Learn some interesting information about Argentina while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids!

Read about the highest mountain, Nobel Prize recipients, national parks, bordering countries, language, the Argentine sport Pato and much more.

                       

Fun Facts about Argentina

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.

Geography

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.

Latin Culture

The Latin dance and music called the Tango began in Buenos Aires. 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.

Nobel Prize Winners

Argentina has three Nobel Prize recipients in the Sciences, Bernardo Houssay, César Milstein and Luis Leloir.

Sports

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. Basketball, Polo, rugby, golf and women's field hockey are also popular sports in the country.

Argentina Attractions for Kids

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, or the city centre.

Córdoba: This is the second largest and oldest city in Argentina.

Argentine Andes Mountains: The place to go for outdoors if you want to ski, hike, climb.   

Iguazu Falls: Located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, these waterfalls are the biggest tourist attraction. The falls are actually a series of 275 falls, which fall a distance of 75 meters.

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 alligators and capybaras.

Pampas: 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.

Animals in Argentina

There are animals such as armadillos, capybaras and king penguins. In Argentina there are also native snakes such as the tropical rattle snake or the crossed pit viper, both of them are very poisonous.

Courtesy sciencekidz, kidsworldtravel

Published in Young Nation Magazine on Januray 6, 2018