Argentina
Capital: Buenos Aires
Size: About 1,073,500 square miles (2,780,400 sq km).
Language: Spanish (with Italian influence and some Indigenous languages)
Currency: Argentine peso
Capital population: Buenos Aires has about 3 million people (over 15 million in the metro area).
Population: About 46 million people.See the biggest cities →National animal: Rufous hornero (the national bird, known for its clay oven-shaped nest)
National flower: Ceibo (the coral tree flower)
Climate
Warm and green in the north, mild around Buenos Aires, and cold and windy in the far south of Patagonia.
Main industries
Beef and grain farming, soybeans, wine, cars, and natural gas.
Top places for tourists
The city of Buenos Aires and its tango dancing, world-famous beef, the wild lands of Patagonia, and the huge Iguazu Falls.
Places of interest
The Iguazu Falls, on the border with Brazil, are made of hundreds of waterfalls and are one of the great natural wonders of the world.
A little history
Home to Indigenous peoples, Argentina was a Spanish colony and won its independence in 1816, led by hero Jose de San Martin.
Fun fact
Tango, the passionate dance and music, was born in Buenos Aires, and Argentines are famous for their delicious grilled beef called asado.