Argentina Facts for Kids

Interesting Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting Argentina Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Impressions of Argentina: Aconcagua and Jaguar

Argentina - Snapshot

Continent: South America
Capital: Buenos Aires
Population: 46 million
Language: Spanish
Currency: Argentine peso
Highest mountain: Aconcagua
Longest river: Paraná
Coastline: South Atlantic Ocean

Second largest country in South America
Cultural Traditions: tango, gaucho, asado

Sources: INDEC, VisitArgentina 17 July 2026

What you will find on our Argentina Facts page:

Snapshot
Basic Facts
Map
Geography
Geo Superlatives
Landmarks

Animals
People
Language
Economy
Food
FAQs

First let's have a quick glance at the most important basic facts about Argentina:

Basic Facts about Argentina

Argentina coat of arms, flag and national animal

Continent: South America
Population: About 46 million people live in Argentina (2026)
Capital: Buenos Aires
Name: Republica Argentina or Argentine Republic, Argentina means 'land of silver'
Government: Democracy, Republic
Language: Spanish, Italian, English, German, French and indigenous languages
Literacy: 98% can read and write
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 92%)
Currency: 1 Argentine peso = 100 centavos

National Flag: blue and white, with a yellow Sun of May on the white band
National Symbols: Sun of May - sun with a face symbol, the national colours blue and yellow, the coat of arms with red Phrygian cap meaning freedom
History: Spanish explorer Juan Diaz visits the area now called Argentina and claims it for the Spanish crown. In 1535 Buenos Aires is founded by Pedro de Mendoza. Only in 1816, Argentina gained independence from Spain. In 1880 Buenos Aires became capital of Argentina. In the next fifty years from 1880 onwards Argentina was one of the richest nations. In 1982 Argentina went to war with Britain to try to get the Falkland Islands but this was unsuccessful for the Argentines.
President: Javier Milei, elected in October 2023

Last updated: INDEC and wikipedia on 17 July 2026

Argentina Facts
Argentina Map

Where is Argentina? Argentina is located on the South American continent and borders five countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The longest border is shared between Argentina and Chile.

This is the world's eight largest country and second largest country of South America after Brazil.

Argentina Map

To the east of Argentina is the Atlantic Ocean and in the north east there is also the border to Uruguay. To the west are the Andes which form a natural border with Chile. In the north, Argentina borders Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.

Argentina is a huge country and the landmass covers as much land area as the African countries of Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique combined!

Argentina's land area would fit about three times into the land area of USA!

Buenos Aires is the capital city with more than 3 million people and about 17 million people in the metropolitan area.

Learn more about Buenos Aires in this short video by VisitArgentina:

A flight to Buenos Aires from London takes about 14 hours, and takes about 11 hours from New York.

Argentina Facts
Geography

Flat grassy plains that cover most of central and northern Argentina. Most of the pampas is used to heard cattle and sheep which there are more than humans.

The pampas in eastern Argentina are generally just flat fertile plains. The word 'pampas' is a word from the Quechua Indians language and means 'flat surface'.

To the south of Argentina is an archipelago called the Tierra del Fuego. The Tierra del Fuego is a group of islands at the southern tip of Argentina. The biggest island of the Tierra del Fuego is Isla Grande which is also the biggest island in South America.

The Tierra del Fuego has high mountains and very cold weather as it is quite close to Antarctica. Tierra del Fuego is split between Chile and Argentina.

Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina

Patagonia is northern region of the Tierra del Fuego and consists of dry pampas vegetation and also has high mountains and huge glaciers such as the world famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Patagonia has a very cold climate.

The Andes are a huge mountain range, the longest in the world, that also mark the natural border between Chile and Argentina.

Andes in Argentina with Fitzroy mountain peaks

Argentina Geo Superlatives

Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America and is part of the Argentine Andes. Aconcagua mountain has a height of 6,961 m/ 22,838 ft and this is also the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and in the Americas.

Hiking with view of Aconcagua

Argentina's longest river is the Paraná River, which forms a natural border between Paraguay and Argentina

Bridge over the Paraná river between Rosario and Victoria.

The largest lake is called Lago Argentino. This is the largest freshwater lake in Argentina. The deepest point is 500 m/ 1640 ft deep.

Lago Argentino

The Laguna de Carbón in the Great San Julián Depression is the lowest point in the western Hemisphere with -105 m/ 345 ft.

Great San Julian Depression

Argentina Facts
Attractions and Landmarks

Buenos Aires: The capital city and most populous city with cafes, restaurants and the tango. Places to see in Buenos Aires include the la Boca district with its colourful buildings and the city centre.

Buenos Aires in Argentina: Puente de la Mujer/ Woman's Bridge

Obelisk in Plaza de la Republica in Buenos Aires

Famous flower sculpture "Floralis Genérica" in Buenos Aires - image by Saiko3p/shutterstock

Córdoba: This is the second largest city in Argentina and it is also one of the oldest cities in Argentina.

Cordoba in Argentina

Mendoza Wine Region: This beautiful area with the Andes mountains in the background has the best wines in Argentina and is one of the biggest wine producing areas in the world.

Mendoza Wine Valley in Argentina

Argentine Andes Mountains: The place to go for outdoors if you want to ski, hike, climb. You will enjoy the many outdoor activity in the Argentine Andes.

Las Lenas in Argentina

Iguazu Falls: Located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, about ⅔ of the waterfalls belong to Argentina. These waterfalls are among the largest waterfalls in the world and stretch over 2.7 km/ 1.6 miles. The falls are actually a series of 275 falls.

Iguazu Falls in Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier: This world famous glacier is in Patagonia and stretches a distance of 30 km/ 18 miles and has an area of 250 sq km/ 97 sq miles.
Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia: It is fascinating to experience unspoilt nature. And visit the southernmost large settlement, Ushuaia.

Ushuaia - southernmost point of Argentina

Ibera Wetlands: The second biggest wetland in the world after the Pantanal in Brazil, this is a huge swampland lots of mammals and birds such as capybaras and alligators.

Ibera Wetlands

Nahuel Huapi: The oldest national park of Argentina is located in northern Patagonia which is popular with hikers and nature enthusiasts.

Nahuel Huapi National Park

Argentina Facts
Animals in Argentina

Argentina is home to many fascinating animals. These include the jaguar, the largest wild cat in the Americas. Jaguars are now critically endangered in Argentina! Other wildlife includes pumas, rheas, armadillos and Andean condors. Commonly seen animals are guanacos, which are wild relatives of llamas and live in the grasslands and mountains, as well as capybaras, which are the world's largest rodents.

Capybara with two babies

There are huge numbers of sheep and cattle in the pampas regions and also horses are common. In Argentina there are also native snakes such as the tropical rattle snake or the crossed pit viper, both of them are very poisonous.

In Tierra del Fuego, there is a vast range of wildlife especially along the coastline. Seals, king penguins, cormorants and southern right whales can be seen along the southern coast.

Seals and cormorants in Tierra del Fuego

Argentina Facts
Argentina People

One third of the population in Argentina live in the capital city Buenos Aires. 92% of the people live in urban centres, which means cities and towns.

The biggest cities in Argentina are Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario and Mendoza. Patagonia in the country's South is only sparsely populated.

Argentina family - ready to go to school

In Argentina, kids go to either free public schools or attend private schools which can be really expensive.

Children either attend school during the morning shift from 8am to 1pm, afternoon from 1pm to 6pm or some might even be required to sit in school during a night shift.

In Argentina, herders on horseback called 'gauchos' look after the large herds of cattle or sheep.

gaucho, image by sunsinger at shutterstock.com

Gaucho - Herders

The sports that are the most popular in Argentina are soccer (called fútbol), basketball, rugby and tennis. The national sport, however, is called 'pato' and is similar to polo.

Pato match in Argentina

Pato is played on horseback with the rider holding a net in the hand. However, few play the national sport as it is an expensive sport.

Soccer is the most popular sports activity and Argentina has won the world cup two times and is again in the World Cup finals in 2026. There are many famous soccer stars such as Maradona, Messi and others.

About Famous Argentine People and the Tango

Lionel Messi - Fabideciria/ssk

Famous Argentines include former national soccer player Diego Maradona, who scored the world famous goal ("hand of god') against England in the 1986 world cup. Another famous soccer player is Lionel Messi who is celebrated currently by many as the best soccer player.

José de San Martín is an idol for many Argentines. He is the national hero who helped to free the southern parts of South America from the Spanish in the struggle for independence.

Tango Dancers

A famous Argentine tradition is the tango dance, which originated in Buenos Aires at the end of the 19th century. It is interesting to know that today there are different types of tango styles, and some of the biggest dance schools were developed by dancers who come from Italian immigrant families in Argentina. Tango dancers usually tell sad stories with their dance moves.

Argentina Facts | Language

The official language used in Argentina is Spanish. Argentina is the largest Spanish speaking country in South America. Spanish is used as the official language as the Spanish brought with them the language as they arrived and settled in Argentina.

Hola means Hello

The Spanish spoken in Argentina, however, has developed differently over the centuries and sounds different to the Spanish spoken in Spain.

Indigenous languages which are spoken by many Argentines are Mapuche, Guarani and Quechua.

Other European languages such as Italian, English, German, French are also spoken by most Argentines.

Important Words

¿Cómo andás?: How are you?
gracias: thank you
por favor: please
mucho gusto: nice to meet u
¡Chau!: ciao or good bye
¡Suerte!: good luck!

pampas: plains
sierra: hills or mountains
gaucho: cattle herders
asado: grilled meats

Argentina Economy

Argentina is the world's biggest exporter of soybean meal and the third biggest exporter of both corn and raw soybeans.

Corn harvest in Argentina - image by SobrevolandoPatagonia

Natural gas is the main energy source used for power production in the country. Argentina has the world's second largest reserve of shale gas - after the USA - and the 4th largest reserve of shale oil.

Argentina also produces lithium, which is one of the main mineral used in battery storage systems.

The biggest trading partners of Argentina are Brazil, China, Chile and Germany.

Argentina Facts
Argentine Food

Typical Argentine food consists of lots of meat. Argentine Beef is known worldwide for its full flavour and tenderness. Lunch is actually the largest meal of the whole day.

Argentine people love their 'Asado' where food is typically prepared on a grill or over open fire as part of a barbecue (BBQ).

Asado - Typical Argentine Barbecue

Asado: food prepared on a grill or over open fire as part of a barbecue (BBQ). On the asado, there is usually beef, pork ribs and sausages or also lamb.
Alfajores: sweet biscuits filled with dulce de leech cream and rolled in shredded coconut shavings

Argentine alfajores

Dulce de Leche: literally means sweet from milk and that is what it is, also called 'milk candy' in English. Delicious 'dulce de leche' cheesecake is made with this sweet creamy syrup. In Argentina 'dulce de leche' is made with milk, sugar and a little vanilla.
Empanadas: Deep-fried or baked stuffed pastry pockets with either a savoury (cheese, vegetable or minced chicken or beef meat) or a sweet filling (with dulce de leche or sweet potato paste for example)

Empanadas

Maté Tea: Made from 'yerba mate' which is a local herb and is then sipped through a straw which is called 'bombilla'.
Carbonada: a savory thick stew often served in a holed out pumpkin.

Argentine Carbonada

Argentina Facts
FAQs

Where is Argentina?

Argentina is in South America. It is the second largest country on the continent after Brazil.

What language do Argentines speak?

Most people in Argentina speak Spanish. Some people also speak Indigenous languages such as Quechua and Guaraní, as well as English, Italian and German.

What is Argentina famous for?

Argentina is famous for its football or soccer, tango music and dancing, delicious beef dishes and Asado, which is barbecued meat, mountains and glaciers, Patagonia and of course the world's largest waterfalls system, the Iguazu Falls.

What animals live in Argentina?

Argentina is home to many fascinating animals. There are penguins, capybaras, pumas, jaguars, rheas, Andean condors and whales.

What is the highest mountain in Argentina?

Aconcagua is the highest mountain in Argentina. This is the highest mountain in the Americas with 6,961 metres or 22,838 feet.

Argentina Facts
Recommended Reading

Sources for our Argentina Facts page:

Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos. "Censos." INDEC. Last accessed 17 July 2026
Visit Argentina. "Buenos Aires." Argentina.travel. Last accessed 17 July 2026
"Argentina's Colossal Perito Moreno Glacier. Twisted Sifter. 1 July 2013. Last accessed 17 July 2026
"Argentina - Famous Argentines." Nations Encyclopedia. Last accessed 17 July 2026
Buenos Aires Ciudad. "Floralis Genérica." BuenosAiresTourism. Last accessed 17 July 2026

Facts checked using government, education, and reference sources - last updated 17 July 2026

Image Credits on Argentina Facts page: Shutterstock.com; Corn harvest image by SobrevolandoPatagonia/shutterstock.com and own images.