Argentina is a large South American country (technically the Argentine Republic) that is in fact the eighth largest country in the world.
Argentina Basics
Argentina is the second-largest country in South America, after Brazil. It covers an area of 2,780,400 square kilometers, or 1,073,500 square miles. It is bordered by Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay, as well as the Atlantic Ocean.
Its capital is Buenos Aires and the nation is home to more than 47 million people. The official language is Spanish, though some regions have other languages that are commonly spoken.
The name Argentina comes from the Italian word for something made of silver or silver colored, related to a legend of a silver mountain that was said to be found in central South America.
People have lived in the area that is now Argentina since the Paleolithic Era, and the Inca lived there before European explorers arrived.
National Symbols
The Argentine flag is divided into three horizontal stripes, two light blue and one white. In the middles is the symbol known as the Sun of May, which is a representation of the Inca sun god Inti. It has 32 rays, 16 of which are straight and 16 wavy.
The national anthem (called “Himno Nacional Argentino”), was adopted in 1813 and was shortened later to remove attacks on Spain.
The national trees are the ceibo and red quebracho, while the nation’s floral emblem is the ceibo flower. The national bird is the rufous hornero or red ovenbird, so named for the shape of its nest. (They’re adorable little songbirds that are common in both urban and rural settings.)
Here’s a fun one: the national sport is pato, which is kind of a combination of polo and basketball. It’s played on horses and the object is to get a leather ball with handles on it into a net. When you have the ball you have to hold it with your arm outstretched, giving the other team a chance to grab it. The game is called pato, which is Spanish for duck, because it was originally played with a basket and a live duck inside!
Argentina Activities for Kids
Learn more about the legend of the sierra de la plata at Ancient Origins.
Google Arts & Culture has a great piece on modern-day gauchos, cowboys of the Argentine grassland. You can learn more about their history from Estancia Ranquilco. Make a gaucho hat out of cardboard with this DIY from Homeschool Realm.
Explore the cueva de las manos (cave of the hands), a cave featuring lots of prehistoric art, most notably the outlines of hands for which the cave is named. While you’re at it you can make some handprint art of your own with this craft idea from Creative Family Fun.
123 Homeschool 4 Me has a fun printable mini book on Argentina that includes coloring pages for some of the national symbols, the flag, the country itself and more. Also you can grab some Argentina coloring pages and fact pages from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games.
Asado is one of the national dishes of Argentina, which is grilled meat with chimichuri sauce. There are many different kinds of asado; check out this recipe for one with an Argentine flair from Hispanic Kitchen. Kids will also love making and eating empanadas (Recipe Tin Eats has a basic one, you can add whatever you like if you’re not being too authentic) and alfajores (this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker is a good one).
Turn on some tango music and have a dance party!
Check out these books on Argentia for kids on Amazon
