Argentina

 


Find out a few interesting facts about Argentina and record them - and more - with the help of our worksheets. We've also got a set of our flag printables and flag colouring page for the Argentinian flag.

Fitz Roy Mountain, Patagonia, Argentina
Fitz Roy Mountain, Patagonia, Argentina

A Little Geography...

  • The Argentine Republic is the second largest country in South America and the largest Spanish speaking land in the world, four times the size of Texas.
  • The eastern Atlantic coastline is almost 5,000 km whilst the Andes, forming the border with Chile, run 5,308 km to the west. Bolivia and Paraguay are in the north, and Brazil and Uruguay on the east.
  • The majority of Argentina's 43 million people are descendants of immigrants. Italian and Spanish cultural influences are strong.
  • The dry Chaco near Paraguay is the hottest place in South America with temperatures over 45 degrees.
  • The world’s second largest meteorite, El Chalco, is made of iron and weighs 37 tonnes. It landed from space around 5,000 years ago as part of a meteor shower that formed the Campo del Cielo - a meteor field covering 60 km.
  • A land of extremes, Argentina has the highest point in the Americas, Cerro Aconcagua, at 6960m, and a low point of -105 m at Laguna del Carbon. It also the coldest and hottest country in the continent.

A Little History...

  • Argentina is named after the Latin word for silver, ‘argentum’, for which Sebastian Cabot explored the River Plate in 1526. Unlike Peru, Argentina had little silver!

And Some Interesting Facts...

  • Gnocchi day is on the 29th of each month, before pay day, when locals eat this potato dish to save money. It is good luck to put a peso coin under each plate.
  • Buenos Aires, the capital, is known as the Paris of the South, due to its wide boulevards and European culture. It is the largest city on the continent outside Brazil.
  • Locals are called ‘Portenos’ after the La Boca port area of the city, home to Boca Juniors football club.
  • The tango dance came from the slums of Buenos Aires in the 19th century.

Iguazu Falls, border of Argentina and Brazil
The stunning Iguazu Falls, on the border of Argentina and Brazil

  • Iguazu Falls, on the border with Brazil. is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is four times as wide as Niagara Falls.
  • The Misiones Jungle around Iguazu is home to the ceibo tree. It has red blossoms which are the national flower of Argentina.
  • The Subte in Beunos Aires is South America’s oldest underground train system. The new 'Line H', which opened in 2007,  is the first additional line since 1944.

Argentina on a map of South America
Argentina on a map of South America. You can print this map here

  • Football is the national sport. Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986. Argentina and Uruguay have played each other a record 201 times since 1901!
  • Gauchos are nomadic cowboys who herd cattle on grasslands called pampas . Gauchos are named after the word for orphan or vagabond and wear wear ponchos and baggy trousers called 'bombachas’.
  • Eva Peron married the President and was adored by the poor whose cause she supported. Her life is celebrated in the musical Evita.
  • Che Guevara, the revolutionary, was born in Rosario to a middle class family. He was a keen rugby player in his youth before turning to the plight of the poor and Cuban revolution.
  • US outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid lived in a cabin in Choilila in Patagonia from 1901-1905.
  • The first ever animated feature film, the Apostle, was made in Argentina in 1917 by Quirino Cristani.
  • Ushuaia is the most southern city in the world.
  • In Patagonia there are 20,000 people of Welsh descent living in villages in the Chubut Valley. Many children still learn to speak Welsh in local primary schools.
  • The Perito Moreno in Patagonia is an advancing glacier, one of two in South America. Huge blocks of ice break off and drop into the lake below. The noise can be heard 80 km away!
  • The Train to the Clouds (Tren a Los Nubes) climbs to 4220 m into the Andes. The round trip of 430 km goes over 29 bridges and 21 tunnels each way.

About the Argentinian Flag

Argentina Flag

The National flag of Argentina is made up of three equal horizontal stripes coloured light blue, white and light blue. The three-stripe design is known as a ‘triband’, with the colours representing the sky and the clouds. In the middle of the central white stripe is a yellow sun, which is a replica of an engraving from the first official Argentinean coin. The flag was created by Manuel Belgrano and was first raised above the city of Rosario in February 1812.


Our Argentina Resources

Argentina Fact Worksheet

Argentina Fact Worksheet

Find out all sorts of pertinent facts and figures about Argentina to fill out this interesting worksheet.

Argentina Location Worksheet

Argentina Location Worksheet

Use these two location worksheets to teach children where Argentina sits within South America. The guided version has country names and capital marked.

Argentina On Map Of South America

Argentina On Map Of South America

This outline map of South America has Argentina highlighted in red, so that children can see its relative size and position. The capital city is also marked.

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