Buenos Aires is the widest
42
street in the world. The street has a total of twelve lanes, or six on each side.
July 20th markes Friends Day, which is celebrated every year in Argentina. It is the
only country in the world to have a day that is designated for the celebration of
43
friendships. On this day, friends spend the day together, parties are thrown, and
activities can last well into the late night hours.
Argentina is the first country in the world that recognized children with two fathers.
44 In 2012, a child was born and had two fathers listed on the birth certificate,
something that had never happened before anywhere else in the world.
The country is home to the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is not just the third-largest
freshwater source in the world but is also a glacier that is growing, instead of
45
shrinking.

Argentina is becoming known around the world for being a hub for plastic surgery
46 due to the low cost of procedures. It is estimated that 1 in 30 Argentines have
undergone some form of cosmetic plastic surgery.
Unfortunately, the focus on good looks extends beyond just plastic surgery in this
country. This country has the highest per capita rates of Anorexia in the world. The
47
problem is not confined to just females, either, as research has shown that one-
eighth of patients being treated for the disease are male.
Che Guevera was known for his role in the Cuban Revolution, but he wasn't Cuban.
48 In fact, he was born in Rosario, located outside of Buenos Aires. He was raised in
Argentina and only left for the revolution after training to become a doctor.
The world's earliest plants were found in Argentina. Liverworts, which had no roots
49
or stems, have been dated back approximately 472 million years ago.
Forty percent of the workforce in Argentina is comprised of females.
50 Approximately thirty percent of the congressional seats in the country are held by
women.

The country of Argentina has been a thriving country since its independence from Spain in the
1800s. Its people are laid back, fun and hard working. The country’s solid educational system
has produced a society full of highly literate people who have helped the country go up in the
world’s business rankings. Today, Argentina is home to many traditions and loves to keep their
culture alive by celebrating holidays and historical events in a grandiose and traditional way. The
country is a great place to visit, and loves having tourists come and glimpse into the unique
lifestyle of Argentina.