Argentina is one of the Southernmost countries on the South American continent. It’s one of the countries in South America that I wanna visit one day.
Here are 20 Interesting facts about Argentina you might not have known
1. Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the 8th largest country in the world (by land mass). It’s also the world’s largest Spanish speaking country.
2. The country has a population of roughly 46 million people (according to the 2022 census).
3. Argentina declared independence from Spain in 1816 (after a war for independence which lasted almost 6 years).
4. Alberto Fernández is the current president of the country. He has been in office since 2019.
5. Buenos Aires in the capital and largest city in the country. The city was established in 1536. Today Buenos Aires has an estimated population of 15 million people in the metropolitan area.
6. Argentina has two other cities with a population of more than 1 million people, Córdoba and Rosario.
7. Argentina has been playing football since 1893. The country has hosted and won the FIFA World Cup in 1978. They also won the FIFA World Cup in Mexico in 1986 (against Germany) and in Qatar in 2022 (against France). They were knocked out by Germany in the quarter finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa though.
8. There are more than 281,000 km of roads and more than 35,000 km railroad track in the country.
9. As per the law, the President and Vice President of the country should be Roman Catholic (the official religion).
10. Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain in Argentina also the highest mountain on the South American continent.
11. El Pato is the official national sport of Argentina. It is a combination of polo and basketball.
12. Argentina has been playing Rugby since 1910. They have 244 out of the 488 test matches they’ve played. They’ve only won 3 matches against the Springboks to date.
13. Buenos Aires Has the Largest Mosque in Latin America. The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Centre is located in the Palermo neighborhood of the city. It was constructed with the support of the Saudi Arabian government and officially inaugurated in 2000. The mosque serves as a place of worship for the city’s Muslim community and can accommodate over 1500 worshippers.
14. Argentina is a major exporter of quality beef and is highly regarded internationally. Their steaks are considered to be some of the best in the world. Cattle are raised on the lush grasslands of la Pampa and are free to roam and graze. This means the cattle produce meat rich in flavor and truly a cut above the rest.
15. Buenos Aires has the widest street in the world. The grand Avenida 9 de Julio is named after the country’s Day of Independence (which is celebrated on the 9th of July). This colossal avenue spans a staggering 139 metres (459 feet) in width and accommodates 16 lanes of traffic.
16. The national drink of Argentina is yerba mate, a traditional South American caffeine-rich drink. It is made from dried leaves of the yerba mate herb and is drunk for its energizing and stimulating effects.
17. The legendary football skills of Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona has inspired such devotion that a church was opened in his honor in 1998. The Church of Maradona is situated in Rosario and was created by a group of dedicated fans. The church now has over 120,000 members and even has its own ten commandments, including naming your first son Diego and considering the ball sacred.
18. Ushuaia, located in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, is considered the southernmost city in the world. Despite its remote location, the city is well-connected with regular flights from Buenos Aires and other major cities in South America.
19. Contrary to popular belief, Walt Disney did not create the first animated movie. Argentina holds this unique place in film history as the birthplace of the world’s first animated feature film. The film “El Apóstol” (The Apostle) was directed by Quirino Cristiani and released in 1917. The movie tells the tale of a man who creates a robot to help him win the election.
20. Argentina’s name is derived from “Argentum,” the Latin word for silver. It has this name due to the large quantities of the precious metal discovered by a Spanish colony in the 16th Century.
Well, there you have it, 20 facts you might not have known about Argentina. Feel free to comment below if I missed something important.
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